Real Salt Lake seemed to have its sights set on next season on Saturday, as Chivas USA came into town and earned its first victory at Rice-Eccles Stadium 3-2.
Between a number of what seemed like experimental moves with the lineup and a battle with odd field conditions that made possession difficult to maintain, Chivas made the most of their opportunities in earning the win.
Real coach Jason Kreis gave his starting lineup a different look for the game, no doubt meaning to audition some players for next year. Real started with Chris Seitz in goal instead of Nick Rimando, and also had Willis Forko and Chris Lancos as the fullbacks. And, without Javier Morales available, Kreis used a 4-3-3 with Robbie Findley, Chris Brown and Fabian Espindola up top.
Both teams struggled to maintain possession in the early going, as the wet artificial turf sent the ball bounding away from every player on the field. Real's Andy Williams suffered a foul from Alex Zotinca in the ninth minute that put Williams on the sideline for just a moment, and that netted Zotinca a yellow card.
Then, as the game progressed, Chivas started finding some counterattack looks. It paid off in the 21st minute when Laurent Merlin beat Forko around the right corner before firing a cross into the penalty area. John Cunliffe one-timed with his thigh inside the near post for a 1-0 Chivas lead.
Real did not give up, however. Carey Talley had perhaps the best shot of the first half for Salt Lake, powering it toward the left post. A Chivas defender deflected it wide, but referee Ricardo Salazar gave Chivas a goal kick. But outside of that attempt in the 32nd minute, it was Chivas goalkeeper Brad Guzan that impressed in the first half as RSL was unable to score; Guzan earned five saves before halftime.
But after the break, both teams' attacks got moving. Chris Brown pulled Real level in the 52nd minute. A long ball from the RSL end was headed into the center by Fabian Espindola, and the veteran striker raced between the Chivas center backs to collect the ball inside the area before slamming a shot inside the far left post. It was Brown's fifth goal of the season.
Yet it took Chivas just two minutes to regain the lead, again through Cunliffe, who was making his first start since July 4. Sacha Kljestan split the Real defense with a through ball from the center circle, and Cunliffe's shot from inside the area beat Seitz inside the near left post.
And, as if one goal was not enough, Chivas got another in the 58th minute when Paulo Nagamura fired a rocket from 35 yards out that Seitz had no chance of saving, to give the Red-and-White a 3-1 lead.
RSL's morale recovered when Robbie Findley got a goal in the 63rd minute. Andy Williams fired the ball from along the right sideline towards the left post, and Findley streaked in from behind and touched it once into the goal to make it 3-2.
Kreis began making moves, trying to find an equalizer, in the 61st minute. He inserted Yura Movsisyan into the game in place of Espindola, and Findley's goal came just moments later. Then, Kreis put Chris Wingert into the game and took Forko out, a move meant to improve both Real's defense and offense. And putting Atiba Harris into the game for Brown, playing Harris in the middle of the top three strikers, ramped up the offense.
But with the difficult field conditions, Real could not maintain enough possession in the midfield to find the tying goal. Movsisyan came just inches away from a knotting goal in the 88th minute, but his close-range blast came off the crossbar and back into the grateful arms of Guzan in the Chivas goal.
RSL concludes the home portion of its 2007 season next Monday when they play host to Houston Dynamo.
Peter Richins is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
