The Rocky Mountain Cup is again going to Real Salt Lake, as they secured a late 2-0 win over the Colorado Rapids on Saturday night at Rio Tinto Stadium as part of Heineken Rivalry Week.
The game flipped on its head in the 89th minute, when head referee Ted Unkel showed a straight red card to Rapids’ striker Kei Kamara for a challenge on RSL right back Brooks Lennon.
That gave the home side a spark, and the eventual game-winner came in the 96th minute via Joao Plata. The Ecuadorian winger created a penalty kick, then deposited from the spot just underneath a sprawling Tim Howard.
Then in the 99th minute, RSL made it 2-0 via Jefferson Savarino. Sitting atop the six-yard box, the Venezuelan smashed home a cutback from Albert Rusnak.
The scoreline was a tad misleading for the night overall, as Colorado controlled large portions of the match. That was most evident in the 27th minute, as RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando pulled off a stunning double-save that somehow kept the ball from crossing the line. Rimando finished with five saves, while RSL didn’t attempt a shot on target until the 65th minute.
In another twist on a wild evening, RSL thought their game-winner had arrived in the 91st minute via Damir Kreilach. However, Video Review judged that Savarino was offside before crossing to the back post, where the Croatian finished.
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Goals
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: Colorado dropped both games in the Rocky Mountain Cup this year by a combined 5-2 scoreline, and this loss makes it three games without a win for Conor Casey’s bunch. They’re surely heading home frustrated, because this one went from a hard-earned point to chaos in the blink of an eye. Meanwhile, RSL are now 5-1-2 in their last eight games and keep on making moves in the Western Conference playoff race. It wasn’t pretty, but they don’t all have to be.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: The Kei Kamara red card was the ignition switch this game needed, but the highlight-reel moment was Nick Rimando’s double-save. Even at 40 and in his final MLS season, Rimando keeps on pulling off the spectacular.
- MAN OF THE MATCH. Joao Plata gets the nod here for the game-winner, which marked his first goal in a year. His last strike came on Aug. 25, 2018 against, you guessed it, Colorado. He’s made headlines in 2019 for transfer rumors, but now makes one for his on-field performance.
Next Up
- RSL: Saturday, Aug. 31 at Portland Timbers (10:30 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US, on DAZN in Canada)
- COL: Saturday, Aug. 31 at New York Red Bulls (7 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US, on DAZN in Canada)
