Real benefits from questionable goal call

They say it all evens out in the end.

The last time Real Salt Lake played Houston, refereeing decisions went decisively against RSL during a 2-1 loss. Afterward, coach John Ellinger blamed the defeat on referee Ben Jones and was subsequently suspended for one game by MLS.

This time, it was a completely different story. Playing against Houston on Saturday evening, Real benefited from a dubious refereeing decision during its 3-1 win.

Winger Chris Klein was awarded a goal late in the first half — even though his superb effort didn't appear to cross the line. However, considering how many times breaks have gone against the team during its brief history, RSL was hardly apologetic afterward.

"Obviously," said Ellinger, "we'll take it."

The key moment came in the second minute of first-half stoppage time. After a corner kick broke down, the ball was eventually played to Klein at the top of the 18-yard box. He looked up and lashed a brilliant shot toward goal. It easily beat Houston 'keeper Pat Onstad but crashed off the underside of the cross bar before bouncing straight down and out.

However, assistant referee Emiliiano Monje, who was standing roughly 10 yards from the corner flag, ruled that the ball had completely crossed the line and gave Klein the goal. Assistant referees are instructed to not give a goal unless they are certain it completely crossed the line, and the assistant's position made the decision even more curious.

Asked about his "goal" afterward, Klein laughed and jokingly said, "No comment."

Salt Lake has seen many other curious refereeing decisions and other bad breaks go against the side throughout its year and a half of existence, but those breaks seem to be finally turning around.

"We don't feel bad. Whether it was in or not, I don't know," said Klein. "But we'll take it. At some point, you have to get some breaks. We knew at some point they'd start to turn our way, and we got a few tonight and I thought we created them."

Klein's goal, his third in three games, and what followed came in stark contrast to RSL's last match against Houston. That time, Real had an Atiba Harris goal disallowed for offside — though replays showed it clearly wasn't — and the referee appeared to change his mind about sending a Houston player off for a second yellow.

"I kind of thought about that as it happened," Ellinger said of the disallowed goal earlier in the season. "I was saying to the fourth official, he says, 'You don't owe them anything in the second half.' ...We've been on the other side of that coin a number of times in the past, so for us it's a positive sign that we're moving in the right direction."

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