SANDY, Utah – It was one of Real Salt Lake’s most comprehensive victories of the year, and they did it with a total team effort.
Sebastian Jaime and acting captain Javier Morales scored the goals, but there were positive contributions all over the field in RSL’s 2-0 round-of-16 US Open Cup victory Wednesday night over the Portland Timbers.
“I told the guys before game, 'If we can do our best on the field but not for ourselves, if you can do your best for the team, everything is going to be right.'” Morales said after the match at Rio Tinto Stadium. “I think tonight the team effort was great. … Everyone worked hard.”
RSL only allowed a single shot on goal all night, largely thanks to the defensive efforts of Luke Muholland and Luis Gil who were manning the middle of the pitch in place of usual captain Kyle Beckerman, who is away on Gold Cup duty with the US national team. On the other end of the field, Jaime continued his recent run of form and scored in his third straight match (all competitions).
The opening goal came because of an enterprising run that RSL forward Olmes Garcia made through the center of the Timbers defense. He played a perfectly weighted pass at the top of the box into space for Jaime, who then one-timed a shot toward the back post and into the back of the net.
“He's scoring goals. We need him. I think right now he's on fire, and it's good for us,” Morales said. “Garcia and [Joao] Plata played good. Garcia made the assist like Valderrama. That was good for the team. Now everyone is assisting, everyone is scoring goals – it's good.”
Morales slotted home his fourth goal this year in the 71st minute from the penalty spot, after Plata was taken down just inside the area.
RSL head coach Jeff Cassar was very pleased with his team’s performance and praised the players for competing together.
- Get more RSL news at RealSaltLake.com
“Tonight, it was a total group effort,” Cassar said. “I couldn't be more proud of them. On top of that, we had the special plays that put you over the top. I couldn't be more proud of the guys tonight in the way that they worked and the way they handled the game because Portland is a very good team.”
The performance was arguably the most complete effort through 90 minutes for RSL this season. Now, they say, the key is stringing together more like it.
“We've won one game before; we've got to win a second one,” said goalkeeper Jeff Attinella, who took the spot of Nick Rimando, another starter who is with the USMNT for the Gold Cup. “It's all about how can we transition this into Saturday, how can we transition this into league play, how can we try to get some momentum going, and who knows, get on a run.”
