MLS Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake falls 2-1 to BK Hacken in Florida Finale

Published on February 27, 2009 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


TAMPA, Fla. (Friday, February 27, 2009) - Swedish first division club BK Hacken would score twice in the late stages against Real Salt Lake to post a 2-1 win over the Utah side tonight in the fifth annual Tom Fitzgerald Memorial Soccer Festival, held at Pepin Stadium at the University of Tampa. Real Salt Lake was less than 10 minutes away from ending its second spring training camp with its undefeated preseason record and scoreless streak both intact, but BK Hacken hit the back of the net in the 82nd and 86th minutes, first stopping RSL's flawless defensive mark at 442 minutes before sending its preseason record to 3-1-1.

It was a quick counter-attack that would produce Real Salt Lake's lone goal of the evening 10 minutes in, as BK Hacken would use five passes to dart up the middle of the field and into prime scoring position, only to see RSL midfielder Kyle Beckerman block the ensuing shot from the top of the penalty area. DF Ian Joy cleared the ball towards midfield and MF Clint Mathis would quickly send the ball over the Swedes' backline for FW Yura Movsisyan to run onto, and the striker knew what to do with the chance, lofting the ball over the charging 'keeper to put the MLS side up 1-0.

The offense would stagnate for both sides until the half hour mark, a Mathis attempt off a 23-yard free kick that nicked off the wall the best chance for either team in the next 20 minutes. The Swedish side started to find opportunities across the last 15 minutes of the half, mostly on chances from distance and dead ball plays that would go without finding goal. The match would start to get more physical as the half progressed as well, resulting in three yellow cards getting shown before the halftime break.

The second half would open up as it progressed, but neither side would be able to break through until the 82nd minute. Although BK Hacken had done much of its work down the right flank in the second half, it was a cross from the left that found Jonas Henriksson, who from eight yards out made time and space to fire past RSL netminder Kyle Reynish, evening the score at 1-1. Four minutes later Hacken finally capitalized off a set piece, as a corner kick fell to striker Venicius Lopes, who redirected the ball from inside the six to give the Swedish side a 2-1 lead that it would hold without a serious challenge from RSL in the remaining five minutes.

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Major League Soccer Stories from February 27, 2009


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