SANDY, Utah – Real Salt Lake picked up a point on Friday in a 1-1 draw with the San Jose Earthquakes on Friday. San Jose scored a controversial first-half goal and RSL bounced back on an own-goal to earn the draw in front of 19,715 at Rio Tinto Stadium.
The Claret-and-Cobalt is now 2-2-4 (10 points) and in a four-way tie for fifth in the Western Conference.
San Jose took a 1-0 advantage on a disputed goal in the 19th minute. Shea Salinas shot from the top of the box and his shot took a deflection off DF Jamison Olave and fell to Chris Wondolowski in what replays showed to be an offside position. The flag stayed down, though, and Wondolowski fired a shot into the net.
FW Alvaro Saborio nearly equalized in the 22nd minute on a cross from DF Tony Beltran, but his near-post header missed just wide. That was the only shot RSL would register in the first half despite holding over 62-percent of the possession and the match RSL went into the intermission trailing 1-0.
In the 68th minute, through another good buildup that started with MF Luke Mulholland winning the ball on a tackle in the defensive third, MF Kyle Beckerman sent another scoring chance towards goal. After a series of passes, the ball ended up with Beckerman in space and he shot from 24 yards out, but it skipped just wide of the post.
After a miscue in the back in 71st minute, GK Nick Rimando made his first save of the match when Adam Jahn harried the ball away from Olave and shot from the top of the box. Rimando got his gloves to the ball to make the stop, then covered the rebound.
At the other end of the field, Saborio pressured Victor Bernardez and David Bingham and Bernardez knocked the ball into his own net for an own goal, equalizing the match in the 71st minute at 1-1.
RSL continued to push for the go-ahead score and managed five shots in the final 20 minutes, but could not pull away and the match ended with a 1-1 final score.
It’s a quick turnaround for Real Salt Lake, who will face the LA Galaxy in the first of three meetings between the perennial playoff teams. Wednesday’s match kicks off at 7:30 p.m. MT from Rio Tinto Stadium.
Real Salt Lake Match Notes – RSLvSJ
- Javier Morales made his return to the starting lineup after missing the last two matches with a groin injury. However, he was substituted in the 41st minute after receiving a blow to the head in the first half. He was taken to Salt Lake Regional Medical Center and evaluated for concussion-like symptoms.
- With attendance at 19,715, RSL’s home sellout streak ended at 19 games.
- RSL’s second-half goal ended the team’s shutout streak at 387 minutes. It was the second-longest shutout streak in club history behind the 557-minute streak in 2005.
REAL SALT LAKE 1-1 SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2015
RIO TINTO STADIUM
Goals by Period 1 2 F
Real Salt Lake 0 1 1
San Jose Earthquakes 1 0 1
Scoring Summary:
SJ – Chris Wondolowski – 19’
RSL – Own goal (Victor Bernardez) – 71’
Misconduct Summary:
RSL – Kyle Beckerman (Yellow; Foul) – 1’
SJ – Innocent (Yellow; Argument) – 21’
RSL – Jordan Allen (Yellow; Foul) – 48’
Lineups:
Real Salt Lake (4-3-3): Nick Rimando; Tony Beltran, Elias Vasquez, Jamison Olave, Abdoulie Mansally; Kyle Beckerman (C), Luke Mulholland (Sebastian Saucedo – 82’), Javier Morales (Jordan Allen – 41’); Luis Gil, Alvaro Saborio, Olmes Garcia (Devon Sandoval – 63’).
Substitutes not used: Jeff Attinella, Aaron Maund, Pecka, Demar Phillips.
San Jose Earthquakes (4-3-3): David Bingham; Marvell Wynne, Victor Bernardez, Clarence Goodson, Cordell Cato; Chris Wondolowski, Fatai Alashe, Matias Perez Garcia (JJ Koval – 85’); Sanna Nyassi (Tommy Thompson – 75’), Innocent Emeghara (Adam Jahn – 57’), Shea Salinas.
Substitutes not used: Bryan Meredith, Leandro Barrera, Paulo Renato, Jordan Stewart.
Referee: Sorin Stoica
Assistant Referees: Ian Anderson, Anthony Vasoli
4th Official: Younes Marrakchi
Attendance: 19,715
Weather: Partly cloudy and 70
