A day after being eliminated from playoff contention, Real Salt Lake finished off their sophomore season with a 1-1 draw with Chivas USA at The Home Depot Center on Sunday afternoon.
Second-half substitution Jafet Soto knocked in the tying goal a minute from full time, erasing a first-half Chivas score from Brent Whitfield.
Entering the weekend, RSL still had playoff hopes alive -- albeit it slim -- needing a Colorado loss and a win over Chivas to reach the postseason.
Colorado, however, salvaged a 3-3 draw against Houston Dynamo on Saturday, to claim the fourth and final Western Conference playoff spot, effectively removing any meaning besides pride from RSL's season finale.
With the draw, RSL finished the season in a last-place tie with the Los Angeles Galaxy while Chivas prepare for a playoff series against Houston.
Chivas went ahead through the Whitfield goal midway through the first half.
Francisco Mendoza took a shot on goal inside the RSL penalty area that was blocked by a diving Scott Garlick. The rebounding ball, however, fell to the feet of the onrushing Whitfield who buried the loose ball into the net to give Chivas the 1-0 lead.
RSL defender Kevin Novak was injured on the play and was replaced in the lineup by Nelson Akwari.
RSL nearly equalized in the 27th minute. Jeff Cunningham sent in a crossing ball from the left flank into the path of Chris Klein, whose one-time shot banged off the right post.
A minute later, Klein centered a ball inside the Chivas penalty area that Jason Kreis headed just wide left of the target.
RSL continued mounting pressure on the Chivas defense and in the 37th minute Atiba Harris had a shot cleared off the line by Jason Hernandez.
Four minutes later, Chivas suffered a blow when midfielder Jesse Marsch collided with Harris at midfield and fell to the ground, appearing to hit his head on the turf. Marsch was carried off on a stretcher and replaced by Orlando Perez.
Cunningham had a good look at goal in the 55th minute, however, his six-yard shot was taken at a sharp angle, the ball hitting the outside netting.
In the 83rd minute, Chivas' Jonathan Bornstein took the ball in alone toward the RSL goal but was denied by Garlick, who smothered his 12-yard shot.
Two minutes later, Cunningham had a 24-yard shot attempt saved by Chivas 'keeper Brad Guzan.
Despite the scoreless night, Cunningham maintained his position as the league's top goal scorer with 16 tallies on the year, a minor consolation to missing out on a playoff spot.
Then, with only a minute left, Soto scored on a scissors kick from inside the penalty area, knocking home a Klein cross to square the score and earn RSL its final point on the year.
Danny Bueno is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
