RSL fails to learn from its mistakes

Mistakes have absolutely killed Real Salt Lake this year, and Sunday night's loss to the Galaxy was no different.

Defender Danny Torres' blunder on a fourth-minute back pass to keeper Nick Rimando led directly to Nate Jaqua's early tally in a match RSL dropped 3-2.

The hiccup marked the sixth time in 11 games that a mistake by either RSL's goalkeeper or defenders led to a very ill-timed goal, typically very early or very late in a match.

Mistakes are inevitable in soccer, it's how a lot of goals are scored in the first place, but RSL is suffering from more than their fair share. They've cost the team wins and points in the standings, and there's absolutely no hope of Real climbing back into the playoff picture unless it starts minimizing those lapses.

Torres, Rimando and Jack Stewart have been the three primary culprits of the various well-publicized miscues.

Sunday's giveaway by Torres was the second time this year the native Costa Rican has made such a costly mistake. In the fourth game of the year, ironically enough John Ellinger's last before being fired as Real Salt Lake head coach, Torres misplayed a ball in the box and Colorado's Roberto Brown capitalized with the game's first goal in the 71st minute. The Rapids tacked on another goal four minutes later to win 2-0.

It was RSL's third critical mistake in four matches, and it contributed to Ellinger losing his job.

Real's various slip-ups began popping up in Week 1 when FC Dallas capitalized on miscommunication between Stewart and Rimando and thus bagged an unlikely equalizer in stoppage time to earn a 2-2 at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

After a scoreless draw in Week 2 against Columbus, Rimando was again the goat in Week 3 after a poor decision to come way off his line enabled Chivas USA to score the game's first goal less than 30 seconds after kickoff. RSL ultimately lost that match 4-0.

Outside of an unlucky own goal by Stewart during a May 10 visit to Colorado, Real appeared to have its penchant for mistakes under control, but they reared their ugly head again this past week. It all began with FC Dallas again.

In the final minute of stoppage time Thursday, RSL was caught flat-footed on a Dallas goal kick that enabled striker Dominic Oduro to blow past Stewart and bury the game's only goal for the 1-0 triumph.

With Stewart watching Sunday's game from the bench in favor of Torres, his replacement didn't fare much better.

Despite the mistakes, there's never been finger pointing, and the players insist that camaraderie will help the club get through these dismal times.

"We've got a group of guys that work for each other, and we're not going to allow this thing to get away," said midfielder Chris Klein. "One of these days we're going to put a full game together and it's going to be a win for us."

RSL's next opportunity is this Saturday at home against red-hot D.C. United.

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E-mail: jedward@desnews.com