For the second straight week, Real Salt Lake midfielder Javier Morales has dazzled with the ball and earned himself a Goal of the Week nomination, this time for a stunning finish on a historic night at Rio Tinto Stadium when goalkeeper Nick Rimando earned his 181st career victory to break the league’s all-time record.
With two goals and an assist on the night, Morales deserves some credit for helping him get there and his second goal, RSL’s third of the night in a 3-1 win over the Chicago Fire, quelled any thoughts of a Chicago comeback. RSL went into halftime toting a 2-0 lead, but an early second-half goal from Arturo Alvarez breathed life into the Fire. That is, until Morales sent the 19,909 in attendance into a frenzy with his fourth goal of the season.
Throughout the match, Salt Lake found itself threatening the Chicago goal, but sometimes struggle breaking down the bunkered-in defense. In the 64th minute, two consecutive shots were blocked at the edge of the box by the wall of defenders camped out there. However, the ball spilled wide to Demar Phillips, who played it to Joao Plata, who then centered it to Morales. He looked to take the right-footed shot, but then cut back to his left and beat Matt Lampson inside the near post with a well-crafted and perfectly-placed shot.
“The last goal – to be honest – my first thought was to hit it with my right. But I saw the guy slide tackle so I cut it in. And always when you cut in, the goalkeeper thinks you’ll go the far post so I tried to kick it to the first one,” Morales explained after the match.
To watch the goal and vote for Morales, click here.
