SALT LAKE CITY - Thursday's game against FC Dallas ended exactly the wrong way for Real Salt Lake.
Just like the Hoops did in the season opener, when they scored in the final minute of stoppage time to crush RSL's hopes for getting a win to start the year, Dallas tallied in the last minute of stoppage time to snatch a result away from Real and win 1-0.
As another scoreless draw seemed inevitable, tempers began to flare near the end of the game, and no one's temper burned hotter than that of RSL coach Jason Kreis. In the 89th minute, during a beautiful run towards the goal by Atiba Harris, FCD center back Clarence Goodson hit Harris with a shoulder charge and took away a glorious opportunity.
But referee Ricardo Salazar did not call a foul. Kreis went mad on the sidelines and was ejected.
Then, just moments later, Dallas came back after a failed RSL corner kick. The ball took a high bounce off the turf and the Hoops' Dominic Oduro gathered it in past a stumbling Jack Stewart. The Ghanaian striker was able to pick his spot from inside the penalty area, volleying into the inside netting by the far left post for the game's only goal.
Kreis must have seen something good in his lineup last week in his team's friendly against China, and shook things up for Thursday's game. Kreis again started Atiba Harris in a defensive midfield position, and also beefed up his offense by going to a 4-3-3 with Chris Klein, Alecko Eskandarian and Freddy Adu playing as forwards.
Salt Lake had a couple of fine combinations in the opening minutes, but it was Dallas with the dangerous looks at the goal in the 13th minute. Juan Toja played a beautiful centering pass into the goal box from the left, but RSL's Jean-Martial Kipre cleared the ball over the crossbar. On the subsequent corner kick, Drew Moor had a fine look on a header, but the ball again flew high.
Dallas earned another solid look at the goal in the 18th minute after Oduro turned the corner on Willis Forko at RSL's left defensive wing. Oduro got the ball to Arturo Alvarez, who took a 20-yard curving shot that looked like gold, but RSL's Nick Rimando caught the ball in the air, keeping Toja from finding the ball on a rebound.
Alvarez knocked on the door a handful of times in the next few minutes, but Rimando kept the portal shut. Even on a point-blank try from inside the goal area, with Toja following up, Rimando kept Dallas off the board by diving on the ball and smothering it with a second effort in the 21st minute.
With a free kick just one yard outside the right side of the penalty area, Dallas had a good look at the goal in the 40th minute. Dallas played the ball towards the far post, then a header was sent goalward by Moor, but the ball flew high. The half ended with a scoreless tie, but not before Dallas' Alex Yi was shown a yellow card for a hard hit on Adu.
Like he did throughout the first half, Alvarez made Real's defense nervous in the opening minutes of the second half. Dallas took a pair of free kicks before the 50th minute, but Rimando was up to the task again.
In the 54th minute, Real made some things happen in front of the Hoops' goal. Kipre got the ball to Andy Williams, who entered the game at halftime as a substitute for Chris Lancos, at the top of the penalty area. Williams lofted the ball high toward Eskandarian inside the area, but Dallas keeper Dario Sala made the save. The ball rebounded to Mehdi Ballouchy, who took the long shot from the left side but missed wide right.
Ballouchy came within inches of a goal in the 66th minute after a Real corner kick from Adu was bounced around in the box and cleared out to 30 yards away. Ballouchy was waiting for the ball, and shot from distance to just outside the left post.
Kreis, hoping to capitalize on the Chris Brown-Chris Klein combination on the right side, replaced Kipre with Brown in the 68th minute. The move was meant to ramp up the offense, but in the subsequent minutes the tempers on both sides began to flare.
First, after a hard takedown, Eskandarian and Marcelo Saragosa had words at chest-bumping range. Then, moments later, Clarence Goodson and Adu tangled up looked ready to rough each other up during a dead ball situation.
As the game wore on, Real's offense seemed to grow bolder while the Hoops must have been wondering how they could possibly score on Rimando. As he had done throughout the game, Rimando made a stellar save in the 85th minute on a narrow-angle, close-range shot from Toja.
But he had no answer for yet another goal deep in stoppage time by FC Dallas, and Real saw their winless streak continue.
Peter Richins is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
