COMMERCE CITY, Colo. -- It wasn't pretty, but Real Salt Lake will take their draw in Colorado on Saturday night and gladly play in their first postseason in club history next week.
Real Salt Lake were forced into an uncomfortable situation where they needed at least a point while playing at the home of their bitter regional rivals. The Rapids started the match as the aggressors, controlling the tempo and even getting an early goal.
For much of the opening half, and for large stretches in the second, the Rapids looked the better team. In fact, RSL head coach Jason Kreis felt his team was lucky to get the vital point needed to secure the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, and that it was poetic justice for the many results this season that they have dropped in similar fashion.
"I would say that's the first point that we picked up all year, that I would say, maybe we didn't deserve," said Kreis. "There've been a lot of points out there this season that we feel like we deserved and didn't get. For me, this is the first time, perhaps, that the ball bounced our way."
After surrendering a goal in just the 19th minute, RSL spent the rest of the match searching relentlessly for the equalizing goal. The Rapids remained compact in the back, and offered few chances to score. In addition to the Rapids pressuring RSL all over the pitch, Kreis felt his team, possibly, subconsciously, started the game with a defensive mindset.
"I really, really believe that no matter how many times we preached during the week that we were going to go out and be aggressive, I really believe that they kind of felt like we were going to keep numbers back," said Kreis. "And, we were just keeping too many numbers back. In midfield they were kind of running over us because we had two extra guys in the back. We didn't play with the same aggressive mentality as we have all year. And, I think in the end, that hurts us.
"We're a team that has to be the aggressors; we're a team that has to go out there and be full of confidence and vigor and get at them. When we don't do that we get out played."
After repeated attempts to break down the Colorado defense, when the match seemed all but out of reach, a high ball was sent into the box that Robbie Russell flicked on with a header in the 90th minute. It was a touch that Andy Williams was anticipating.
The Jamaican international fired a shot that was parried by Colorado goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul. Luckily for Real, the deflection fell to Yura Movsisyan, who tucked the loose ball into the open net.
"I knew Robbie was going to go up ... and I knew that he was going to get a piece of it," said Williams. "I was just hoping that it was going to fall my way. After it bounced, it kind of had a topspin heading to the goal.
"I was thinking that if Bouna was coming out -- I had no clue where he was -- so I turned around and just got a toe on it, and [Coundoul] made a great save, again. And, Yura just cleaned up the mess."
Movsisyan was also thinking one step ahead of the play in order to be ready to make the most of his opportunity.
"All I thought was, Andy was in the box and I knew that either he scores or the goalie's going to give up the ball," said Movsisyan. "Fortunate enough for me, the goalie saved it and I was there to put it in."
The goal surprised everybody, including Kreis. The way the game was progressing it looked as though Salt Lake would fall just short of the postseason. But Kreis pointed out that his players never gave up, even though they were in the midst of possibly their worst showing of the season. The falloff in form could not have come at a worse time, but they still were able to pull it off.
"I couldn't believe it," said Kreis of the result. "I thought we played poorly tonight, really, to be completely honest. Overall, it was probably one of our worst games all season. And to see the guys to continue to stick with it, and to continue to believe, I kept telling them that I felt from the bench that it was going to come, it was going to come. But, I don't know if all of me really believed that."
With a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs now secured, Kreis admitted that at the beginning of this season the postseason was never really an honest goal. The main point of the year was to improve, which he feels Real Salt Lake has done quite well. The playoffs are the gravy to an amazing season.
"Honestly, and I haven't said this publically, before the season I don't think there is anybody, even in our own staff, that would have said that we're going to make the playoffs," said Kreis. "I really felt that we believed we were going to be a much, much better team. We set goals for ourselves, but one of them was not to make the playoffs. I think it's full credit to the players, because they've come together better than any other group of players I've ever been around.
"To have so many new players and to have them come together and gel, as they have this season, full credit to them."
While Kreis was directing praise to his players, they were singing high praises to the large and boisterous group of RSL supporters who made the trip over the mountains to witness history.
"That was awesome!" said Russell of the RSL supporters present at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Saturday. "That was great! As an athlete, when your fans are behind you like that, it literally is an extra guy on the field. Today, they were like two extra guys."
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