MLS Real Salt Lake

Saborio Hat Trick Powers RSL Past Timbers

Published on July 8, 2012 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


SANDY, Utah - Real Salt Lake (11-6-3, 36 points, West #2) ended a four-game winless streak in style Saturday night, getting three second half goals from FW Alvaro Saborio in the span of 15 minutes to smash the Portland Timbers 3-0 at Rio Tinto Stadium. Saborio's three-goal haul - the second MLS and third overall hat trick in RSL history - gives him 10 goals on the year, tops on the team and third in the league.

RSL dominated Portland - which played a man down after Diego Chara was shown a red card for a handball on the goal line in the 74th minute - throughout the game, holding a 63-37 possession advantage and outshooting the Timbers 18-5 on the night.

Real Salt Lake nearly scored on several occasions in the first half, with DF Jamison Olave -making his return to the starting lineup after missing the last three games due to injury - coming closest when he headed MF Javier Morales' free kick just over the bar in the 35th minute. MF Will Johnson was active as well, forcing Timbers GK Troy Perkins into solid saves in both the 19th and 24th minutes.

RSL's strong play continued after the break, with the team putting Portland under pressure right from the start of the second stanza. Saborio broke through to give RSL the lead in the 60th minute, rising above Portland DF Futty Danso to head RSL captain Kyle Beckerman's ball across the face of goal and inside Perkins's left post. The goal put an end to RSL's 251-minute scoreless streak, dating back to the 24th minute against Los Angeles on June 20.

Saborio put RSL up 2-0 less than two minutes after his first strike, beating Timbers left back Steven Smith to a sublime, curling cross from DF Chris Wingert before nodding the bouncing ball home from 10 yards. The Costa Rican international had to wait just a little bit longer to complete his hat trick, but complete it he did; coolly burying a 75th minute penalty kick given after Chara was ejected for handling a Saborio header that was ticketed for the back of the net.

Tempers flared in the 64th minute, when several RSL players took exception to the one of a series of hard fouls on Morales and got into a skirmish with multiple Timbers. The scuffle led to two Timbers - Chara and DF David Horst - and one RSL player - Johnson - getting shown yellow cards.

Real Salt Lake is now 2-0-0 against Portland in 2012, having beaten the Timbers 3-2 on March 31 at JELD-WEN Field. The team is now unbeaten in its last two matches and carries a two-game shutout streak into its next match, a Western Conference showdown at league-leading San Jose next Saturday, July 14. That game will be televised LIVE in HD across Utah on KTVX ABC 4 at 8:30p MT, with Rob Stone and Brian Dunseth on the call.

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Major League Soccer Stories from July 8, 2012


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