Coming into Wednesday's rematch against fellow expansion outfit Chivas USA, Real Salt Lake knew taking the three points could be a difficult target despite being at home.
Striker Jason Kreis -- the league's all-time leading scorer and RSL's leading scorer with four goals -- was suspended for yellow card accumulation, and and the Trinidad and Tobago duo of Tiger Fitzpatrick and Marlon Rojas was away on national team duty.
"We are going to have to have players step up," RSL coach John Ellinger said. "We have the talent, but someone is going to have to step up their game."
Stepping up to meet their coaches challenge was the Colorado connection, with two former Rapids getting their first starts for RSL, on the way to a convincing 2-0 victory against Chivas on Wednesday night. Jordan Cila got the starting nod with Kreis out and Seth Trembly started in the absence of Fitzpatrick.
Cila and Trembly had played seven and six minutes for RSL respectively coming into the match, but proved more than ample substitutes. But the crowning moment came when Cila took the ball deep into the corner before crossing it in to a streaking Trembly for Real's second goal in a two-minute span late in the first half.
"I know Jordan and the style he likes to play," Trembly said. "I knew he could play a nice ball in, so I just bee-lined it in."
And when Trembly hit the top of the six-yard box, so did Cila's cross. The timing on the play showed the years of experience the two have together dating back not only to Colorado last season, but their time with the U.S. under-17 national team. Trembly put the perfectly-timed cross past Chivas keeper Brad Guzan to give RSL the two-goal advantage.
"We have been playing together for eight years," Cila said. "That goal was one of those things you can only get by playing together."
Although it was a nice goal, Trembly and Cila both admitted that it didn't go quite the way they had planned it.
"That is something we have been doing since the 17s and Colorado. The difference is that Jordan (Cila) usually plays it in to me," Trembly said.
"Before the game we talked about (Trembly) playing it in to me," added Cila. "But we switched roles I guess."
And the goal capped on a fine reaction to Real's loss to their expansion brethren 10 days ago, the only goal in the loss at The Home Depot Center coming on a disputed penalty kick.
"I was very pleased with our first half performance," Ellinger said. "I can't say enough about Seth Trembly's great effort and great goal. That is what he does."
David Hale is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
