Facing a struggling San Jose Earthquakes team for the third time in less than two months did not turn into a formula for an easy home victory this time around for Real Salt Lake.
RSL failed to take advantage of the Earthquakes playing a man down for the entire second half of play and ended up walking away with a second consecutive 0-0 draw amid boos at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Wednesday evening.
Scoring has been tough to come by for RSL in June with only a single goal in its last three matches. The club has now gone without a goal on its home turf for 197 consecutive minutes.
Real owned a 24-7 advantage in total shots. But they put just four on goal, compared to one for the Earthquakes, which came in the final five minutes of the match.
Neither club could get much going on offense during the first half. RSL produced only two shots on goal. San Jose conjured up none.
The Earthquakes' best scoring chance came from John Cunliffe in the 17th minute. Ronnie O'Brien set up Cunliffe when he swung a floater toward the far post off a corner kick and Cunliffe had good form on his subsequent right-footed effort, but he sent the ball high over the crossbar.
RSL saw its best scoring chances come early in the half. Robbie Findley was on frame when he drilled a right-footer in the 12th minute. But he could not find a way to put the ball past San Jose 'keeper Joe Cannon.
Kyle Beckerman looked to have another solid chance at an early goal in the 21st minute when he received the ball deep in the Earthquakes penalty area. Beckerman spun and tried to slip past Kelly Gray. But Gray's presence threw off his shot just enough to allow Cannon to easily scoop up the ball.
Matias Cordoba, starting in place of usual starter Andy Williams, drilled a free kick down an open channel toward the far post in the 39th minute. The ball had enough power behind it when Cordoba sent it into the box, but his shot ended well off-target -- sailing wide left of frame.
San Jose was forced to play a man down throughout the second half after Jason Hernandez was sent off after his second yellow card of the match following a hard foul on Dema Kovalenko in the 44th minute.
Ironically, the Earthquakes seemed to come up with better scoring chances with 10 men than 11.
The Earthquakes nearly got on the board in the 51st minute when O'Brien raced downfield along the far side and chipped the ball toward Cunliffe in the center of the box. Cunliffe looked to have a chip shot in front of RSL's goal area, but he shanked his volley over the crossbar.
O'Brien came within a whisper of dialing it in from long distance in the 66th minute. He popped a free kick up and over the RSL four-man wall, but O'Brien's shot grazed the wrong side of the crossbar.
Real looked like they finally broke the ice in the 72nd minute when Beckerman chipped in an easy shot off a corner kick. Javier Morales swung the ball across the area to Findley at the far post. Findley headed the ball back to Beckerman, who slotted it in alongside the near post.
Beckerman's prime positioning proved too good to be true. The goal was wiped out as the assistant referee's flag went up for offside.
RSL had one more golden scoring chance when Kenny Cutler rifled a shot goalward from 25 yards out in the 82nd minute. Cutler's shot was on frame when he released it, but Cannon managed to get his fingertips on the ball and push up and over the crossbar.
John Coon is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
