MLS Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake Washed Out By Whitecaps

Published on October 7, 2011 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


VANCOUVER (Thursday, October 6, 2011) - The recent red card woes for Real Salt Lake struck once again tonight in Vancouver, as a 43rd minute ejection to MF Collen Warner turned the tide in an eventual 0-3 defeat to Whitecaps FC in front of 20,113 fans at the newly-renovated BC Place. The loss was the fourth consecutive for Real Salt Lake and brought to an end a grueling stretch of six games in 20 days for the Utah side.

Real Salt Lake (15-11-6, 51 pts.) and Whitecaps FC (5-16-10, 25 pts.) played the first half nearly evenly in terms of quality chances up until the pivotal call from referee Chris Penso just before the half, as the arbiter deemed Warner's attempt to block a shot while on the ground next to the goalline a deliberate handball. The controversial call not only left RSL a man down, but also set up Vancouver striker Camilo with a spot kick, which he buried after sending RSL netminder Nick Rimando the wrong way to put the home side up 1-0 heading into the halftime break.

Another debatable handball call against RSL, this time against DF Chris Schuler as he stood on the edge of the penalty area, set up Camilo once again in the 53rd minute, and although Rimando got a hand as he dove to his left the effort still was not enough to keep the ball out of the back of the net. Real Salt Lake seemed to find its attacking legs in the final 20 minutes and began to apply more pressure on the Whitecaps FC penalty area, but a break against the run of play in the 88th minute set up MF Nizar Khalfan to finish off the match, which he did with a blast from 25 yards out that beat Rimando inside his left post.

Tonight's loss leaves Real Salt Lake no margin for error if it hopes to catch Seattle Sounders FC (57 pts.) for second place in the Western Conference, as any point gained by Seattle from its last three contests means the best RSL can hope for is to maintain its third-place status on the conference table. In order to keep the West's third and final automatic qualifying spot, RSL needs to maintain its lead on FC Dallas (46 pts.) which does have a game in hand on the Utah side heading down the stretch drive. Click here for the up-to-the-minute MLS Cup Playoffs standings.

Real Salt Lake Match Notes

* Real Salt Lake was forced to replay tonight's match in Vancouver during the FIFA International window, meaning the squad had to do without the services of national team performers M/F Jean Alexandre (Haiti), MF Kyle Beckerman (USA), MF Will Johnson (Canada) and FW Álvaro Saborío (Costa Rica). RSL also was resigned to missing regular contributors DF Tony Beltran (injury), FW Fabian Espíndola (caution accumulation suspension) and MF Yordany Alvarez (immigration issues) leading up to the match, and had another roster setback during the trip to Vancouver, as MF Arturo Alvarez was dismissed from the squad on Monday in order to tend to a death in his family.

* Alexandre and Haiti will pick up CONCACAF region qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Friday at the U.S. Virgin Islands and Johnson and his Canadian side will do the same at St. Lucia, while Saborío and Costa Rica will host a high-profile friendly against Brazil in San Jose. On Saturday it will be Beckerman's turn to represent when the United States welcome Honduras to Miami for an inter-region friendly (4:00 p.m. MT, live on FOX Soccer). GK Nick Rimando will join up with the rest of the USA squad over the weekend and will be considered for selection when the U.S. moves up the east coast in preparation for next Tuesday's exhibition against Ecuador at Red Bull Arena.

* The roster turnover allowed RSL Head Coach Jason Kreis to give playing time to a pair of young strikers, Chris Agorsor and Cody Arnoux. The 21-year-old Agorsor made his MLS debut with an energetic 11-minute stint off the bench, while the former Whitecaps product Arnoux logged 45 minutes in place of Paulo Jr. for his second league appearance with the Claret-and-Cobalt (made debut on 9/03 v. PHI).

* The roster hardship wasn't just limited to the field, as a bout of food poisoning on gameday forced Kreis to take in the match from a booth on the BC Place media level, leaving Assistant Coach Jeff Cassar to take the coaching cues from Kreis via radio on the sideline.

* Tonight's defeat sent Real Salt Lake to its first four-game losing streak in more than four years, the last occasion coming all the way back during the beginning of the "Jason Kreis Era" in July of 2007.

* The loss also evened Real Salt Lake's record in league play on artificial surfaces to 2-2-0 on the year, which also included a 0-1 defeat at Portland on April 30 and wins on April 9 at New England (2-0 W) and Sept. 10 at Seattle (2-1 W). RSL's overall road record dropped to 5-8-3 on the campaign with tonight's setback.

* The red card issued to MF Collen Warner was the seventh shown to a Real Salt Lake player this season, and the fourth in its last nine contests, dating back to DF Nat Borchers' dismissal at Chivas USA on Aug. 27. The 43rd minute ejection was the fifth consecutive issued to an RSL player during the first half. Eight of the 35 goals allowed by the Claret-and-Cobalt this season have come in the 292 minutes the Utah side has played while a man down.

* The penalty kicks awarded to Vancouver tonight marked the fifth and sixth kicks from the spot against Real Salt Lake this season, now tied for the third most allowed in MLS (NE with 8, VAN with 7).

* Records and form are always thrown out the window when Real Salt Lake meets up with its next opponent, the Colorado Rapids (11-9-12, 45 pts.; 5th in West). The second installment of 2011's Rocky Mountain Cup rivalry - and RSL's final away contest of the 2011 regular season - will take place next Friday, Oct. 14, and the 8:30 p.m. MT kickoff from Dick's Sporting Goods Park can be seen live nationwide on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.

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