Two teams that started the season as title contenders met at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday night sorely needing victories, but only Real Salt Lake came away with the result they were looking for.
The New York Red Bulls continued their struggling ways, dropping a 3-0 result to a motivated RSL side. Jason Kreis' squad snapped a two-match losing streak while New York was left winless in five matches.
RSL midfielder Luis Gil became the youngest player in team history to score a goal while standout defender Nat Borchers scored on a set-piece header to help give Real Salt Lake a 2-0 halftime edge. Red Bulls goalkeeper Frank Rost came up injured during the half and had to give way to Bouna Coundoul, but it was New York's invisible midfield and not the injury to Rost that ultimately led to Real Salt Lake fully controlling the match.
Real Salt Lake deserve full credit for making the visitors from the East Coast look thoroughly underwhelming in one of RSL's better performances in recent memory.
“I think that we finally got back to what we do well," said RSL head coach Jason Kreis. "Individually, I think that a lot of the players took the message on board that we gave them yesterday about ‘why you are here.’ So many players on our team do certain things extremely well and need to stay within themselves when they are playing for us.”
Alvaro Saborio added an insurance goal on penalty drawn by a questionable handball on Roy Miller late in the match, but the Red Bulls never did look like coming back even before that play.
The loss dropped New York to 6-6-12, a mark that has to be considered embarrassing considering how well the team started the season and the fact that the Red Bulls boast the largest payroll in MLS.
The Red Bulls were once again missing starters from the regular lineup, with Teemu Tainio and Luke Rodgers sidelined once again and Jan Gunnar Solli starting out on the bench, but those absences offered little excuse for a truly flat performance from a Red Bulls side that suddenly looks more likely to miss the playoffs than win the Eastern Conference.
“We had a very weak performance today," said New York head coach Hans Backe. "I don’t think I’ve seen us that weak before in one-and-a-half years. No energy, a number of unforced errors. Conceding goals … once again, a goal from a set play.
"We know very well what kind of run Borchers does. It’s sloppy, it’s very very sloppy. We just need to change things if we’re going to reach the playoffs.”
The win was a much-needed boost for an RSL side that had struggled in its past two matches. Now Real Salt Lake sits six points out of second place in the Western Conference with at least three games in hand on the three teams currently in between them and second place.
Here are the match highlights.
What did you think of Real Salt Lake's victory? Starting to wonder if the Red Bulls will make the playoffs? Think New York will consider firing Hans Backe?
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