SANDY, Utah (Wednesday, October 14, 2015) –Real Salt Lake’s playoff hopes took a hit on Wednesday night at Rio Tinto Stadium as a second-half penalty and red card doomed an otherwise strong battle with the Portland Timbers. The 1-0 defeat to Portland put six points between RSL and the sixth-place Timbers with two matches left on the schedule.
GK Nick Rimando finished the night with four saves, but the 54th minute penalty by Fanendo Adi was the difference in the match as RSL dropped to 11-13-8 with just the third home loss of the season.
FW Joao Plata had the first shot of the match after just 35 seconds passed on the clock, but Portland would outshoot RSL 7-3 in the first half despite RSL holding 55-percent of the half’s possession.
In the 21st minute, Portland put a scare into the Salt Lake defense with a ball in from the right side. Diego Valeri found Adi for a quick flick at the near post that forced a tricky save from Rimando to keep the match scoreless.
The match would remain without a goal through the end of the first half, but Portland would pounce on a second-half lead in controversial fashion.
In the 52nd minute, Lucas Melano was played behind the RSL defense and taken down outside the box by DF Jamison Olave. Referee Juan Guzman first signaled the penalty, then consulted with his assistant and ejected Olave for denial of a goal-scoring opportunity, but did not correct the signal for a penalty.
Adi converted the penalty in the 54th minute, shooting to Rimando’s right while the goalkeeper dove left and the Timbers took the 1-0 lead over 10-man RSL.
Salt Lake nearly had an equalizer in the 69th minute on a tremendous volley from MF Javier Morales.
With RSL committing numbers to the attack, FW Juan Manuel Martinez clipped a cross to the top of the box for Morales, who hit the side-winding volley on frame, forcing Adam Kwarasey to parry the shot over the crossbar for a corner kick.
Down a man and down a goal, RSL would continue to fight for an equalizer and Morales forced another save from Kwarasey in stoppage time, getting into the box on a ball from DF Justen Glad. Morales took a touch to his right and his shot deflected off the defender, but Kwarasey was there for the stop and RSL’s stoppage-time efforts were left unrewarded in a 1-0 defeat.
RSL has a quick turnaround and will host FC Dallas on Saturday at Rio Tinto Stadium before ending the three-game homestand against Municipal in the final Group Stage match in CONCACAF Champions League on Tuesday.
GAME NOTES – RSLvPOR
- With his start on Wednesday, MF Kyle Beckerman matched Steve Ralston as the all-time MLS leader in games played by a field player with 378 regular season appearances.
- FW Joao Plata was replaced in the 49th minute after suffering a left adductor strain. Moments into the start of the second half, he took a knee on the field and signaled for the substitute.
- The red card shown to DF Jamison Olave was his third ejection of the season.
- The shutout extended RSL’s scoreless streak against the Timbers to 427 regular season minutes.
REAL SALT LAKE 0-1 PORTLAND TIMBERS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2015
RIO TINTO STADIUM
Goals by Period 1 2 F
Real Salt Lake 0 0 0
Portland Timbers 0 1 1
Scoring Summary:
POR: Fanendo Adi (PK) 54’
Misconduct Summary:
POR: Alvas Powell (Yellow; Foul) 28’
RSL: Jamison Olave (Red; Denial of a Goal Scoring Opportunity) 52’
POR: George Fochive (Yellow; Foul) 72’
RSL: Justen Glad (Yellow; Foul) 81’
POR: Maximiliano Urruti (Yellow; Delaying a Restart) 89’
Lineups:
Real Salt Lake (4-3-3): Nick Rimando; Jordan Allen (Olmes Garcia 75’), Jamison Olave, Aaron Maund, Tony Beltran; Kyle Beckerman, Luke Mulholland, Javier Morales; Juan Manuel Martinez, Sebastian Jaime (Justen Glad 56’), Joao Plata (Luis Silva 49’).
Substitutes not used: Jeff Attinella, Pecka, John Stertzer, Devon Sandoval.
Portland Timbers (4-3-3): Adam Kwarasey; Alvas Powell, Liam Ridgewell, Nat Borchers, Jorge Villafana; Diego Chara, Darlington Nagbe (Michael Nanchoff 93+’), Diego Valeri (Maximiliano Urruti 85’); Lucas Melano (George Fochive 63’), Fanendo Adi, Rodney Wallace.
Substitutes not used: Jake Gleeson, Jeanderson, Norberto Paparatto, Taylor Peay.
Referee: Juan Guzman
Assistant Referees: Corey Rockwell, Jeff Hosking
Fourth Official: Alejandro Mariscal
Attendance: 19,457
Weather: Clear and 79
