BY ADAM SERRANO
Real Salt Lake refuse to lose.
Alvaro Saborio fired a brace during stoppage time to keep RSL's dreams of the Supporters Shield alive with a 2-2 draw against the Colorado Rapids. By earning the draw, RSL took the lead for the Shield from the Los Angeles Galaxy and the Galaxy will now need a draw or a win against FC Dallas to win the Shield.
Colorado struck first taking a 2-0 lead thanks to goals by the Rapids strike tandem of Omar Cummings and Conor Casey. Cummings scoring off a cross in the 17th minute and Casey off a header delivered from a free in the 51st minute. RSL struggled throughout the match until only minutes before time and it seemed as though Colorado would win the Rocky Mountain Cup for the first time in three matches.
Saborio began the come back after a failed goal kick by Perkins bounced off a charging Saborio.The ball ricocheted off the cross bar and fell straight to the forward who smashed it in. He would score from the penalty spot again moments later after defender Jaimson Olave earned a penalty kick. RSL ends the season as the new holders of the record for fewest goals allowed in a season with 20, breaking the previous mark set by the 2007 Houston Dynamo with 23. In addition, Real Salt Lake will end the season with a 14 match unbeaten streak and maintains possession of the Rocky Mountain Cup.
The Rapids will begin the playoffs against the Columbus Crew on Saturday, October 30th. Real Salt Lake will await the result of the Galaxy match before determining its own playoff opponent. A Galaxy victory would send RSL to Texas to take on FC Dallas, but should the Galaxy lose, then RSL will open the playoffs against the Seattle Sounders.
Here are the highlights:
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Will RSL win the Supporters Shield? Are they your favorite to win the MLS Cup? How will Colorado do in their first round match up against Columbus?
Matt Pickens is an IDIOT
I completely agree. How stupid is it that RSL would win the championship from their couch.
Anyone else have a strange flash back to Kasey Keller with Sabo’s first goal?
I wouldn’t say that parity is no longer but rather it’s on its way out. NYRB proved that the solid signings, coaching and the DP rule can change the fortunes of a team. I would say that the tables are turning to the teams that have built a strong base of talent and continuity in coaching will retain their place in the top of the table. LA, RSL and Seattle have proven this. Meanwhile expansion will erode talent from all teams but the better clubs will withstand the blow. Go RSL.
Clearly, cuz RSL hasn’t lost a league game since game 15. Clearly better. Yup.
Nice draw by RSL, regardless of how it came. The Rapids are a good side, no doubt, and they outplayed RSL, but you gotta play to the end.
Rapids will oust the Crew, its a nice draw for the Rapids. Much better than RSL will draw, in either Seattle or Dallas. Both of those teams have clearly been the better sides for the last few months. Their is no free pass for RSL through the playoffs.
As for the SS, do you think the Galaxy are deserving of it? Cmon, they have played poorly since the World Cup, and they had a clear pass by the MLS scheduling office with their home schedule. Regardless of how you choose to look at it, the Galaxy have one less away game than anyone else by playing Chivas.
This has been the most competitive MLS season in its history if you ask me. Parity is no longer.
Is there any doubt the 8 best teams in the league are in the playoffs?
Yeah, too many players get tackled in the box and nothing gets called.
The biggest choke-job of the season by the Rapids. Just awful. Salt Lake didn’t deserve that draw, but Colorado just gave it away.
It was one of the more obvious PK calls I’ve seen in a long time.
I kind of like to think of the MLS Cup as similar to the FA Cup, except that here in merica, the cup is more prestigious than the SS.
hahaha wow………. an epic goof by the keeper and a pretty weak PK. I like Salt Lake but that was a gift.
It doesn’t come down to just some 5-0 win in July. RSL only gave up 20 goals all year. And there’s a 7 goal difference between the two sides.
I disagree. The Crew should be very afraid to face the Rapids. The RSL win was a fluke thing.
Right now I think the Rapids can take the Crew.
Err America
The playoffs will never go. This is still American, ain’t it? I see no reason why we can’t have a single table, or at least a 1 through 8 seeding come playoff time
No doubt the Rapids played the better game but you need to show up for 90+ minutes… gutsy call and pk in stoppage, could call that on every set piece
I’m a Salt Laker but definitely feel bad for the Rapids. They thoroughly outplayed us for 90 minutes, then suffered bad luck and mental errors in the last 3.
MLS would hand the Supporters Shield to SLC if LA loses tonight based on Goal Differential.
So it comes down to Salt Lake beating New England 5-0 in July. What a joke.
You single table, regular season, no playoff guys have to admit that is very stupid way to decide a champ. ( I believe most other leagues around the world do the same )
I am glad we have the playoffs still so we can decide it head to head best versus best.
This match taught me to NEVER give up on RSL. I turned it off with 20 minutes left in the match because the Rapids were playing so well and it looked like there was no hope. Little did I know that my team had a trick up its sleeve.
Major Fail By the Rapids.
Columbus with a huge sigh of relief.
Much better chance an eastern team actually makes it to MLS CUP.