Real Salt Lake had a penchant for the dramatic with its scoring in 2015. Although the Claret-and-Cobalt finished 19th out of 20 MLS teams in scoring, four of the club’s 38 goals landed in the 64-goal bracket to determine the 2015 MLS Goal of the Year.
Let’s take a look at the nominees.
Javier Morales, April 5, @ San Jose Earthquakes
First is an Easter surprise from RSL playmaker Javier Morales. The Argentine standout has shown considerable skill on set pieces throughout his career, but this goal took that skill to a new level. Morales struck the 44th minute free kick toward San Jose’s goal, but it hit hard off the Earthquakes wall. The rebound, however, came right back to him and Morales unfurled a beauty of a side-winding volley that hit off the bottom of the crossbar and in for what proved to be the game-winning goal at Avaya Stadium.
Olmes Garcia, June 27, vs. Columbus Crew SC
This was another piece of dead-ball wizardry, but this time Morales wasn’t involved. Against the Crew, RSL had a deep free kick and found it to be the perfect time to run something they had tried a few times in training. It appeared to run to perfection, even if players and coaches would say later that it took some improvisation for the final ball to find the net. Luke Mulholland played the initial ball to Kyle Beckerman with his back to the goal at the edge of the 18. With one touch, he played Joao Plata in up the right side and the forward headed it across the goalmouth to Olmes Garcia for a volley into the opened net for a tremendous score that brought an eruption from the crowd at Rio Tinto Stadium.
Devon Sandoval, May 16, @ Montreal Impact
The shot/cross debate will rage on despite no RSL players being at the far post, but Devon Sandoval’s unbelievable strike against the Montreal Impact was a thing of beauty. Late in a match that RSL was trailing, Luis Gil carried the ball into the box up the right side. It spilled to Sandoval at the outer edge of the box and he curled a left-footed shot inside the far post and in for one of the more jaw-dropping goals of the year at Saputo Stadium.
Javier Morales, July 18, vs. Houston Dynamo
Rare is the instant that when Javier Morales is presented with several options in the attack that he will choose to send a shot on goal. However, in July against the Houston Dynamo he did just that. Jordan Allen intercepted a pass in Houston’s end and played it to Plata. He touched it through to Morales on the bounce and in an instant, Morales picked up his head, surveyed the area and let the ball bounce a second time before rifling a half-volley past the unsuspecting Dynamo defense and into the net for a breathtaking goal at Rio Tinto Stadium.
Those are RSL’s four nominees in the 64-goal field. Vote now through Friday at 10:55 p.m. MT to send the Claret-and-Cobalt through to the next round here.
