Real Salt Lake scored the first win in club history on the strength of a complete, all-around effort from the team's defensive unit.
"I think we did well as a back four," defender Brian Dunseth said, "but our midfield got back and really played both sides of the ball. When you do that defensively then you play well offensively."
With the defense turning back the Rapids attack, Real held the ball well controlling the pace of the game. But despite the control, Real had trouble finding the back of the net in the first half.
Perhaps the best scoring chance of the half came in the 27th minute when rookie Luke Kreamalmeyer found himself on the end of a Clint Mathis cross. Kreamalmeyer perhaps showed his inexperience and fired the open shot over the crossbar.
"I thought the defender was closer to me," Kreamalmeyer said of the shot. "I could have taken another touch and should have found the back of the net."
Although the teams were scoreless heading into halftime, Real owned much of the possession before the break and did so again immediately after.
"We kept pressuring, streaching out their defense," Mathis said. "So we were bound to get a goal."
And in the 81st minute Real did just that when Mathis quickly played a free kick in from the top of the box. The kick snuck through the defense and caught Dunseth coming in on the far post. Dunseth put his head on the ball giving Real a 1-0 lead.
"I am a defender," Dunseth said of his goal. "We are just a bunch of donkeys in the back -- we are not supposed to score goals. Of the four goals that I have scored in this league, three have come when a ball snuck through to me on the back side."
Real held on through a desperate Colorado flurry to give D.J Countess his second clean sheet in three games.
"That is two dinners that D.J. owes me," said defender Rusty Pierce of the shutout. "The difference today is just time spent together. All the parts are capable, but today we just showed that we are getting more familiar with each other."
The Real players also said the sold-out home crowd at Rice-Eccles Stadium gave them a boost.
"The crowd was awesome." said Dunseth. "They were loud and that makes a big difference. It feels good to put on good show for the home fans."
David Hale is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
