RSL’s RIO TINTO
STADIUM STREAK SURVIVES VIA
1-1 DRAW WITH RAPIDS
DF Nat Borchers’ Header in Second Half
Added Time Bumps MLS Record Home Undefeated Streak to 24 Games
SANDY, Utah (Saturday, September 25, 2010)
– Just when it looked like Real Salt Lake’s record home undefeated
streak in MLS play would fall by the wayside, DF Nat Borchers nodded
home in the 93rd minute to earn a 1-1 draw with the archrival
Colorado Rapids in front of a spirited crowd of 18,317 fans in Sandy.
The Rocky Mountain Cup opener between the two sides
looked like it would go the visitors’ way after seeing Colorado FW Conor
Casey’s 36th minute goal stand tall for nearly an hour. However,
Borchers’ heroics in the dying minutes would help RSL earn a vital point in the
standings, placing the defending MLS Cup champs just two points behind the L.A.
Galaxy in the chase for the MLS Supporters Shield and the Western Conference’s
top spot.
Real
Salt Lake Match Notes
·Casey’s 36th minute tally ended Real Salt Lake’s shutout streak at 568 minutes, one minute longer than the defending champ’s previous run earlier across May and June that stood as the longest in MLS in 2010. The two streaks are now the third and fourth longest in MLS history in the category.
·The goal for Borchers was his first in MLS play in 41 games, his previous tally in League action coming last June 13 in a 2-0 at Los Angeles. This was not Borchers only dramatic goal of 2010, however, as it was his 118+’ goal at San Jose on April 14 that helped RSL to a 3-3 regulation draw – and its subsequent 5-3 win in penalties – in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup qualifying play at Buck Shaw Stadium.
·Real Salt Lake’s recent congested schedule resulted in a number of players receiving rare starting nods this evening, including MF Jean Alexandre (5th), FW Pablo Campos (3rd), GK Kyle Reynish (3rd), and MF Collen Warner (4th).
·The Utah side’s hectic 6-game, 18-day stretch continues with another quick turnaround on Tuesday, when Real Salt Lake (3-1-0, 9 pts.) will travel north of the border to continue CONCACAF Champions League play against Toronto FC (1-2-1, 4 pts.). The 6:00 p.m. MT kickoff from BMO Field can be seen live on Fox Soccer Channel. RSL can clinch its passage to the Championship Stage of the regional competition next spring with a win or a draw against the “Reds” on Tuesday.
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER POST-GAME QUOTE SHEET
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2010
RIO TINTO STADIUM –
SANDY, UT
REAL SALT LAKE
1 : 1 COLORADO RAPIDS
REAL SALT LAKE HEAD
COACH JASON KREIS
On the result:
“I was really pleased on
the way we played the game, the way we approached it, how a lot of young
players did tonight for us. I’m pleased with everything except for 15
seconds in the first half when we gave away that goal. I thought that was a
play completely against the run of play.
“All in all, I think we created
some really nice changes, played some really nice soccer, and I would say that
our group probably feels a little hard done that we didn’t win that game. We
keep telling our players that if they give us their best, that’s good
enough. That means the result is not the most important thing.
Tonight I feel like all the players went out there and gave us their absolute
best. Win, lose or draw, we’re going to be pleased with our
effort.”
On Nat Borchers:
"I’m pleased to see [Nat
Borchers] score. Add that to the list of players who have scored for us
this year.”
On the upcoming
CONCACAF Champions League match in Toronto:
“We’re going to put all
our cards on the table for [the game in Toronto]. I feel like that is the
one we have to get a result in to wrap up this Champions League stuff so that
we can turn our focus to the Supporters Shield and the playoffs.”
On catching up to
the LA Galaxy:
“We gained a point on
them this weekend and now we’re one result away from being ahead of them and
not a tiebreaker, not level on points but actually being ahead of them.
So we put ourselves in a good position.”
REAL SALT LAKE
DEFENDER NAT BORCHERS
On RSL’s lineup
changes:
“We have a system here,
and I think that every guy understands how to play in that system. I
thought we played it very well. We kept possession; [Colorado] really
struggled to defend our midfield once we got the ball there.”
On the mood in the
locker room:
“I scored so I think
everyone is pretty happy for me. That’s rarely going to happen. But, to
be honest, I think everybody is pretty positive about the result. We had
a lot of chances. You have days where the ball doesn’t go into the net,
but we had a few good chances.”
REAL SALT LAKE
GOALKEEPER KYLE REYNISH
On the result:
“The win would have been
great to catch up with the Galaxy, but at the same time we realize the
importance of the game Tuesday against Toronto. We really need to get a
point there to guarantee advancement.”
On the result:
“I really didn’t want
that [home undefeated] streak to go out on my watch. We were able to
battle back and when you send people forward like that, you’re going to have
some tough things coming back at you.”
REAL SALT LAKE
MIDFIEDLER KYLE BECKERMAN
On the lineup:
“I thought everyone that
was in there that hasn’t played a lot of minutes did really well. We were
unlucky not to score a couple of times. Some guys gained a lot of
valuable experience for us to be able to move on and improve as a team.”
COLORADO RAPIDS HEAD
COACH GARY SMITH
Overall thoughts
on the match:
“A lot of our players
are disappointed that we conceded [a goal] in the last 30 seconds, but there
were occasions where we could have extended our lead. It was an extremely tight
derby as everyone might have expected from two sides that I thought, for the
vast majority of the game, were competitive and committed.”
Thoughts on the
drop ball call in the box:
“There was a little bit
of a scramble and I thought that Matt [Pickens] made a good save. I still
wasn’t quite sure because I am a long way away and the ball ricocheted an awful
lot around there. It seems like there was a whistle blown for a reason that
wasn’t to be in the end, but I couldn’t give you a true and clear opinion on
that because I was too far away.”
On the focus of
the team with their remaining schedule:
“This was always going
to be one of the really tough away games that we had [this season]. In the end,
it’s a terrific point and it’s another point towards where we want to be. We
have two home games coming up and two teams coming in that will be under less
pressure. They will feel like they are coming to us and feel like they can get
something out of the game. We will certainly be looking to get maximum points
out of those two games and see if we can [determine] our place in the
postseason.”
COLORADO RAPIDS
DEFENDER MARVELL WYNNE
Overall thoughts
on the match:
“We are extremely
disappointed. It was a good result, getting a point here in Salt Lake, but the
way we played and that we were on top and losing the win so late, we’re very
disappointed.”
On the physicality
of the match:
“It was a physical game.
It seemed like it was all over the field and we knew right away that it was
going to be a battle. Whether it was going to be a technical battle and we
would have to maintain possession or a physical battle, which it was.”
Thoughts on the
drop ball call:
“The ball came in and I
suppose he called a hand ball on me, but then he went over to his assistant
referee and he said he made a mistake. Then he did a drop ball. That’s what I
believe happened.”
COLORADO RAPIDS
FORWARD CONOR CASEY
Overall thoughts
on the match:
“I have mixed feelings.
To concede that late is always painful, and I thought we played pretty well as
a whole against a very good team. Coming out with a point is not that bad, but
it would have been nice to get three.”
Thoughts on his goal:
“We had numbers forward
and Kosuke [Kimura] put a good ball in the box. I found a little bit of space
and just got my head on it.”
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