When Real Salt Lake hosts the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions League final next week, it will do so sitting in the driver's seat.
Javier Morales scored an equalizer in the 89th minute to give RSL a 2-2 draw with Monterrey in the first leg of their final matchup in Mexico. Salt Lake's two away goals gives the Major League Soccer side the edge heading into the home leg of the final.
RSL twice battled back from one-goal deficits to earn its result. Nat Borchers answered Aldo De Nigris' 17th-minute opener with a 34th-minute header off a Will Johnson cross. Monterrey retook the lead in the 62nd minute, when Humberto Suazo converted a penalty kick after Jamison Olave's handball in the box.
Morales evened the score after receiving a pass from the right from substitute Arturo Alvarez. His first touch took him into the box, where he calmly juked a defender to create space and fired into the far netting to stun the hosts.
Monterrey manager Victor Manuel Vucetich made a questionable double-substitution in the 20th minute, taking De Nigris and captain Luis Perez off simultaneously. While De Nigris received a yellow card for taking off his shirt celebrating his goal, it was unclear if both were moves were injury-related.
The move seemed to halt Monterrey's momentum and give Salt Lake an opportunity to strike, which it did through Borchers' header.
Monterrey controlled the second half, sending wave after wave of attack at the RSL defense. Goalkeeper Nick Rimando came up huge to impede Suazo on a close-range attempt just moments before Morales' goal. The Chilean striker had beaten the back line to a long ball over the top and was onside about 10 yards from goal when Rimando ran at him and leaped with his arms extended to cut off his shooting lane and force the shot out wide.
Instead of trailing 3-1, RSL equalized through Morales, and now holds the advantage through the away goals. RSL will be without captain Kyle Beckerman for the second leg at Rio Tinto Stadium, though, as he picked up a yellow card that will suspend him for the match.
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What did you think of the first leg? Impressed at RSL's ability to come back twice? Still wondering about the double substitution? Think RSL will be able to win without Beckerman? Who do you see winning the CCL title?
Share your thoughts below.
I meant to say ‘yellow card’… it was a late night watching the game and my brain wasn’t fully engaged the next morning.
I don’t remember what minute it was but I think it was in the second half before the PK. Monterrey scored but the scorer was determined to be offside. On the replay it looked like he was at least level with the last defender. Also it wasn’t like the defender was stepping up. The Monterrey player had continued his run from midfield and was moving faster than the RSL defender.
Right there with you buddy, minus the since day one thing. I live in the South, didn’t know about the league until highschool when I played soccer. Been a huge fan ever since.
By american football he was meaning football as opposed to soccer, not asking if an NFL team played there or something…
Haha yeah I was yelling at the computer each time it happened. It always seemed to be during something exciting too. They could have at least saved it for goal kicks or something.
Monterrey didn’t even deserve the first PK. Sad the supposedly superior side scores against the run of play and on a PK while the other side does damage on nice well worked goals.
You are the delusional one. RSL controlled the first half and went down against the run of play. Monterrey looked the better side in the early goings of the second half but still only managed to go up on a PK and RSL worked for both of their goals.
RSL wass the better side and looked it for lengthy stretches. To say otherwise after watching Monterrey simply boot it forward over and over while RSL played it on the deck for most of the match is laughable.
You missed the best part. In the first half RSL was bossing play. They went down against the run of play. It was refreshing to watch some supposedly superior mexican side playing boom ball while RSL was playing the ball on the deck and having great success possessing the ball. After halftime RSL came out flat, I don’t know what happened to them but from the whistle they looked different until that pitiful penalty which woke them back up a bit.
No, because Monterrey is too far for an American team to travel for home games. It’s a local football team.
Mexican hipsters probably watch football, then sniff and correct commoners to “soccer” when forced to acknowledge the more locals’ preferred sport.
I loved Ives’ pre-game comment on Monterrey’s field’s college football markings … “College football is surprisingly popular there. By the way, they have a playoff to determine the national champion.”
That was a blessing in disguise…IMO they played better without Bradley
Great job RSL!!!!!
College football exists in Mexico. Monterrey actually plays at the Tec stadium (hence the name). Tecnologico de Monterrey is a college. Where Monterrey plays soccer is actually that university’s football field.
Supposedly Monterrey is building their own stadium that is supposed to rival or surpass the one built by Chivas last year.
Fantastic Effort by RSL! Did the league proud! Looking for them to finish off Monterrey at the RIOT – signed DCU Fan
P.S. NY can suck it tonight
thats exactly how it will go down. Ives needs a “like” button.
Yes that was a great article, over the years myself and a lot of others have been critical of the coach and staff as they are learning on the fly (arguably Kreis uses his subs inopportunely- like last night at least 10 mins too late for Alvarez). But they are getting it done the last 18 months, and they deserve all the praise.
And yes, if a club pays out a 700k buyout clause to get a player, and you are paying a salary north of 200k, the “DP” designation is deserved, and perceived. If he’s been the worst player on the field this season, why if he playing so much? Because the team has invested significant resources in him hoping he will perform. let’s see more of Alvarez and Paulo (get healthy).
I may be in South Korea in December, so that would be sick if RSL made it, I’d probably one of the only supporters there in Japan.
if they lose its all for naught regardless of the away goals. RSL has an advantage but there’s still a long way to go.
gods stop the hashtag nonsense. twitter hates our freedoms.
Beckerman’s loss is huge and his level of play won’t be replaced. Morales is very important to the team, but we have a serveable replacement in Williams. Beckerman’s defense and ability to pass the ball out of trouble makes him one of the best holding mids in the league.
My bet is Williams gets the start and Johnson plays for Beckerman. Warner subs for Williams late in the game.
GO RSL!!
Look, we can complain about Beckerman’s yellow all we want, but you have to measure how the game was officiated against CONCACAF standards of refereeing in road games for MLS teams. Compare Real/Monterrey game to Houston Dynamo finishing their road game against Arabe Unido with 8 players after a series of questionable calls, while the ref largely tolerated reckless sliding tackles by the home team that were persistent lunges with both feet and studs up.
It’s a great statement that RSL is continuously going down to Mexico and scoring goals!!! That right there is a great step for MLS. Then to do it when it really counts is even better.
We’ve shown well during this CL. Seattle & Toronto winning to get into the group stages. Crew going 4-2 just barely missing top seed, and putting up great home numbers. One more point and Crew might have been playing RSL for the finals… (eh, one can dream right?)
Here’s to RSL taking it all next week, and to the Real v Real finals in Japan!!!!
yeah, this time the ref just made sure RSL did not have their captain and controlling midfeilder in the second leg for something that wasnt even a foul let alone a yellow. Kind of like what Lorrionda did to Michael Bradley in the Confed Cup
The most unbeleivable sight of the entire night? Me, shouting at RSL goals like it was the Nats in a world cup game.
I’ve been an MLS fan since day one and last night made me very proud about how far the league has come.
YES! That was driving me nuts! Why show a close up of the coaches literally just standing on the sidelines while there was action happening on the field? That game was moving so fast. The constant replays just killed the flow for those of us watching on TV.
Beckerman’s suspension was due to yellow card accumulation, not a red card. Overturning a yellow is pretty much impossible.
ives-what do you know about the american football lines on the monterrey field?
Does a major mexican team share the field with an american football team?
+1
I agree with you David… What’s up with the American Football chalk lines on a Mexican soccer field? I just never expected to see them that’s all.
Finally, congrats to RSL! Great result against a great team in a very tough place to play. Signed Rapids Fan.
De Nigris is out of the second leg due to yellow card accumulation, pretty sure RSL will be safe from him scoring.
Yes, but overall we cannot complain too much about the officiating – it was by miles better than what US teams normally get when they play in Mexico. I am happy that the refs did not ruin the game. Yes, there were several questionable calls that went Monterrey’s way, but this is what you expect when you are on the road in CONCACAF.
Yes, they do. RSL has a huge advantage.
I don’t know about previous tournaments, but this year away goals definitely count.
Sabo isn’t a real DP, persay. his salary is something around $200,000. the DP status is simply because a transfer fee had to be paid. your statement is naive… great article on SI by Grant Wahl on RSL. Inform yourself about the class of the MLS.
Are you sure? For as long as I’ve watched CONCACAF club competitions, away goals mean jack squat. There is no special allowance like in UEFA or rest of the world for away goals in CONCACAF club competitions. CONCACAF looks at total goals so if the next leg ends up 0-0 or 1-1 then they go to extra time and then PKs after that.
Just want to add the Premeria Division is 53 years older then MLS. That is great progress…
I love that this effort not only says a lot about RSL but it also speaks volumes about the growth of MLS. I’m a RBNY fan (Well, more of a MetroStars fan) but I’m pulling for RSL all the way.
I think De Nigris is nowdays a bigger threat than Suazo. But they have to pay attention to both. Leave De Nigris open and live to regret it. Mock my words.
There is college football in Mexico?
Loved the 3rd kit out of RSL last night, classy
Bummed for Beckerman not to be on the field for the end of the tourney
They’re not new. It’s their 3rd kit. they were it once in a while.
They DO mean something. It’s the first tie-breaker.
The away goals rule does count. So they do have the advantage you speak of.
Away goals don’t mean anything is this competition, right? It’s a bummer because that would give RSL a huge advantage at home.
Very few clubs in Latin America and around the world own their own stadium. It usually belongs to the city.
A few people have mentioned that (the offside call) and I can’t remember one that was both critical and wrong. This is likely because I do not usually stay up till midnight and my memory is fuzzy. What minute was it in/what was the situation? I’d like to look for a clip.