Chivas earn revenge vs. RSL

SALT LAKE CITY -- For months, it has simmered in the minds of every player on the Chivas USA roster. The Red-and-White had suffered a loss on their home field to Real Salt Lake, their first loss ever at The Home Depot Center to their expansion partner.

It was bad enough losing to RSL, a team they have typically dominated during since beginning MLS play in 2005. But being the only club to surrender three points to Real away from Rice-Eccles Stadium felt downright embarrassing.

The Red-and-White didn't just get mad and pout about it. They got even. Chivas repaid the favor on Saturday night, handing RSL a 1-0 loss in the finale at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Not only did it mark the first home setback for Real in 2008, but it paid instant dividends to Chivas. The Red-and-White vaulted past RSL into second place in the Western Conference standings.

"We always knew that we had a good team," Chivas coach Preki said. "It was just a matter of getting everybody healthy and getting everybody playing."

Preki didn't feel like his club played its best Saturday. But it didn't matter. A simple defensive blunder by RSL made the jump in the standings possible.

Ex-RSL forward Alecko Eskandarian scored the game's only goal in the 72nd minute when he collected the ball after a collision between Nick Rimando and Nat Borchers.

Borchers chased down a long ball into the penalty area. At the same time, Rimando came out to clear it away. He tried to call his defender off, but they crashed into one another anyway.

The ball popped free and rolled to Eskandarian's feet. He collected it and guided it home for the simplest of goals.

"I saw Rimando coming off his line and Nat was chasing him down," Eskandarian said. "I remembered two months ago those same two had a play, I think against New England, where the ball squared out, so I figured I might as well keep going, maybe something will pop out, and sure enough it did."

That lone tally was essentially gift-wrapped to Chivas, but they aren't about to complain about such a lucky break.

"It ended how I wanted," midfielder Carey Talley said. "It was kind of like their game when they came to us. Two players collided there and the ball just rolled into the net, and we took advantage of it. So I thought we did a pretty good job."

Chivas put itself to capitalize on such a fortunate twist of fate by putting ample pressure on RSL's offense. Real struggled to play much of anything through the midfield with the Red-and-White shadowing them more than annoying puppies.

When they did get down into scoring position, RSL took itself out of the match by struggling to finish shots.

Chivas had its own finishing struggles in the first half too. The Red-and-White had a near-miss in the fourth minute when Eskandarian clamped onto a ball fed to him deep in the penalty area. He one-touched it right at Rimando, who blanketed the ball for a save.

Another Chivas scoring chance materialized in the 24th minute. Atiba Harris tracked down the ball in the corner and sent it back to Francisco Mendoza just outside the top of the penalty area. Mendoza fired a bullet perfectly on target, but Rimando stood his ground and knocked it away with his fingertips.

Finally getting on the scoreboard might have required a little luck, but Preki felt like it was exactly what Chivas needed.

"We got a fortunate goal," Preki said. "Sometimes, in this game, you have to be lucky and get one of those things. This year luck hasn't been on our side too often, so tonight we'll take it. It's that time of year that we'll take the points, it doesn't matter how they come."

Earning a victory in Utah in the final match at Rice-Eccles Stadium felt poetic justice for players like Talley and Eskandarian who once called that venue their home. They, like the current RSL roster, are happy to finally retire the artificial surface in favor of the grass field in the club's new stadium.

"This town deserves it," Talley said. "The fans are great, they supported the team through thick and thin the last four years. They're putting a better product on the field and it'll be perfect for that stadium."