At this time of the season, every single point matters. And while Real Salt Lake didn't get the three points they were certainly looking for, they were able to come away with one point from RFK Stadium on Saturday after Chris Klein's second-half goal pulled them back into a 1-1 with D.C. United.
"It's not an easy place to come and play. Obviously, getting a point and getting out of here is a good result for us," said RSL head coach John Ellinger. "We knew we were going to have to weather the storm at the beginning of each half. I had my doubts in the first 10-12 minutes of the first half - they were looking pretty good. But we weathered it, we got control, we had some chances."
Once again, it was the play of mercurial forward Jeff Cunningham - a leading candidate for league MVP honors - that proved to be the difference. Unlike the first meeting between the clubs this season, when Cunningham buried two late, controversial penalties for a 2-1 win, this time Cunningham played provider.
Showing why he has proven to be so dangerous this year, he easily left United defender Bryan Namoff behind as he galloped towards goal in the 65th minute. United goalkeeper Nick Rimando came off his line to collect the ball, but Cunningham latched onto it before Rimando arrived, made a quick juke to turn away Rimando and laid the ball back to an open Klein, who buried the ball in the far corner of the open net for the equalizer.
Cunningham's 15 goals lead the league, but his 10 assists are now also tied for tops in MLS. The Jamaican-born forward has at times been criticized as selfish and inconsistent, and yet he's only the 10th player in MLS history to score 15 goals and add 10 assists in a single season. Additionally, he has been responsible in some way for about 70 percent of all of Real Salt Lake's goals this season - on pace for an MLS record.
"They say I don't pass the ball enough. I don't do this, I don't do that. And I still come out and I still contribute and still help the team create chances," Cunningham said.
"If I run and get a water, half the defenders are coming with me, so that is more space for my teammates to run in," he said half-jokingly.
Ellinger stressed the importance and value of his star striker.
"Yeah, as far as MLS goes, he is my vote for the MVP. He is just playing outstanding. We are really proud of how he is playing and so is the team," he said.
Said Cunningham: "I don't know why there is all the fuss about me. What else do you want from me? Alan Shearer probably had a total of 10 assists in his life, and he is one of the best scorers [in English Premiership history]. My job is to score goals, that's it."
United, who fielded three players with a combined 52 minutes of MLS experience, still looked the class act as the game opened, neatly passing the ball around the midfield and getting some early chances down the left wing through speedy rookie Stephen deRoux, seeing his first MLS minutes ever.
"D.C. United do a good job of plugging guys into the system," RSL captain Eddie Pope said afterwards.
"I thought deRoux was pretty effective and a pretty good player," Ellinger said. "He's got a little pace with him, so we tried to do a little better job of containing him in the second half."
After getting acquainted with the Black-and-Red's different look, Real began to take the game to the home team through Cunningham's darting runs.
However, Freddy Adu, in a more leading role because of the collective suspensionss, struck a perfectly placed, curling left footed free kick into the upper right corner of the goal in the 45th minute to give United a 1-0 lead going into the second half.
"Freddy scored a good goal. I was laughing because I knew he probably always wants to take them, but Christian Gomez [who was out due to yellow card accumulation] probably has a little seniority on him," said Ellinger.
"When we went down a goal, I think we showed a lot of character to come back, score a goal, and still hold them off," said Pope. "To get a point on the road against the best team in the league, for us, was good. We need points every game, that's what we discussed at halftime: getting out of here with a point."
Real Salt Lake got some help on Saturday, as Chivas USA were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Western Conference-leading FC Dallas, and the Colorado Rapids lost 4-1 to Kansas City. That left RSL two points behind Chivas and Colorado, tied for third place in the West.
And with five matches remaining - with Real facing games against FC Dallas over the next two weeks - Cunningham thinks he can still improve and provide the necessary impetus to send his team into the MLS Cup Playoffs.
"I can contribute more. I am not playing my best football at this point, but we are getting results as a team, and that is my focus at this point - to make the playoffs," he said. "And whatever they want to give me at the end of the year, MVP whatever, I'll take it.
Jordan Brown is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
