MLS Real Salt Lake

Red Hot New England Downs Real Salt Lake, 2-1

Published on March 1, 2012 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


TUCSON, Ariz. (Wednesday, February 29, 2012) - Real Salt Lake could not stop the red hot New England Revolution in tonight's pool play finale of the FC Tucson Desert Diamond Cup, as a goal and assist by FW Diego Fagundez powered the Revs to a 2-1 victory at the Kino Sports Complex. With the result, Real Salt Lake finished group play in the preseason tournament with a 1-2-0 record, placing the Claret-and-Cobalt into Saturday's Consolation Game against the New York Red Bulls.

As he did in the Desert Diamond Cup opener a week ago, RSL Head Coach Jason Kreis fielded a first XI consisting largely of rookies and trialists, allowing the group to put in one last performance before the team makes it roster choices final.

The Claret-and-Cobalt looked rusty in the first 10 minutes, and RSL would pay for its lack of cohesion after a turnover in midfield sprung New England on a break towards the RSL area. RSL GK Kyle Reynish's unsuccessful slide tackle just outside his area allowed New England FW Zack Schilawski to square the loose ball directly in front of goal for Fagundez, who finished easily to give the Revolution the lead after only just eight minutes.

The goal seemed to awaken RSL's senses, as the next 10 minutes saw the Utah side dominate possession. An equalizer would come in the 11th minute, when MF Nico Muñiz latched onto a clearance sent just outside the Revs area and lashed a shot into the upper right 90, the bomb evening the contest at 1-1 and, at the time, giving the hint of a wide-open affair.

"Usually on a corner they tell me to stay and mark an extra guy up top, but no one was there so [Yordany Alvarez] told me to go ahead," explained the 19-year-old Muñiz, the first player to go directly from the RSL-Arizona Academy to the Utah side's first team last September. "I'm not a big guy, so I usually just stay outside the box and wait for something exactly like that play, if someone tips it and it comes straight to me. It was spinning, so I just had to get a good touch and hit it as fast as I could, and it worked."

The up-and-down play of the first 20 minutes would dry up quickly, but there were chances for both sides to be had, RSL's best coming from a combination play down the right flank in the 34th minute that ended with FW Emiliano Bonfigli's shot from 10 yards sailing high after he ran onto a clever back-heel leave by DF Terukazu Tanaka. Two minutes later it appeared that MF Enzo Martinez gave RSL the lead, but FW Cody Arnoux was ruled offside as he chased down DF Lance Laing's cross to the endline.

The second half started much like the first, with New England carrying the attacking play. It was Fagundez creating havoc again in the 56th minute, when his rising shot from 20 yards beat Reynish but bounced off the crossbar. However, Revs FW Bjorn Runstrom beat the RSL defense to the rebound, another relatively easy finish giving New England a 2-1 advantage. Five minutes later Reynish did well to keep the deficit at one, extending fully towards his left post to tip wide MF Austin da Luz's rocket from just outside the area.

The 65th minute saw Kreis insert seven regular first-teamers, but, unlike in the opening game against New York, the group could not scratch across a goal. It wasn't for a lack of effort, with the best chance coming in the 73rd minute when MF Kyle Beckerman's lengthy diagonal ball slipped FW Fabian EspÃ-ndola behind the Revs backline, but a heavy touch allowed GK Bobby Shuttleworth to dart off his line and knock the Argentine's shot off his foot 10 yards from goal. Another Beckerman service in the 81st minute created a chance for MF Jonny Steele, but his header would flash across the frame and miss just wide.

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