Espindola leads RSL past Rapids

Forward scores twice in Real's shutout win over rivals

Fabian Espindola (left) scored two goals in his return to the Real Salt Lake starting 11. (AP Photos)

Fabian Espindola scored a pair of goals to lead RSL to a much-needed 2-0 home victory at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Friday night. The win snapped a two-match losing streak and kept Real from falling further behind first-place Houston in the Western Conference Stadium.

Espindola made his return to the starting eleven for the first time since the end of May. The energetic forward immediately went to work doing everything he could to pick apart Colorado's defense.

Espindola had a nice volley in the 11th minute, which ended up being parried away by Rapids 'keeper Preston Burpo. He looked to create another shot on a breakway down the far sideline two minutes later. Once again, Burpo was there to poke away the ball - the result of which sent Espindola flailing toward the side netting.

In his eagerness to make a play, Espindola nearly made one for the wrong team. When Herculez Gomez swung a free kick into the box in the 19th minute, Espindola inadvertently deflected the ball toward his own goal and forced Nick Rimando to make a diving save to keep Colorado off the scoreboard.

Espindola set things right with his goal in the 23rd minute. He settled a cross deep into the penalty area from Andy Williams and fired a crisp shot that easily found the back of the net and put RSL up 1-0.

The Rapids did not have much success generating offense on the other end. A Real defense that had become porous in its last pair of road matches clamped down on Colorado early. Colin Clark looked to have one of the better scoring chances in the 14th minute when he broke through the RSL backline. Clark got off a touch that went nowhere. Rimando came out of the net and easily blocked it away.

RSL's first serious chance to build on its lead came up short. Williams rifled a pass down to Kenny Deuchar in the penalty area in the 38th minute. Deuchar one-touched it out of frame, sending the ball skipping just wide of the far post.

Another chance in the 53rd was snuffed out by a penalty. Recent RSL signee Will Johnson - making his debut against the Rapids - rifled a perfect ball into Burpo, who deflected the shot back out into the area. The ball rebounded to Espindola and he angled a shot over Burpo's head and down the back of the net to seemingly give RSL a two-goal lead.

But that goal was immediately waved off by the referee when Espindola was ruled offside during the play - denying him a potential hat trick in the process.

He would not be denied in the 59th minute however. Javier Morales uncorked a 60-yard bomb as Espindola raced downfield. Espindola caught up to it perfectly in stride and easily chipped the ball over Burpo's shoulder and into the net to make it a 2-0 RSL lead.

Colorado tried to answer without success in the later stages of the second half. Omar Cummings uncorked a solid header, in the 73rd minute, after the ball bounced around a little bit following a corner kick. But Rimando did not let even the threat of a goal linger, ripping the ball out of the air as it began its descent into the net.

Cummings made a second try with another header in the 75th minute. But this shot was not as sure as the first and sailed just inches over the crossbar.

John Coon is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.

• Facebook
• Supporter Comments
• Email
• Print

MLSnet.com Comments

• 

  Number of Originals dwindles to one

• 

  Davis: Kreis still has answers for RSL

• 

  Olsen adjusts to 'a whole new animal'

• 

  MLS supports UNICEF's efforts in Haiti