The extra day in D.C. was well worth it for Real Salt Lake, who walked out of RFK Stadium with a 1-0 win over D.C. United following the game's postponement on Saturday night.
There were no goals to be found in the first half after the game picked back up in the 28th minute on Sunday evening, but RSL's Luis Silva would break the deadlock in the 64th minute. The former United attacker capitalized on a misplayed clearance in the area by Marcelo Sarvas and unleashed a stinging half-volley that left D.C. goalkeeper Bill Hamid no chance.
D.C.'s best chance of the game game in first-half stoppage time, when Kofi Opare slammed his wide-open header against the crossbar from a Luciano Acosta cross. However D.C., featuring new signing Paul Arriola from the get-go and teenage forward Bruno Miranda off the bench, failed to seriously trouble RSL 'keeper Nick Rimando in the second.
Goals
- 64' – RSL – Luis Silva Watch
Three Things
- I'LL WAIT: "Good things come to those who wait," goes the old proverb, and Real Salt Lake were certainly rewarded for their patience on Sunday evening. After waiting out a nearly 24-hour delay, RSL then had to withstand a period of heavy pressure from D.C. upon the game's resumption (starting with a D.C. United corner) in the remainder of the first half. Eventually, they got a big break with Sarvas' misplayed clearance falling kindly to Silva, who smoked the ball past Bill Hamid.
- DEBUTANTE BALL: After a flurry of activity to close the secondary transfer window, D.C. fans got to see some of their new acquisitions up close. US national team winger Arriola, who was already match fit thanks to his exploits in the Gold Cup and Liga MX, went from the get-go, while Miranda made his D.C. debut off the bench. Neither were able to save D.C. from another loss, though. Arriola, who had a few glimpses of industry and skill, but no real game-changing moments, noted in his post that it was good to get the nerves out of the way, and that he was looking forward to building more chemistry with his teammates.
- RISING IN THE WEST: While D.C. are almost certainly out of the playoff hunt, the win – RSL's first ever at RFK Stadium – was a vital one for the Utah side. Once written off in the same breath as D.C., RSL are now within three points of the playoff line in the Western Conference (although they have played more games than all of their competitors). While the task ahead is still formidable, RSL are unbeaten in six and will be feeling confident after overcoming some strange circumstances to secure three points.
They Said It
“Sixty minutes of what we need to do to win games. Sixty minutes, what's that worth? Nothing. Another loss is what 60 minutes of high-level stuff gets you.” – Ben Olsen, D.C. United head coach
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