SANDY, Utah – Real Salt Lake Reserves (3-5-2; 12 pts.) finished its season in wild fashion on Wednesday morning, drawing the Houston Dynamo Reserves (5-2-2; 17 pts.) 5-5 in a wild match at America First Field in Sandy, Utah. RSL FW Emiliano Bonfigli notched a hat-trick in the game, newly signed MF David Viana scored his first goal for RSL and FW Justin Braun tallied three assists.
RSL opened up the scoring in the 11th minute. RSL DF Kenny Mansally started the play, centering a ball into the Dynamo six-yard-box that Bonfigli poked in with ease to give RSL the 1-0 lead.
The lead was short-lived, though, as Houston FW Cam Weaver scored a penalty kick after a Mansally foul in the box less than five minutes after Bonfigli’s opener to even things at 1-1.
Braun nearly scored in the 17th minute, RSL MF Enzo Martinez drove up the right flank and curled a floating ball in to the penalty area. Braun rose above the coverage and flicked the ball destined towards the upper 90 only to be redirected out by Houston GK Tyler Deric’s fingertips.
RSL retook the lead in the 25th minute through Viana. The Portuguese youth international – who was making his official debut for the Claret-and-Cobalt – ran onto a Braun cross at the corner of the 18, burying a low shot inside the near post to give RSL the 2-1 advantage.
Viana’s goal took the sides into the half. Houston responded well out of the break, nearly scoring off of a diving header from MF Alex Dixon at the start of the half and eventually equalizing through Weaver in the 56th. MF Colin Clark assisted on the play, crossing a ball in from the left that Weaver headed home from six yards out.
Real Salt Lake didn’t take long before it again reclaimed the lead, getting another goal from Bonfigli to go ahead 3-2 in the 60th minute. Braun found the feet of his teammate once again and Bonfigli sent a cheeky chip over Deric’s outstretched hands.
Bonfigli completed his hat trick in the 69th minute, sprinting onto a lofted through-ball from MF Sebastian Velasquez in the box and burying a half-volley neatly inside the post to give RSL a 4-2 advantage.
Velasquez scored a goal of his own less than two minutes later, putting RSL up 5-2 by running onto a Braun through ball, rounding Deric and slotting home from a tight angle.
With a 5-2 advantage with less than 20 minutes to go, it looked like RSL would be able to comfortably ride out the game. Houston, of course, had other ideas, pulling a goal back in the 72nd. Weaver scored to complete his hat trick, finishing with a low drive from 20 yards.
The Dynamo pulled within one in the 75th minute, when MF Colin Clark converted a penalty kick after Mansally was called for another foul in the box.
Houston found its improbable equalizer five minutes later. Dixon scored the goal, finishing substitute Clark's cross to tie the game 5-5.
RSL pushed for a winner in the final 10 minutes, but couldn’t quite find one, coming closest in the 88th minute, when Braun nearly beat Deric to an errant back pass.
Today’s 5-5 draw brought RSL Reserves 2012 season to a close.
Click here for the 2012 MLS Reserve League standings
Real Salt Lake returns to action on Oct. 17 against Seattle Sounders at CenturyLink Field, kickoff set for 8:00 p.m. MT. Fans unable to attend the match can watch LIVE via NBC Sports Network or listen LIVE via ESPN700.
Real Salt Lake Reserves Notes
- Today’s match saw the debut of midfielder David Viana, who was recently signed by the club. Viana scored in the game’s 25th minute.
- With goals in the 11th, 60th and 69th minutes, RSL FW Emiliano Bonfigli notched his first hat-trick wearing the Claret-and-Cobalt.
- Utah native Justin Braun tallied three assists against the Dynamo. His first came in the 25th minute, second in the 60th and final in the 71st to Sebastian Velasquez who recorded an assist minutes earlier on his ball to Bonfigli.
MLS Reserve League Box Score
Real Salt Lake Reserves 5:5 Houston Dynamo Reserves
Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012
America First Field – Sandy, UT
Scoring Summary:
RSL – Emiliano Bonfigli (Kenny Mansally) 11
HOU – Cam Weaver (penalty kick) 14
RSL – David Viana (Justin Braun) 25
HOU – Cam Weaver (Colin Clark) 56
RSL – Emiliano Bonfigli (Justin Braun) 60
RSL – Emiliano Bonfigli (Sebastian Velasquez) 69
RSL – Sebastian Velasquez (Justin Braun) 71
HOU – Cam Weaver 72
HOU – Colin Clark (penalty kick) 75
HOU – Alex Dixon (Colin Clark) 80
Disciplinary Summary:
RSL – Yordany Alvarez (caution, Reckless Foul) 74
RSL – Nico Muniz (caution, Dissent) 81
HOU – Cam Weaver (caution, Reckless Foul) 82
Real Salt Lake Reserves (4-4-2): Kyle Reynish; Carlos Salcedo; Kwame Watson-Siriboe (Nico Muniz 33); Chris Schuler (c); Kenny Mansally; Yordany Alvarez; Enzo Martinez; David Viana (Jonny Steele 77); Emiliano Bonfigli (Paulo Jr. 80); Justin Braun
Substitutes Not Used: Ive Burnett; Antonio Murillo; Bryan Hale
Houston Dynamo Reserves (4-4-2): Tyler Deric; Warren Creavalle; Nathan Sturgis; Renan Coalho; Christian Gonzalez* (Kofi Sarkodie, 90+); Alex Dixon; Giles Barnes; Luiz Camargo; Colin Clark; Cam Weaver; Colin Rolfe (Carlos Ibarra* 63)
Substitutes Not Used: Erich Marscheider (GK); Jose Rodriguez
Guest player
RSL-Arizona/Houston Dynamo Academy player
Post-Game Quote Sheet
RSL Reserves Coach Jeff Cassar:
Thoughts on the match…
I thought there were a lot of positives and thought there were a lot of negatives. That kind of is what it is at a Reserve game. I thought the start of the game was good, we wanted to come out with a lot of energy force Houston to be on their heels and I thought we did that. Our halftime talk was about going out to get another goal to end the game and we came out and did that, but then we just got too stretched and let them back in it. We got too spread out, we got too caught up in the game, too caught up with us scoring goals and having some joy and we got punished. But I think it was a good learning experience for the staff and the players.
On if anyone stood out in particular…
It was a good team effort. It’s always nice when your forwards are scoring goals. I thought that our midfield at times was very dynamic and played some good, penetrating balls and then our defense was solid at certain points but then got stretched out a few other times.
On new MF David Viana…
In the first half I thought he did a very good job. He’s dynamic, got great feet, good vision; I think that he started to run out of gas a little bit in the second half after he’s been traveling a lot and stuff like that. But just a solid performance for him and one to build on for sure.
