STOPPAGE-TIME DRAMA EXTENDS RSL UNBEATEN STREAK TO SIX WITH 3-2 WIN OVER DALLAS
RSL Attack Rides Saborio Brace, Borchers Heroics to 29th point in 14 Games & Supporters Shield Lead; Claret & Cobalt Improve to 9-3-2
SANDY, UTAH (Saturday, May 26, 2012) –Real Salt Lake (9-3-2, 29 points, West #1) reclaimed its lead atop both the overall and Western Conference standings with tonight’s 3-2 home victory against FC Dallas (3-8-4, 13 points, West #8). RSL DF Nat Borchers struck the game-winner in the 93’ to rescue all three points for RSL, after Dallas battled back from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits. The Borchers strike marked RSL’s third stoppage-time game winner this season – all by 3-2 scores (MF Kyle Beckerman 3/31 @ POR; MF Jonny Steele 4/28 v TOR) and all in games RSL led 1-0 – sending 19,341 Rio Tinto Stadium faithful home happy.
After a scoreless first half, it was Real Salt Lake FW Alvaro Saborio staking RSL to leads in the 59th and 76th minutes, tallying his fifth and sixth goals of the season – and the 39th and 40th of his career – to claim the club’s 2012 scoring lead as the Claret-and-Cobalt improved to 24-4-5 all-time when the Costa Rican striker finds the back of the net.
Making his second career MLS start at right back tonight for RSL was Japanese DF Terukazu Tanaka, who provided the assist on Saborio’s opener. RSL midfielders Ned Grabavoy and Jonny Steele each were credited with assists on Sabo’s second, while tonight’s two-goal performance was Saborio’s 10th in 73 all-time games for RSL, which is now 25-3-4 in games where a player scores multiple goals.
RSL GK Kyle Reynish extended his personal shutout streak to 325 minutes before getting his hands on both FC Dallas scores, as the 75’ Matt Hedges equalizer was adjudged to have crossed the end line in full despite being punched out by the sixth-year backup ‘keeper. After Saborio struck back a minute later, on a shot which deflected off Hedges – Reynish bobbled Dallas FW Blas Perez’ shot in the 85th minute to see the game knotted at 2-2, setting the stage for Borchers’ heroics. With the win tonight, Reynish improved his MLS record to 2-0-4 all-time to go along with his perfect 1-0-0 record in CONCACAF play, allowing 5 goals in 595 minutes for a career 0.76 goals against average.
Real Salt Lake – along with the rest of MLS – takes a break from League play as MLS observes a hiatus during the upcoming FIFA international windows, but will participate in the 99th edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup this coming Tuesday, May 29, hosting defending NASL champion Minnesota Stars FC at 7:00 p.m. MT at Rio Tinto Stadium. Should RSL win Tuesday, it would continue in the tourney on Tuesday, June 5 against the winner of Ft. Lauderdale Strikers (NASL) at San Jose Earthquakes (MLS). RSL will resume league play on Saturday, June 16 at Chivas USA, the only club yet this year to win in a visit to Rio Tinto Stadium (1-0 on March 24).
RSL’s active unbeaten run in MLS play now stands at six games overall, the team’s last loss coming on April 21 at San Jose, as the nine-man RSL side succumbed to a pair of stoppage-time Earthquakes goals to drop a 1-3 decision. San Jose closes out the MLS ledger prior to the FIFA hiatus Sunday at Kansas City (2:30 p.m. MT on NBC Sports Network), and could surpass RSL atop the MLS and West standing with a win at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park, the venue RSL lost at on April 14, 0-1. San Jose could host RSL on Tuesday, June 5 with the proper combination of Open Cup results.
Click here for the MLSsoccer.com recap of tonight's wild contest at Rio Tinto Stadium
Click here to access video highlights and the MLSsoccer.com MATCHCENTER for RSL v DAL
Real Salt Lake Match Notes – RSL 3 : 2 DAL
• Real Salt Lake’s record of 9-3-2 (29 points) through 14 games and its 6-1-0 start at home this season each mark the best starts in the team’s eight-year history, surpassing the 8-3-3 (27 points) start and 5-0-2 home mark during its record-setting 2010 season …
• RSL MF Kyle Beckerman played the final 26 minutes of the United States’ 5-1 friendly win over Scotland in front of 44,000+ in Jacksonville, FL tonight … RSL GK Nick Rimando remains in manager Jurgen Klinsmann’s side, but did not dress tonight as part of the 18-man gameday roster … The United States plays another exhibition – its second of three prior to FIFA World Cup Qualifying – Wednesday against Brazil …
• Two other RSL players – MF Will Johnson (Canada) and FW Alvaro Saborio (Costa Rica) travel Sunday to join their respective National Teams in advance of the same portion of CONCACAF region’s FIFA World Cup Qualifying … On Sunday, June 3 in Toronto, Johnson and his Canadian National Team face the United States, potentially setting up a Johnson vs. Beckerman matchup …
• RSL DF Chris Wingert (left hamstring), MF Javier Morales (right quadriceps) and DF Chris Schuler (left foot bone bruise) did not dress for tonight’s affair and are questionable for Tuesday night’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match …
• With RSL Captain and MF Kyle Beckerman missing tonight’s match after being the only player to have played every one of this season’s 1,170 minutes in the first 13 games, only DF Tony Beltran and FW Alvaro Saborio have appeared in all 14 MLS games this year, with Beltran becoming the team’s 2012 minutes leader (1244).
• Real Salt Lake faces a quick turnaround for its U.S. Open Cup match on Tuesday, May 29 at Rio Tinto Stadium against the NASL Minnesota Stars FC. Tickets for that night’s 7:00 p.m. MT kickoff can be purchased at www.RealSaltLake.com or by calling (801) 727.2701. Open Cup tickets are $10 for 2012 RSL PRIDE Season Ticket Holders and only $15 for the general public, for any and all stadium seating locations.
REAL SALT LAKE 3 : 2 FC DALLAS
SATURDAY, MAY 26, 2012
RIO TINTO STADIUM
Goals by Period 1 2 F
Real Salt Lake 0 3 3
FC Dallas 0 2 2
Scoring Summary: RSL – Saborio (Tanaka) 59’
DAL – Hedges (unassisted) 75’
RSL – Saborio (Grabavoy, Steele) 76’
DAL – Perez (Jonathan Top, Jackson) 85’
RSL – Borchers (unassisted) 93+’
Misconduct Summary: RSL – Alvarez (hard foul) 37’
RSL – Espindola (time wasting) 96+’
Lineups:
Real Salt Lake (4-1-2-1-2) – Kyle Reynish; Terukazu Tanaka, Jamison Olave, Nat Borchers (c), Tony Beltran; Yordany Alvarez, Ned Grabavoy, Will Johnson, Luis Gil (Jonny Steele 70); Alvaro Saborio, Fabian Espindola (Sebastian Velasquez 96+)
Substitutes Not Used: Lalo Fernandez (GK), Enzo Martinez, Chris Estridge, Emiliano Bonfigli, Paulo Junior
FC Dallas (4-5-1) – Kevin Hartman; Zach Loyd, George John, Matt Hedges, Jair Benitez; Daniel Hernandez (c), James Marcelin (Jonathan Top 82), Jair Benitez, Andrew Jacobsen, Bryan Leyva (Carlos Rodriguez 79); Blas Perez
Substitutes Not Used: Chris Seitz (GK), Bruno Guarda, Victor Ulloa, Moises Hernandez, Scott Sealy
Referee: Abiodun Okulaja 
Referee's Assistants: Kermit Quisenberry, Scott Kachmarik 
4th Official: Tyler Ploeger
Attendance: 19,341
Time of Game: 1:53 
Weather: Cloudy and 60 degrees
www.RealSaltLake.com / www.RioTintoStadium.com /www.ESPN700Sports.com
