Real Salt Lake: Finally streaking RSL wins ugly

SANDY — There was nothing easy about Real Salt Lake's 2-1 win over D.C. United on Saturday night, which is why the players took so much satisfaction afterward.

RSL was forced to fight for 90 minutes against a quality opponent in sloppy conditions, but somehow the players found a way to get the job done even when a draw or even a loss seemed inevitable.

"Maybe in the past few years we might've found a way to lose this game or tie this game, but we're a different team now," said RSL striker Yura Movsisyan. "Now we know what it takes to win games."

In the process, RSL finally secured the modest two-game winning streak that eluded the club all of last season. Coach Jason Kreis said afterward the team was hungry for three straight wins, but that won't be easy against New York, a team it's never beat.

If Real Salt Lake plays with the same resilience and persistence it did against D.C. United it might have a chance.

Two minutes after D.C. United opened the scoring late in the first half RSL equalized, but even more impressive was a relentless attack in the second half which finally produced the game winner from Javier Morales in the 80th minute.

Robbie Findley set up the winner with a cheeky back heel to Morales, who calmly buried the shot past diving keeper Louis Crayton.

"It was ugly. I think last year we would've tied that game. But we're learning. We're learning how to win games," Findley said.

And that's what made the win so satisfying. Unlike last week when Columbus' keeper basically gift-wrapped the victory, D.C. United made RSL earn it on a damp night at Rio Tinto Stadium in front of 11,793 fans.

RSL has now won four straight at home against D.C. United, and two straight league games for the first time since August of 2007.

"That's what good teams do, they put together some win streaks and next thing you know you're putting yourselves in a good position to make a run at the playoffs, and that's obviously the goal right now," said defender Chris Wingert.

RSL (2-1-0) now has six points in the standings, its most points after three games in franchise history. As for D.C. United (1-1-2), its modest three-game unbeaten streak to open the season is over.

The visitors seemed poised for a result for most of the match, particularly in the 38th minute when Luciano Emilio calmly headed home the game's first goal in the 38th minute.

D.C. United strung four tight passes together around the edge of the penalty area before midfielder Fred sent a dangerous ball to Emilio, who stepped in front of defender Nat Borchers and finished with a shot from 6 yards out.

Real Salt Lake's response came quickly. Two minutes after falling behind, Jamison Olave equalized by heading home a wonderfully struck cross from Will Johnson.

Having squandered the lead, D.C. United seemed content to play for a draw throughout the second half. RSL had several opportunities to put away a winner, including Kyle Beckerman's shot off the crossbar and Movsisyan's dangerous header that was saved by Crayton, but Morales finally eased the impending pressure with his goal in the 80th minute.

"I had a coach tell me before it was the very best teams who could win ugly, and I guess that makes us one of the very best teams because that was pretty ugly," Kreis said.

RSL outshot D.C. United 15-6 in a game that featured three yellow cards apiece.

Email: jedward@desnews.com