Saborio brace leads dominating performance by RSL
Robbie Findley scored his first goal of the season just days after being named to the national team’s 30-man roster and Alvaro Saborio added a brace to lift Real Salt Lake over the Houston Dynamo 3-1.
Real Salt Lake’s first opportunity came in the 2nd minute, but could not convert. Findley would find the back of the net a minute later when he headed in a chipped ball from midfielder Kyle Beckerman to put Houston on its heels early on.
In the next eight minutes, the home side had three more solid chances. Houston keeper Pat Onstad knocked away a Findley header. The ball, however, went right to the feet of Andy Williams who took an enormous blast at the ball, but it went directly into the chest of Onstad. Just moments later Williams put a nice cross into the box to Alvaro Saborio who couldn’t get it around the ‘keeper.
However Saborio would get his in the 24th minute. Morales and defender Robbie Russell brought the ball up the right side in tandem. Saborio quickly slid across the top of the area, pounced on the ball that had come off of Morales’ foot, and delivered a laser past traffic and inside the near post.
The opportunity came moments after Houston’s best chance of the half. On the play, Brad Davis delivered a cross that found the head of Dominic Oduro, only to be denied by Nick Rimando.
Down by two, Houston came out more aggressive in the second half, however, it was Real Salt Lake that would strike first. In the 60th minute, Morales delivered a free kick from 30 yards out on the left side. Saborio snuck inside the near post to meet the ball, and easily nodded it past Onstad, giving RSL a 3-0 lead.
Twelve minutes later, Houston would get their lone goal of the evening as Davis slid a ball into Brian Mullan to the left of goal. Jamison Olave slipped on the play, and Mullan had an unimpeded shot at the goal. He easily beat Rimando with a far post attempt.
The goal gave Houston some life, and they had numerous opportunities but were unable to convert.
Scoring:
RSL -- Robbie Findley 1 (Kyle Beckerman 2) 3
RSL -- Alvaro Saborio 3 (Javier Morales 3) 24
RSL -- Alvaro Saborio 4 (Javier Morales 4) 60
HOU -- Brian Mullan 2 (Brad Davis 4) 72
Lineups:
Real Salt Lake (4-3-1) -- Nick Rimando, Robbie Russell, Jamison Olave, Nat Borchers, Chris Wingert, Andy Williams (Jean Alexandre 69), Kyle Beckerman, Javier Morales, Will Johnson, Alvaro Saborio (Pablo Campos 79), Robbie Findley (Collen Warner 88).
Houston Dynamo (4-4-1) -- Pat Onstad, Craig Waibel (Brian Ching 62), Bobby Boswell, Adrian Serioux, Mike Chabala, Brian Mullan, Richard Mulrooney, Brad Davis, Lovel Palmer (Danny Cruz 46), Corey Ashe (Andrew Hainault 68), Dominic Oduro.
Discipline:
RSL -- Nat Borchers (caution; Tactical Foul) 26
HOU -- Mike Chabala (caution; Tactical Foul) 33
HOU -- Bobby Boswell (caution; Tactical Foul) 77
Referee: Alex Prus
Referee's Assistants: Peter Balciunas; Jeff Hosking
4th Official: Paul Ward
Attendance: 12,945
Time of Game: 1:51
Weather: Cloudy-and-58-degrees
