Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake came into the home leg of their Western Conference semifinals matchup against the Los Angeles Galaxy needing to overcome a deficit.  In the first leg, the Galaxy had notched a 1-0 victory at home in LA thanks to an absolutely brilliant long strike from defender Sean Franklin.

That goal threatened to oust RSL from the playoffs, if they couldn't come up big on Thursday night.

To say that RSL did indeed come up big in their 2-0 win over the Galaxy would be a massive understatement.

In what was possibly the most inspired and gutsiest performance RSL has had since winning the 2009 MLS Cup on penalty kicks against the Galaxy, Jason Kreis' team dug deep in a tension-filled game that sent RSL on to the Western Conference Finals against Portland.

In the first half, RSL was very much in control and had several near misses. In the 35th minute, Sebastian Velasquez finally put the team on the board by heading home a cross from Chris Wingert. Velasquez's goal tied up the aggregate for the series at 1-1. 

RSL continued to push in the second half, but a Chris Schuler header hit the crossbar in the 74th minute while an Alvaro Saborio shot in the 78th minute banged off the post. 

In the 84th minute, it appeared that RSL had finally broken through and taken the lead in the series when Javier Morales blasted home a free kick from outside the box, but the goal was negated by an extremely questionable off-ball foul call against RSL that has still not been clarified.

As stoppage time finished, the series remained tied at 1-1 on aggregate, necessitating two 15-minute overtime periods.

12 minutes into the first overtime period, RSL got the magic it was looking for. Morales sent a cross to the far post that took an interesting trajectory on this windy night, and Schuler made an impressive forward leap with one foot extended to smash it into the small gap between Galaxy keeper Jaime Penedo and the post.

The first overtime period finished with RSL just 15 minutes away from advancing to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since losing to the Galaxy there in 2011.

And then things got truly crazy.

Saborio went down just minutes into the second overtime period with an injury to his hip flexor, unable to return for the rest of the game. Unfortunately for Salt Lake, head coach Kreis had already used all three of the team's allotted substitutions, forcing RSL to play a man down while trying to protect the lead.

With a man advantage, the Galaxy got quite aggressive, with the majority of the second overtime period being played in or around RSL's box. Real Salt Lake stood strong, continually deflecting shots in the box safely away from goal.

Things nearly took another terrible turn for RSL when Cole Grossman blocked a shot with his head, and wound up stumbling to the ground and started staggering about, obviously shaken severely by the shot to the head. Already playing a man down, he had to stay in the game and did an admirable job.

LA had several more chances and nearly tied it up with just minutes remaining thanks to an Omar Gonzalez shot from just outside the box that dipped and curved erratically in the wind.  Club legend Nick Rimando came up huge on the play, managing to block the shot with his face after an unpredictable bounce and then fall on the rebound despite being visibly shaken up on the play. 

Eventually, the two minutes of stoppage time tacked onto the period came to an end, and referee Baldomero Toledo's whistle sent the stadium unto a delirious celebration. 

Despite all the setbacks and obstacles, Real Salt Lake is moving on to the Western Finals, thanks to a gritty performance that will go down in team history as the stuff of legends.

On Tuesday night in front of their home crowd at Rio Tinto Stadium, Real Salt Lake laid an egg and fell to D.C. United in the final of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, 1-0. 

Heading into the match, the Claret and Cobalt were the overwhelming favorites to win the 100th edition of the premier cup competition in America. 

However, things did not go according to plan, as RSL fell to a D.C. side that clearly wanted to lift the trophy more than they did. 

After the failure to bring home their second trophy in franchise history, RSL are now forced to recover quickly and march forward in their quest for the Supporters' Shield and MLS Cup. 

Currently, Jason Kreis' side sit atop the Western Conference standings, just slightly ahead of Seattle on goal differential and one point off of the Supporters' Shield title, which, if the season ended today, would be handed to New York. 

Although they only have three matches left on their regular-season docket, one has to ask the question of Real Salt Lake, and if they are mentally prepared for the playoffs after suffering such a disheartening blow on Tuesday night. 

The latest cup final defeat by the club will certainly lay heavy on the minds of the of the club, who have also lost in the CONCACAF Champions League Final in 2011.

Adding to their string of defeats, RSL has been knocked out of the MLS Cup Playoffs twice in the last three years as the No. 2 seed at the semifinal stage. They were the No. 3 seed in 2011 and fell in the Western Conference Final to Los Angeles. 

If the results from the past were not troublesome enough for the Utah-based club, their form of late in the league has not been stellar. 

In the month of September, RSL were taken down by Seattle and then by San Jose in a shock defeat that sprung up hope about San Jose's dying playoff chances. 

Luckily, RSL got back on track on Saturday by defeating Vancouver, 1-0, but that was not one of their most convincing wins of the season by any stretch of the imagination. 

In the final month of the season, the Claret and Cobalt will play three matches against Western Conference foes; only one of those clubs, Portland, is still left in the playoff hunt, which means they should carry some positive momentum into the MLS Cup Playoffs. 

While Kreis has some excellent managerial skills and his players know how to win in the regular season, when the MLS Cup Playoffs begin in a month's time, everyone will be asking questions about how RSL will perform in an elimination format given their recent history.

How they respond to those questions in November and December will tell us a lot about how the club and its players respond to adversity and criticism, especially after falling to the worst club in Major League Soccer on Tuesday night with everything on the line. 

Follow me on Twitter, @JTansey90

There are very few goalless draws that can be called entertaining after the full 90 minutes have been played. Friday night's MLS Western Conference Semifinal first leg between Real Salt Lake and the Seattle Sounders has one of the select few 0-0 draws that left spectators and critics alike speechless.

The man who single handedly made the match his own personal highlight reel was RSL keeper Nick Rimando. The United States international saved his club from being down by a few goals at the match played at CenturyLink Field in Seattle.

Rimando's first moment of brilliance came in the 33rd minute when he saved the shot of Sammy Ochoa. He was at it again less than a minute later when denied Jhon Kennedy Hurtado's headed attempt on goal.

Seattle's efforts on the RSL goal continued in the second half and again it was Ochoa who had an attempt on goal but he sent his shot high over the net after a wide open look in front of an empty net.

Right after Ochoa's miss in front of goal, Rimando jumped back into the middle of the action with a save on Christian Tiffert.

That interaction between Tiffert and Rimando would not be the last the two would have on the night. 15 minutes after Rimando's spectacular save, the two collided in the RSL penalty area and the RSL keeper was down on the ground with a head injury for quite some time.

Rimando was able to eventually get back up and continue on in the match after his right eye was bandaged up by the club's trainers.

For the rest of the match, that included eight minutes of stoppage time due to Rimando's injury, Seattle dominated possession but were unable to convert on any chances as they clearly missed the presence of leading goal scorer Eddie Johnson, who was out due to a hamstring injury he suffered in the final regular season match with the Los Angeles Galaxy on Sunday.

Rimando was not the only keeper who excelled when he was called on by his club on Friday night, Sounders keeper Michael Gspurning was forced to make four saves for the home side against a RSL attack that was kept quiet for most of the match as the road side were playing for a draw from early on.

The 0-0 draw sets the stage for Thursday's second and deciding leg at Rio Tinto Stadium, which has been a home fortress for RSL throughout the years.

Thursday's match will be a winner-take-all affair and the Sounders will be looking to avenge a 3-0 loss that they suffered last season in the first leg of the conference semifinals, which they eventually lost by a single goal to RSL.

Real Salt Lake is proving that they are the team to beat in Major League Soccer this season. 

In its two matches so far this year, Real Salt Lake has dominated two of the league's most popular teams and held their opponents' international superstars to frustrating performances. 

Following a season-opening victory on the road against the defending MLS Cup Champion Los Angeles Galaxy, Real Salt Lake returned home and easily took care of the New York Red Bulls.

Although head coach Jason Kreis does not consider any of his contributing players to be "second-string" guys, Real Salt Lake is finding success with several key players and usual starters on the bench due to injuries.

With Nat Borchers not playing in either of the two opening matches and usual scoring threats Alvaro Saborio and Javier Morales coming in as second-half substitutions, players like Chris Schuler and Paulo Jr. have stepped up to help the team to prove that the "team is the star" concept employed by Kreis can be successful.

In addition to Schuler and Paulo Jr., other players are stepping up at the right time as well.

Defender Tony Beltran and midfielder Ned Grabavoy have both played well in both matches, and striker Fabian Espindola is finishing his scoring chances.

The team has allowed only one goal against the likes of Landon Donovan, Robbie Keane, David Beckham and Thierry Henry.

Real Salt Lake now has the opportunity to put more points in the win column, as it plays three of its next four matches at home. 

The team also gets a chance to continue to prove that their reaching the late stages of the Western Conference Finals last season was well-deserved and that they are the team to beat in Major League Soccer.

Sandy, Utah - The slaughtering handed out by Real Salt Lake in the first leg of the home-and-home MLS Western Conference semifinals to the higher-seeded Seattle Sounders shows that they are a squad to be reckoned with during the playoffs.

Fans in Seattle might be unhappy, not only by their team's performance, but by the fact the second- and third-highest points total teams are squaring off with each other to start the playoffs. This is opposed to the easier path Eastern Conference teams have, if one looks at regular season success.

Salt Lake's complete domination in every facet of the game culminated in a resounding 3-0 victory in front of a nearly-packed house at Rio Tinto Stadium. Many analysts had Seattle as the second-best team in the playoffs, behind the L.A. Galaxy, but they played back on their heels from the start, with RSL having a flurry of chances within the first few minutes of the game.

The first of the three goals came from Alvaro Saborio on a controversial offside non-call. Further replays showed he was almost exactly even, however Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid was quoted by Fox Soccer Channel as saying it was a miscall.

Coming out of the half time break, the same story was unfolding as RSL laid right back into Seattle, resulting in a wonder strike from Saborio, by way of a heel flick. Seattle’s MLS Cup dreams may now be fading thanks to a rebound opportunity which Ned Grabavoy buried in the back of the net.

Seattle will need to win by at least three goals at home versus Salt Lake, or the team who many thought had a realistic chance of lifting the MLS Cup will be eliminated after only one playoff round.

The most startling statistic of the night was RSL out-shooting Seattle by an 11 to 0 margin—it's hard to win games when you don’t have a shot on goal. The way the Real defense was able to stifle the Sounders was remarkable, even after the injuries to both center-backs Nat Borchers and Jamison Olave.

Real controlled the middle of the field—this was the key area which separated the two squads. Kyle Beckerman of RSL shined as he was able to shutdown most every attacking opportunity which came his way, and also spring the attack for them on the other end of the pitch.

If Real is able to keep up the excellent form in Seattle on Wednesday, they could have gained all the momentum they need to win the MLS Cup. At this point it would take a monumental effort from Seattle to battle back in a game, which may be the last for their stellar veteran goalkeeper Kasey Keller.

Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy continue a week of redemption when they take on Jason Kreis's Real Salt Lake on Saturday at the Home Depot Center.

The Galaxy are aware that a victory or draw combined with the New England Revolution getting a draw or win against the Seattle Sounders will complete a successful MLS defense of the Supporters Shield.

The Los Angeles are coming off a 2-1 statement victory over Monarcas Morelia in the CONCACAF Champions League.

Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said, “The players have to react to the situations. 1-1 wasn’t going to do us any good. [If] we lost 4-1, we lost 4-1,” he continued to tell MLSSoccer.com's Luis Bueno. “We had to win the game. We had to be very aggressive going forward.”

Speaking of 4-1, they are due for another statement victory against a Real Salt Lake outfit that delivered one of the most lopsided victories over the Galaxy in league play: 4-1.

“Given what happened in Morelia, we thought it was a little bit unjustified,” said team captain Landon Donovan. “The world has a crazy thing of working out when you do things the right way, so I’m proud of our guys for continuing to put in the effort and have the attitude that we could still get that goal. And it paid off.”

David Beckham and Robbie Keane were missing in action due to suspension and injury, respectively. They will be available on Saturday against RSL, but their match fitness will be a question mark.

Keane is suffering from tightness in his hamstring, while back spasms have prevented Beckham from building on his team-high  assists.

As for Donovan, who had a great performance against Morelia, he continues to lead the Galaxy in goals with 12 on the year.

Real Salt Lake comes into the Home Depot Center with a load of egg on their face.

Already out of the Supporters' Shield picture, they are riding a two-game losing streak and were humiliated at home by the Chicago Fire to the tune of 3-0.

Furthermore, team captain Kyle Beckerman was ejected for headbutting the Fire's Daniel Paladini.

Real Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis said, “I’m really, really aggravated,” he continued to say to MLSSoccer.com's Randy Davis. “For me, [it was] a complete lack of discipline to give away a goal on a throw-in which we harp [on] again and again. To give a goal away that softly just to me is a complete lack of discipline by every player that’s in that area of the field.”

Before their slump, Real Salt Lake had a five-game win streak. That is all but ancient history, and with Los Angeles earning the momentum they need, it will be a challenge for them to replicate their success from earlier this year.

“I’m very worried,” Kries concluded. “I won’t be sleeping tonight because, for me, to take two results like this in a row at this time of year could be critical. The questions now are in front of the players, how will they react.”

Beckerman may not be at the match, but Real Salt Lake is still dangerous with their dual scoring threat of Alvaro Saborio and Fabian Espindola. Saborio has 10 goals this year, while Espindola has nine this season.

Stopping Saborio and Espindola from creating space and getting looks will be a focal point of a Galaxy back line prone to communication breakdowns, as seen in their goal surrendered to Morelia's Rafael Marquez Lugo at the hour mark on Wednesday. Both players have great pace on their shots and can finish.

Goalkeeper Nick Rimando and the back line of Robbie Russell, Jamison Olave, Nat Borchers and Chris Wingert will have to take advantage of a hampered Robbie Keane, who has two goals this season in only a few games of action for the Galaxy.

As for Beckham, he will have his share of deliveries, but his back issues could impact his accuracy.

Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando, who was scorched by the Fire at Rio Tinto, possesses a 1.03 goals against average and a 70 percent save percentage to go with 81 saves on the year.

His counterpart, Galaxy netminder Josh Saunders, has a 0.99 GAA, a 75 percent save percentage and 48 stops this season. Saunders had a solid effort on Saturday against the Columbus Crew and one of his saves was nominated for MLS Save of the Week.

For Los Angeles, they must play some desperate football. Now, this isn't the CONCACAF Champions League, and the stakes are a little bit lower. However, the Galaxy must dictate the pace, accelerate the tempo during stretches and maintain possession.

Prediction:

There's a good chance that even with a victory over Real Salt Lake, the Galaxy will not complete the Supporters Shield defense. They have a Tuesday contest with the New York Red Bulls that will most likely feature a reserve outfit.

However, you can be sure that the fans in blue and gold will be Revolution supporters on Saturday. The match between Seattle and New England will take place before the Galaxy take on Real Salt Lake, and once that result is known, Bruce Arena's men will know what they have to do.

Los Angeles Galaxy 4, Real Salt Lake 0

Kickoff is scheduled for Saturday at 7:30 p.m. PT/10:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by Fox Sports Prime Ticket.

One would think that a team that boasts players such as Thierry Henry, Rafael Marquez and U.S. National Team players Tim Ream and Juan Agudelo would be a difficult midweek matchup for a visiting team, and they would put together a dominating performance.

Instead, it took all of 21 minutes in the first half for Real Salt Lake to score three times en route to a 3-1 victory over the struggling Red Bulls.

Playing without League MVP candidate Kyle Beckerman who was out due to yellow card accumulation, Real Salt Lake scored early and often to take a dominating lead into the second half.

Forward Alvaro Saborio opened the scoring in the seventh minute by getting around and in front of a defender to get to a corner kick service that glanced off his head, kissed off the near post and found the back of the net. 

A stunned Red Bull team tried to counter, but Real Salt Lake struck twice more in the next few minutes.

The second goal came on what looked like a youth league mistake by Tim Ream who had a very unlucky touch that was pushed just far enough in front of his own goal for Real Salt Lake forward Fabian Espindola to gather, move around the goalkeeper and score the goal.

Espindola was able to knock in his second of the game when he found himself one-on-one with the keeper after running onto a well-timed through ball in the middle.

New York did make the game a bit more interesting in the 69th minute when Joel Lindpere put the Red Bulls on the board with a spectacular goal coming from a set piece from the corner. 

The team did have a few more good chances but were repeatedly turned away, and in the end, it was not enough to overcome the deficit.

For Real Salt Lake, it was their fifth straight win and 15th point earned in the last few weeks. It helped them to tie the Seattle Sounders for second place in the Western Conference with 51 points each. Both teams trail the Los Angeles Galaxy by just seven points.

The loss for the Red Bulls was especially difficult as it pushes them closer to missing the playoffs. They host the Portland Timbers on Saturday in what is now a must-win match if they want to stay alive for the post season.

Don't look now, Major League Soccer, but one of the teams that was supposed to dominate the league before the season began is now putting together a nice little win streak that could move them into a better position in the MLS playoffs.

After a huge road win on Saturday in Seattle against the Sounders, Real Salt Lake has now put together a three-game win streak. The nine points gained over the last three weeks have placed them just one point behind FC Dallas for the third playoff spot in the Western Conference.

The latest win came against the hottest team in the league who was previously unbeaten in all competition during the entire month of August. Second only to the MLS Cup Championship they won in 2009, it was the biggest win ever for Real Salt Lake in that stadium.

In fairness to Seattle, the match on Saturday was an unusual one that featured two players being sent off, a missed penalty kick, and a very rare Kasey Keller own goal on a shot by RSL's Fabian Espindola.

With a combination of losing in the CONCACAF Final, unexpected injuries and international team call-ups, Real Salt Lake has struggled to put together much consistency this season, but they seem to be peaking at the right time.

The return of several players from injury, and the inspired play of captain Kyle Beckerman have aided the team and helped them to begin meeting preseason expectations.

Before the end of the season, the club may get another emotional lift with the return of Javier Morales, who was expected to be out for the season.

Morales has been training with the team and is able to run, but is not quite ready to play at game-speed as he recovers from a broken ankle suffered on a cheap shot from Chivas USA player Marcos Mondaini early in the season.

With only eight league matches left, the road does not get easier for the club. They play five of those on the road, including games against the Red Bulls, Galaxy and main rival Colorado. It may help that they play both expansion teams, though they lost to the Timbers earlier in the season.  

Real Salt Lake must finish strong to be able to earn a good position in the upcoming MLS playoffs. If they are able to earn at least the third position, they will avoid having to play a first round game.

If they continue to perform the way they have over the last three weeks, the team should go far in the playoffs and will challenge for another MLS Cup.