When Real Salt Lake left the field following a 0-0 draw with Kansas City on Saturday night, they couldn't help feeling a sense of incompleteness.
RSL did several things right on both sides of the ball. The offense created plenty of scoring chances and the defense kept the Wizards pinned in their half for much of the evening.
But none of it added up to a third consecutive victory at Rice-Eccles Stadium after RSL failed to finish what it started on offense.
"We had our chances," goalkeeper Nick Rimando said. "It was one of those games where the ball didn't want to go in."
RSL had 12 shots and seven shots on goal in the first half alone, but struggled to finish and create any truly stellar scoring chances in the final third.
With how they attacked over the final minutes of the half, it looked like Real would find a way to get on the board sooner or later. But shot after shot ended up off frame or in the hands of 'keeper Kevin Hartman.
Hartman came up with a couple of huge plays in the first half in particular. In the 23rd minute, Kenny Deuchar jumped up and snagged a ball out of the air and laid it off to Kyle Beckerman on the left side. Beckerman had an open channel from about 28 yards out and let it fly, but the ball landed square in the waiting hands of Hartman.
The two reversed roles in the 28th minute. Beckerman threaded the needle between a pair of defenders in an attempt to get it ahead to Deuchar on the run. Hartman anticipated the hook-up, however and slid in front of the ball, clearing it away before Deuchar could get to it.
"From the 25th to 45th minute we were all over them and all we need is a goal and we don't get the goal. I know that the guys are a little frustrated, but it's hard to maintain that kind of tempo for the entire match," said RSL head coach Jason Kreis. "But I really feel that when we've got a team back against the wall a little bit, we've got to figure out a way to put them down."
The finishing problems did not improve for RSL in the second half. Morales took a free kick in the 49th minute and threaded it to Dema Kovalenko up top. Kovalenko rifled the ball at the center of the goal, but could not get his shot past Hartman's hand.
RSL's last gasp offensively came on a pair of missed opportunities from Beckerman in the 75th and 79th minute. Sequences like those felt frustrating because RSL was not allowing Kansas City to create much of an attack of its own.
"We did everything right except for put the ball away," Beckerman said.
Despite the scoreless outcome, Kreis feels like his team played some of its best soccer of the season so far.
"The only thing you can shake your head about or scratch your head about is the final touch," Kreis said. "If that was there I think we would've had quite a few goals tonight."
It never truly felt like the Wizards were much of a threat to score after the first 10 minutes of the match, largely because Real did an excellent job of pushing the attack and dictating tempo. Kreis said that his players were the aggressors the entire night, but just could not figure out to put the hammer down.
"I've stressed time and time again, we've been on top of teams and if we don't take our goals, then we make it difficult for ourselves," he said.
Putting the draw behind them is of major importance as Real hit the road to take on Chivas USA next weekend. The team feels good about keeping a shutout against Kansas City, but understands things will get harder before they get easier.
"For us, every game is tough," midfielder Dema Kovalenko said. "We're not 10 points ahead of everybody. Every game is difficult. You can see in the (conference) how tight it is. Every week is important."
John Coon is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
