MLS Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake Draws 3-3 at San Jose Earthquakes

Published on March 16, 2014 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Real Salt Lake (1-0-1, 4 points, West #2) picked up a road point at San Jose Earthquakes (0-0-1, 1 point, West #6) on Saturday night, tying their Western Conference rivals 3-3 at Buck Shaw Stadium.

RSL came agonizingly close to leaving the Bay Area with all three points, but couldn't quite close out the Quakes, giving up a 95th minute goal to San Jose DF Victor Bernardez to draw 3-3. The Claret-and-Cobalt will return to Utah on Sunday ahead of next Saturday's home opener at Rio Tinto Stadium against LA Galaxy.

San Jose took an early lead on Saturday, getting a sixth minute goal from FW Chris Wondolowski to go up 1-0. RSL hit back with three unanswered goals before halftime, with Captain Kyle Beckerman equalizing with a fantastic 11th minute strike before FW Joao Plata scored in the 32nd and MF Luke Mulholland tallied in first half stoppage time to give RSL a 3-1 lead at the break. Unfortunately, the Claret-and-Cobalt couldn't hold onto its advantage, with Bernardez scoring in the 75th and 95th to give the Quakes a result.

RSL Head Coach Jeff Cassar was forced to make one change to the lineup that beat LA last week, inserting Mulholland into the XI and pushing MF Luis Gil to the top of the diamond for MF Javier Morales, who did not travel due to a quad injury.

Wondolowski gave the Quakes an early lead, cleaning up from close range to open the scoring in the sixth minute. San Jose MF Shea Salinas curled in a free kick from the left side, and Wondolowski got on the end of it, tapping home off his thigh from inside the six yard box to give the Quakes the 1-0 lead.

Beckerman answered for RSL just five minutes later, blasting home from distance to make it 1-1 in the 11th. Plata had the assist, collecting just right of center and leading Beckerman into space in the middle of San Jose's defensive third. The RSL Captain ran onto the square ball, slamming a booming left-footed shot into the lower-left corner from 30 yards out to pull RSL level.

RSL GK Nick Rimando - who was awarded MLS Player of the Week on Monday for his standout performance in RSL's season opening win at LA - made a huge save in the 22nd minute to keep things level. Wondolowski had the chance, flicking a Salinas cross on frame from the penalty spot. The header looked ticketed for the back of the net, but Rimando came up with a miraculous save, reaching back with his left hand to paw the ball off the line.

Plata gave RSL a 2-1 lead in the 32nd minute. The tiny Ecuadorian collected a ball on the right wing, dribbling toward the area before finding MF Luis Gil at the top of the box. Gil played a one-time pass right back to Plata, who collected in the right side of the area and created space by faking a shot before slamming a low-right footer inside the near post from 10 yards.

Mulholland made it 3-1 in the fourth minute of first half stoppage time. RSL MF Ned Grabavoy collected a loose ball at the top of the arc, taking a touch toward goal and firing a shot on frame. San Jose GK Jon Busch couldn't hold Grabavoy's effort spilling the rebound into the path of an onrushing Mulholland, who slotted home from 10 yards out.

Rimando made another big save in the 49th minute, just getting a finger to paw San Jose FW Steven Lenhart's flicked 10-yard header off the crossbar and out of danger. Rimando had another important stop in the 68th minute, collecting San Jose MF J.J. Koval's re-direct of Quakes DF Cordell Cato's volley from outside the box.

Bernardez cut RSL's lead to 3-2 in the 75th minute. Salinas again had the assist, whipping a corner in from the left side that Bernardez headed inside the far post from the top-left corner of the six. RSL FW Alvaro Saborio came inches away from restoring RSL's two-goal advantage in the 76th minute. Plata played the Costa Rican international behind the San Jose defense in the right side of the area, with Saborio collecting and slamming an eight-yard effort off the near post with his first touch San Jose kept pushing for an equalizer after Saborio's near miss, registering decent looks in the 77th, 80th, 81st, 89th and 93rd minutes before Bernardez equalized in the 95th. San Jose DF Shaun Francis started the play, looping a cross into the area from the right wing. Rimando punched the ball away, but it fell to Bernardez at the top of the six-yard box, with the Honduran international collecting and volleying home inside the far post.

RSL will return to action next Saturday, opening its 2014 home schedule at Rio Tinto Stadium against LA Galaxy. Tickets to the 2:00 p.m. MT kick can be purchased at the Rio Tinto Stadium box office, over the phone at 801-727-2700 or online at www.RealSaltLake.com/Tickets.

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Major League Soccer Stories from March 16, 2014


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