Scoreless in Seattle, unbeaten streak ends for RSL

IMG_0865Scoreless in Seattle, as unbeaten streak ends for RSL as they fall to the Seattle Sounders 4-0.

Real Salt Lake traveled to CenturyLink Field for a match up of the top two clubs in Major League Soccer without much of the talent that has been responsible for the 12 match unbeaten record to start the season.

The club was already shorthanded with Nick Rimando and Kyle Beckerman called up for the IMG_1701US Mens National Team and Alvaro Sabario back in Salt Lake recovering from a foot injury he suffered in practice with the Costa Rican National team, and that was before losing Joao Plata and Chris Schuler from the lineup.  Plata is currently tied with Sabario for the most goals this year for RSL at 6, and Schuler has been a consistent force in the backfield that has been the counter to a sometimes struggling attacking effort.

IMG_9299You couldn’t have asked for better day for soccer today in Seattle, with a 1:00 PM Pacific start time, the setting was perfect when the clubs entered the pitch.

The first half statistics where virtually identical with the notable exception of the only static that matters, goals scored.  The lone goal of the fist half was from a PK taken by Golanzo Pineda in the 42nd minute after Aaron Maund puts a shoulder into the back of Lamar Neagle,

The second half was like a slow roll down hill as RSL seemed to lose a little more steam with every setback they were faced with.

After Wingert went down hard on the turf and Marco Pappa scored the second goal of the IMG_9406afternoon for Seattle off of a free kick on what looked a little weak on the call, he and Cole Grossman both left the match early in the second half to be replaced by Luis Gil and Kenny Mansally.  This didn’t seem to do much to energize the squad as Chad Berrett was able to take take advantage of defensive weaknesses to score off an assist from Lamar Neagle to put the match out of reach for good in the 62nd minute.

Real Salt Lake did have some good opportunities to avoid the Seattle clean sheet, but it just they could just not get to the final touch, and in the 90th minute Seattle capitalized on the RSL frustration as Obafemi Martins put an exclamation point on the afternoon as he tapped one in on a defense that completely fell apart as he attacked.

Up Next:

Real Salt Lake (6-1-6) travels to Crew Stadium  to take on the Columbus Crew (4-5-4) on June 4th in a busy week where they also match up against another Western Conference Rival as they meet up with the Portland Timbers (3-3-7) on July 7 at Rio Tinto Stadium.

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