While most teams in the Major League Soccer ranks opened their 2009 seasons this week, Real Salt Lake used the weekend to tune up one more time for next week's belated opener against MLS newcomers Seattle Sounders FC.
Yura Movsisyan and Javier Morales scored goals on headers in the final eight-plus minutes of the game, after a late Austin Aztex goal canceled out Jamison Olave's first-half opener, and RSL claimed a 3-1 exhibition victory on Saturday at Rio Tinto Stadium.
If the Utah side hoped for a good test before officially starting MLS play, its wish was granted in the form of the USL-1 Aztex. Austin gave RSL a run for its money, but ultimately could not do enough to slow down the club's offensive attack.
A club entering its debut season of USL First Division competition, the Aztex had posted a 1-1-1 record against MLS opponents in a month-long span, including a 2-0 against defending MLS Cup champion Columbus last weekend and a 2-2 draw with Houston the week prior.
That experience could not prepare them for the challenge of trying to hold down RSL from getting into scoring position.
RSL had its first good chance to get on the scoreboard when Clint Mathis tracked down a ball served deep into the area in the 11th minute. Mathis dribbled around of Aztex forward Eddie Johnson, who came back to try and contest his shot, and split the ball between him and 'keeper Miguel Gallardo.
The ball had a clear path between the two Austin players, but a difficult angle on the shot forced it to smack against the left post and spin away.
Morales had another chance with a free kick in the 15th minute. Morales proved to be lethal in such situations a year ago. He cleared the wall easily enough, but he shot was too far off frame to seriously test Gallardo.
Morales got a look at the net again in the 33rd minute. This time he threaded the ball past three Aztex defenders at the top of the area. His shot was on frame this time, but the ball never made it past the waiting arms of Gallardo.
He might have come up short on his own first-half scoring attempts, but Morales found a way to get the ball in the right spot for Olave to do some damage.
On RSL's first corner kick of the game, in the 38th minute, Morales swung the ball into Olave and the Colombian defender headed the ball over Gallardo's shoulder in perfect rhythm to give RSL a 1-0 lead.
Real kept up the attack early in the second half and created plenty of more scoring chances for themselves.
Mathis fed a pass down to Wingert along the near side of the area in the 52nd minute, setting up the RSL defender with a nice look at the net. Wingert rifled the ball on frame, but Gallardo came off the line and managed to cover the shot up in the nick of time.
Mathis tried to add to the margin himself in the 54th minute when he cut into the top of the area and tried to thread the ball right up the middle. Gareth Evans blocked his shot and volleyed the ball high in the air. It sailed over the backline and set up another corner kick by Morales. This time, Morales failed to swing it in far enough to clear the post.
Austin did little to challenge Real offensively in the first 45 minutes. The Aztex managed a single shot on goal -- which 'keeper Nick Rimando saved with minimal effort -- before the end of the first half.
Austin had more opportunities to score in the second half, but it was still a chore at first to get anything past the sure hands of Rimando.
Ryan McMahen lobbed a free kick cleanly over the RSL defensive wall in the 60th minute, but Rimando stretched out and made a one-handed grab to prevent a goal.
The Aztex finally struck in the 72nd minute when reserve midfielder Alex Tapp delivered a pass perfectly on target to defender Kieron Bernard in front of the goalie box. Bernard mimicked what Olave did earlier and unleashed a header in one fluid motion that sailed right past Rimando and tied the score at 1-1.
Austin's hopes of forcing a draw melted away when Movsisyan put in the winning goal in the 82nd minute. Movsisyan jumped up at the near post to get his head under a ball rifled across the area from Will Johnson at the boundary line on the far side of the area. Once Movsisyan got under the airborne ball, he knocked it into the upper corner past Gallardo.
Morales finished things off for Real a minute into stoppage time when he took a long toss from Rimando and tracked it downfield. Morales had a one-on-one with Gallardo and easily fired it over the head of the Aztex 'keeper for the final goal.
John Coon is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
