The New York Red Bulls might have backed into the playoffs, but they sauntered into the first MLS Cup Final in club history, defeating host Real Salt Lake 1-0 in the Western Conference Championship at a sold-out Rio Tinto Stadium Saturday night.
The Red Bulls will face the Columbus Crew in next Sunday's MLS Cup 2008 at The Home Depot Center. Neither team has ever won the MLS Cup -- much less played in the league's championship match.
Dave van den Bergh scored the game's lone goal, tapping in a John Wolyniec cross that deflected off Nick Rimando's hand in the 28th minute. The Dutch midfielder actually started the play, springing Wolyniec down the left side.
RSL defender Jamison Olave mistimed his slide tackle and Wolyniec ran free down the left sideline, sending in a cross at the edge of the six-yard box. Van den Bergh completed his long run by scoring at the far post.
Real Salt Lake battered the Red Bulls defense over the final hour, getting 19 of their 24 total shots in that span, forcing New York goalkeeper Danny Cepero into four of his seven saves, and hitting the woodwork on three separate occasions. But RSL just couldn't find a way to get the ball to the back of the net.
Red Bulls boss Juan Carlos Osorio made one change to his starting XI that played both legs against the Houston Dynamo, starting Carlos Mendes in the center of defense for Andrew Boyens, who suffered a fractured forearm late in the second leg against Houston last Sunday.
Sinisa Ubiparipovic passed a late fitness test after sustaining a left hamstring strain in training Friday, but was substituted after 23 minutes as Venezuelan international Jorge Rojas came on.
Real Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis didn't make a change from the side that defeated Chivas USA last weekend.
The hosts pressed from the opening kickoff and had a scoring chance in the third minute, as Movsisyan got around Mendes and crossed the ball in front to Clint Mathis, whose shot was blocked by a Red Bulls defender.
Four minutes later, Kevin Goldthwaite played Wolyniec behind the Real Salt Lake defense and the veteran striker, who scored the final goal against Houston last Sunday, unleashed a shot from eight yards out that Rimando parried away for a corner kick.
In the 24th minute, Movsisiyan had time and space near the left corner of the 18-yard box, but his well-struck shot from 16 yards out was saved by Cepero, who dived to his right to knock it out for a corner kick.
The Red Bulls plan was clearly to make it as difficult as possible on RSL playmaker Javier Morales, who was chopped down by Mendes in the 37th minute. Morales played the ensuing free kick off the far post, just missing Mathis, who made a diagonal run.
In the 45th minute, Kevin Goldthwaite was the first in referee Jair Marrufo's book for fouling Morales from behind.
Real Salt Lake pressed for the equalizer for the entire second half and New York's defense bent, but didn't break.
RSL nearly had the equalizer in the 56th minute, but Cepero made an acrobatic save on a shot by Robbie Russell. Ten minutes later, Olave found himself open in front of goal after a nice passing sequence, but he fired well over the bar from 12 yards out.
Dane Richards could have sealed the win in the 69th minute when he motored into the box alone on a perfect through ball by Rojas. But his touch escaped him and the speedy Jamaican fired wide of the near post.
Two minutes later Movsisyan raced past Mendes and had an open shot inside the box, but Cepero did well to come off his line and get a piece of the shot.
In the 79th minute Movsisiyan found himself open in front, but he hammered a first-time shot over the bar. Two minutes later, Will Johnson had a golden chance to tie the match, staring at an open net after Cepero came out to challenge an attempt by subsitute Robbie Findley. But Johnson put the ball off the post.
In the 84th minute, Nat Borchers joined the attack and headed just wide. A foul by New York substitute Juan Pietravallo set up Morales for a free kick from 22 yards out, but his attempt deflected off the wall.
The final chance of the game came to Morales, who tapped the ball off the post in the waning moments of stoppage time. And remarkably, a Red Bulls team that advanced to the postseason on the final day of the regular season will be playing in the MLS Cup Final.
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
