Fasting Ballouchy feasts on Houston defense, gives RSL hope

Mehdi Ballouchy has made quite an impact in his first season with Real Salt Lake. The native of Morocco is a candidate for MLS Rookie of the Year, and his play has been a major reason why RSL is still in the hunt for a playoff berth.

For much of the time, his statistics have not measured up to how big an impact he has had. But Saturday night, it was his goal that kept the playoff dream alive. His tally was the lone goal for Real as it settled for a 1-1 draw with Houston on Saturday night at Rice-Eccles Stadium. He scored a right-foot blast from 20 yards in the 60th minute, just three minutes after he entered the game as a substitute.

"I saw Jeff Cunningham behind me," Ballouchy said. "The ball was played to me, and I dummied it to him and spun off and it was played back to me. I took a shot and it went in."

Ballouchy was humble in describing how brilliant the strike was, but it was not the only thing the talented midfielder was trying to downplay. One of the reasons why Ballouchy only entered as a substitute in the 57th minute is that he is not physically able to play the full 90 minutes.

He is in the middle of the Muslim fast of Ramadan. What it means to Ballouchy is that since Sept. 23 and until October 24, he does not eat or drink anything from sunrise until after sunset. It is hard enough to stay fit to play a Major League Soccer game when getting proper nutrition, but without it, it is pretty amazing what Ballouchy is able to accomplish.

"He's not 100 percent, no question about it," said coach John Ellinger. "That's why with 30-35 minutes we give him, we feel comfortable while he is doing his thing."

The goal for Ballouchy was only his second of the season and his first since Game 8 back on May 20 against Kansas City. After a dismal first half for RSL, the score gave the team a boost, something to get it going to try to get the three points to draw even with Colorado in the standings.

"It was a great spark he gave us, a great goal," said Ellinger. "I've been trying to encourage him to shoot."

Ballouchy acknowledged his coach has been asking for more offensive shots from him but that he is happy simply to get on the field and contribute in any way possible.

"If I can play the 30 or 35 minutes, I just try to go out and try my hardest both on offense and defense. I sometimes have to push up to try to set things up, but I also know that if a couple of midfielders get behind me, I have to get back and do the job defensively."

No one will be able to determine his exact value. Whether he is 100 percent or not, if he can play the entire game or only in shorter spurts, one thing is certain — his goal gave RSL a reason to keep playing this season, and Real is a better team with Ballouchy as a member.

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E-mail: mblack@desnews.com