Real Salt Lake extends unbeaten streak to 10

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. — An extended unbeaten streak doesn't sustain itself without eventually getting some breaks. Real Salt Lake had a little luck on its side in a rematch of the 2009 MLS Eastern Conference final on Thursday night at Chicago.

Real survived two shots off the post by the Fire in the second half to push its unbeaten streak to 10 games in a 1-0 win before 17,847 fans at a warm and humid Toyota Park. It was RSL's first regular-season victory at the stadium.

Forward Robbie Findley, in his second game back from the World Cup, scored the lone goal of the match in the 40th minute of the first half on a penalty kick.

"I'm really just so proud of our guys tonight,"? Real coach Jason Kreis said. "We have guys who are not feeling well with the humid conditions. I felt like the second half we battled, and we showed that we can do that. We've been a team that through the majority of the season has played pretty soccer and hasn't really had to battle through things."

The victory gave RSL a 9-3-3 record, good for 30 points, just six behind the Los Angeles Galaxy, in second place in the Western Conference. Real is 8-0-2 during the stretch of success, a franchise record.

Goalkeeper Nick Rimando posted his fifth straight shutout, and seventh of the season. He extended his all-time record scoreless streak to 498 minutes, but not without a little luck as Chicago's Steve Kinney headed two balls off the post in the second half.

The Fire also had 10 corner kicks to RSL's one.

Findley, who notched his third goal of the season and has scored in three consecutive games, put RSL on the board before halftime. Findley, who was fouled by Fire defender C.J. Brown in the penalty area, slotted the ball past Chicago goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra in the right side of the net. Dykstra guessed wrong, diving to the other side.

In last year's conference final Findley converted one of the team's penalties in the shootout by aiming to the middle-left side of the goal. This time he changed.

"I've taken them before and I felt confident stepping up to the spot," Findley said of his penalty kick. "As I was setting up I heard some of their teammates calling the goalkeeper's name and I figured they were telling him where I went last year, so I switched."

Findley nearly scored two minutes earlier, when he hit the right post with a shot. In the 36th minute, RSL midfielder Andy Williams drove a long shot on the Fire goal, saved by Dykstra.

Early in the second half, the Fire (4-5-5) threatened when a corner kick by midfielder Mike Banner was headed off the right post by Kinney in the 48th minute. After a direct kick by the Fire's Marco Pappa was blocked by the RSL wall, another header by Kinney from a corner kick went off the left post.

"How many posts can you hit?"Kreis asked. "I think it was a fortunate night for us. At the beginning of the season we were begging for a bounce. Now we're getting a few."

Kinney tried yet again to put one in the net, this time in the 71st minute. Kinney's shot from the right side nearly slid past Rimando. But Rimando found the ball in time to grab it for the save.

RSL improved its road record to 3-3-1 and hasn't lost since a 1-0 defeat at Columbus on April 24.