MLS Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake's Season Ends with 1-0 Loss to New York Red Bulls in Western Conference Final

Published on November 16, 2008 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


SANDY, Utah -- Two objectives were at the forefront for Real Salt Lake entering Saturday's Western Conference championship with the New York Red Bulls. Advance to the MLS Cup Final for the first time in club history and finally earn revenge against a side that has vexed it in so many ways over the past few seasons. Neither materialized after the Red Bulls made an early Dave van den Bergh goal stand up to claim a 1-0 victory at Rio Tinto Stadium. With the victory, New York will advance to MLS Cup 2008 to face the Columbus Crew next Saturday. For RSL, the best season in club history is at an end.

New York controlled the attack starting in the early moments of the first half, as evidenced by the pair of corner kicks it set up within the first 15 minutes.

The Red Bulls best scoring chance during that juncture came in the eighth minute when John Wolyniec latched onto a pass outside the penalty area and tried to slot it inside the left post on the run. His shot was parried by Real goalkeeper Nick Rimando at full stretch and set up New York's first corner kick -- which Rimando also came out to claim.

RSL appeared on the verge of creating a nice shot in the 16th minute when Will Johnson threaded the ball down to Clint Mathis at the edge of the penalty area. Mathis tried to one-touch it past a Red Bulls defender, but his opponent caught a piece of the ball and prevented a shot from developing.

Yura Movsisyan used a little bit of fancy footwork to try to get RSL on the board in the 24th minute. Movsisyan drove into the far side of the penalty area and dribbled around for a while, trying to force a pair of Red Bulls defenders to bite on a fake. He eventually lobbed it over their heads and put on frame well enough to force New York 'keeper Danny Cepero to bat it over the endline.

The Red Bulls struck first, finally, in the 28th minute. Van den Bergh found Wolyniec on a long give-and-go. Jamison Olave had a chance to Wolyniec on the break, but missed badly on an attempted sliding tackle. Wolyniec took off for the races and tried to cross to a teammate in front of the net.

Rimando got a piece of it but the ball bounced back to van den Bergh's feet. The man who started it all finished it perfectly, tapping into the goal past Rimando's right side to give New York a 1-0 lead.

RSL nearly answered on a free kick in the 38th minute. Javier Morales lobbed the ball perfectly to Mathis down low. Mathis got his toes on it and tried to guide inside the right post. Instead, his shot clanked off the post and bounced back up field -- much to the dismay of the Rio Tinto Stadium crowd.

Robbie Russell uncorked a laser in the 56th minute that also turned out to be a near miss. Russell squared up and fired from the upper corner of the penalty area. His shot had enough power under it and was on frame, but Cepero delivered a fingertip deflection yet again to snatch another would-be goal away from RSL.

Morales worked to create something off another free kick in the 64th minute. He swung the ball into Beckerman in the six-yard box. Beckerman put his head under it and dropped it right in front of Cepero, but the Red Bulls 'keeper punched it away.

RSL had another chance two minutes later when substitute Robbie Findley crossed to Olave, stationed several yards out from the left post. The Colombian defender unleashed a powerful shot, but the ball sailed harmlessly over the crossbar.

New York had a good chance to pad its lead to two goals in the 69th minute when Dane Richards got loose on the break. Richards tried to go at Rimando, only to lose control on his drive and watch his shot screw wide of the right post.

Movsisyan tried to work his late game magic again in the 71st minute as he went one-on-one versus Cepero and tried to slot the ball past his right side. Cepero put his fingertips on it as it went past and forced the ball to curl wide of the post.

RSL experienced one of its biggest near-misses of the night in the 81st minute. Andy Williams laid the ball off the Findley in stride. Findley crossed over to the left post, with Johnson trailing the ball as it neared the post.

Johnson hoped to put a finishing touch on it just before crossing the endline. Instead, he was able only to direct the ball onto the left post and it bounced out into the field of play.

RSL had one last gasp in the final minute of added time. Morales got two cracks at the net. His final shot glanced off the left post, and seconds later the Red Bulls were celebrating their first-ever MLS Cup Final appearance.

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Major League Soccer Stories from November 16, 2008


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