SALT LAKE CITY - The second half of Real Salt Lake's league season did not start out the way the team had hoped on Saturday at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Real gave themselves some hope, even while playing a man down in the second half, after pulling level on a penalty kick. But a first-half goal by Pat Noonan and a sharply-hit free kick by Jeff Larentowicz late in the game gave the visiting New England Revolution a 2-1 victory.
Real held possession and were able to put some pressure on New England in the opening minutes. It came without Freddy Adu, in Portugal working out the final kinks of his reported deal with Benfica, and without Alecko Eskandarian, unavailable because of injury.
RSL remained the aggressors in the opening 20 minutes, and the home team earned the first corner kick of the night via a strong effort from Kyle Beckerman. Beckerman also had a fair shot on goal from a header off a centering pass from Chris Wingert, but his try flew wide right of the goal.
New England had its chances as well. Pat Noonan found a way to get into the box on the right and take a short-range shot towards the near post. But RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando made a diving save through the air to deflect the ball wide.
Rimando earned his paycheck in the 33rd minute when Wells Thompson sent the ball forward to Andy Dorman, who got a shot off from almost on top of the penalty spot. But again, Rimando kept New England out of the net with a quick save.
But Rimando could not keep Noonan out of the goal in the 39th minute. Larentowicz served the ball forward to Twellman, who sharply headed it down from the top of the area, to Noonan on the right side of the box. Noonan faked left, then shot towards the near post with his left foot to put the ball in the back of the net.
Real continued their old story of creating an opportunity, but missing out on the final touch, when in the 55th minute, Andy Williams played it over the top to Robbie Findley. Findley got the ball in the penalty area and shook off the defender before centering the ball, but there was no support and RSL gave the ball away.
Looking for a way to get the ball in, Real midfielder Carey Talley tried a long shot from well outside the top of the penalty area, but it sailed wide.
New England also came close moments later from a free kick that found Shalrie Joseph in the box. His header looked goal-bound, but also slipped outside the post.
Then, in the 66th minute, the Revolution came even closer to a goal when Khano Smith, who entered the game for Thompson minutes earlier, hit the left upper corner of the goalpost before the ball bounded out the far side.
Real took a hit in the 67th minute when Williams was shown a red card. Dispossessed while tracking toward the New England goal, he quickly turned and went through the back of Dorman's legs when he was receiving a pass, earning a straight red card from referee Michael Kennedy.
It was a hard hit for Real, but the home team's fortunes began to turn just moments later. On a late run into the penalty area to receive a quick pass, Beckerman was taken down hard and Real were awarded a penalty kick in the 71st minute. Talley stepped up to the spot and sent it just inside the left post past Matt Reis' dive to level the score.
Real played with some extra energy in the following few minutes, but it did not make a difference, as Talley was ruled to have taken down Noonan just outside the area. Larentowicz hammered the ensuing free kick from 20 yards out past the left edge of the wall, and the ball was still accelerating when it hit the netting inside the left post for the match-winner.
Peter Richins is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
