On paper, this match didn’t look so good for the Claret and Cobalt. Before first kick, RSL was without MF Kyle Beckerman, DF Jamison Olave and FW Juan Manuel Martinez to suspensions. GK Nick Rimando, MF Javier Morales, DF Phanuel Kavita, DF Boyd Okwuonu, MF Omar Holness, FW Emery Welshman and MF Fito Ovalle were all out due to injury or personal reasons.
That is a lot of players to lose and to go on the road to face a team that was undefeated through their first 3 matches. RSL didn’t care about the personnel, they came out and picked up a big goal from DF Justen Glad who headed in a goal on a set piece from Joao Plata in the 29th minute. In Glad’s first start of the season and 5th of his career, scoring his first MLS goal. That really lifted the confidence of this club. Once the second half started, Real Salt Lake came out very aggressive with 2 chances to pick up their second goal in the first 2 minutes of the match, one of which went off the cross-bar on a strike from Yura Movsisyan. The Salt Lake side continued to press and keep possession as Luke Mulholland scored the 2nd goal for the visiting team from 30 yards out in the 79th minute to put RSL up 2-0. Normally that would be the dagger but in recent road games that wasn’t the case. Sporting KC came back and scored a very questionable PK after the referee called the foul outside of the box but the assistant referee didn’t think so. Benny Feilhaber scored the penalty in the 94th minute of 5 minutes of added time and RSL held on to pick up on of the biggest road victories in recent memory. This was the second win in Kansas City. Up next for the Claret and Cobalt will be the first of 3 legs of the Rocky Mountain Rivalry at Rio Tinto Stadium on April 9th against the Colorado Rapids.
Here are the 1st half highlights from the match on ESPN 700:
2nd half highlights:
Scoring:
RSL: Justen Glad (1st goal of season/career) (Plata Assist) 29′
RSL: Luke Mulholland (1st of season) 79′
SKC: Benny Feilhaber (PK) (1st of season) 94+’
Cards:
RSL: Yura Movsisyan (Yellow; Foul) 67′
RSL: Joao Plata (Yellow; Delaying a Restart) 76′
SKC: Benny Feilhaber (Yellow; Foul) 90′
RSL: Luke Mulholland (Yellow; Dissent) 90′
