With tensions, and tempers, high the second half started the same as the first ended. Lots of tackles and yellow cards in abundance. Salt Lake saw more of the ball, but couldn’t put it to good use. Often passing it around in midfield, seemingly unable to find any open runners.
Real Salt Lake managed to find their way into the 2016 MLS playoffs almost in spite of themselves.
Despite losing 2-1 at Seattle on Sunday afternoon, RSL squeaked into the sixth and final Western Conference slot and into a knockout round match at Los Angeles on Wednesday night. Real’s loss had made them vulnerable to being knocked out entirely, but Vancouver’s victory over Portland kept the Timbers from grabbing the final spot over RSL.
Although returning to the playoffs was a key objective for Real going into the 2016 season, the way in which it was ultimately accomplished makes it rather bittersweet.
Joao Plata’s shrug pretty much said it all as he was substituted in the second half:
Jeff Cassar finally made some substantive changes to his starting lineup, going with a younger, more defensive setup to start against the Sounders.
Jordan Allen continued his odyssey of playing virtually every field position within one season, starting up front with Olmes Garcia with Yura Movsisyan suffering from a heel injury and Burrito Martinez on the bench. Meanwhile, Javier Morales made way for both Luke Mulholland and Sunny to start alongside Kyle Beckerman in a defensive midfield trio.
The final change was forced on Cassar, with Tony Beltran sustaining an injury in training on Saturday. Chris Wingert, whose playing time had decreased substantially over the course of the season, started in his place in the back.
Seattle jumped out to a 1-0 lead with a third-minute goal from Alvaro Fernandez. Taking advantage of RSL’s weaknesses — tracking runners out of the midfield and pace of play — the Sounders put together a well-worked team goal, and it seemed as though Real would be in for a long day.
However, Mulholland managed to pull RSL even almost immediately, scoring on a deflected shot in the fourth minute. It was a rare — the team has scored only five goals in the last seven matches — but welcome goal for Real, giving fans some hope that their side would be able to stay in fourth place and earn a more favorable knockout round fixture.
RSL did indeed create more chances, particularly in the first half. Plata had some room to run at the Seattle defense early on, and Garcia successfully drew a number of fouls that led to good set-piece opportunities. Ultimately, it was a lot of the same old, same old; the energy was good, but the players weren’t able to convert their opportunities.
Seattle did well at keeping pressure on RSL’s flanks, which had an effect both defensively and going forward. On the left, Demar Phillips often found himself stranded and unable to push forward into the attack, while the right tended to be more congested.
The Sounders would eventually get the game-winner just after the half-hour mark. A Seattle corner kick was initially saved by Nick Rimando but found its way to Cristian Roldan, who was unmarked in the scramble to clear the ball.
The second half went largely the same way for RSL, although Cassar did make a series of substitutions in an attempt to get an equalizer. Morales and Martinez eventually came on in their usual roles, while Movsisyan’s appearance was a bit of a surprise, considering Seattle’s playing surface and his still-lingering injury.
In the end, though, Real simply didn’t have enough to win. Although they weren’t shut out on this occasion, RSL’s only goal came from a deflection again, a troubling sign going into the knockout round.
Real’s overall record against LA also suggests it will be an uphill battle to advance. The Galaxy lead the all-time series 13-12-8, lead 10-6-1 in games played in LA, and lead the all-time playoff series 3-1-1.
Most importantly, there’s little to suggest that things will somehow be different for RSL on Wednesday night. It’s been a long time since Real won, after all.
Real Salt Lake
