Real Salt Lake, playing without suspended coach Mike Petke, looked to have locked up all three points against visiting Columbus Crew SC Saturday, but striker Ola Kamara scored twice for the visitors, the second of which rescued a point for Columbus in an entertaining 2-2 draw at Rio Tinto Stadium.
Kamara had opened the scoring when he banged in his 10th goal of the season off a scramble in the 15th minute, but the home side swept into the lead early in the second half, getting a successful penalty kick conversion by Joao Plata in the 50th minute, and then a counterattack goal by Jefferson Savarino in the 53rd.
But after both sides hit all manner of posts and crossbars, Kamara closed up the scoresheet when he was Johnny-on-the-Spot to bang in the rebound of a shot off the crossbar for his 11th goal of the season.
Goals
- 15' – CLB – Ola Kamara Watch
- 50' – RSL – Joao Plata (PK) Watch
- 53' – RSL – Jefferson Savarino Watch
- 60' – CLB – Ola Kamara Watch
Three Things
- THEY CAN USE THE BREAK: After three games in eight days -- the last two on the road -- the Crew SC players will finally get a chance to rest up this week during the MLS All-Star break. Columbus went 1-1-1 in the stretch, and played Saturday without defenders Jonathan Mensah and Lalas Abubakar, both sitting out red card suspensions, not to mention Federico Higuain, out with a sprained knee. But at least they'll be able to sleep in Sunday.
- FREDDY WAS READY: With head coach Mike Petke sitting out Saturday because of a red card suspension, assistant Freddy Juarez, who joined the coaching staff in December, after serving as head coach of the Real Monarchs, ran the bench for RSL. Under his guidance, RSL had 67 percent possession and outshot Columbus 20-13, and 7-2 in shots on target, and extended their unbeaten streak to four games.
- PING PONG: There were four "pings'' as each team hit the frame twice in the second half, with Crew SC hitting the crossbar two times, and RSL hitting the right and left post. Pretty exciting stuff. One of those pings ended up leading to Ola Kamara's second goal of the night, the one that earned Columbus a draw. Exciting stuff.
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