RSL erupts for 6 2nd-half goals

SANDY — It might've been the most beautiful half of soccer in MLS history. Yet even that declaration might not do justice to how impressive Real Salt Lake was in the second half at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday night.

All six of RSL's goals in the 6-0 thrashing over New England were scored in the second half, and all six were something special. A few were even goal-of-the-year material.

"It's very rare in a professional soccer player's life that you can be a part of a match like that where really almost everything that happened tonight was flawless for our team. It just doesn't happen enough," said RSL coach Jason Kreis. "That was awesome, it was fun to be a part of."

The six goals was a new franchise record for RSL, as was its 29 shots. The six goals also equaled a league record goals in one half.

A banged-up New England team was likely always going to struggle against one of the most confident home teams in the league, but nobody could've envision the floodgates opening quite the way they did following Jamison Olave's goal in the 53rd minute. Over the next 35 minutes Clint Mathis, Yura Movsisyan, Luis Miguel Escalada, Andy Williams and Robbie Findley all scored fantastic goals on a perfect night for the 14,051 fans in attendance.

None was better than Mathis' outside-of-the-left-foot volley on a Javier Morales corner kick. The swerving, dipping shot sailed just over the head of the New England defender hugging the near post and just under the crossbar.

Kreis called it a wonder strike, even though a humble Mathis downplayed it unnecessarily.

"It's an easy strike after you look it. I just got a good connection on it and hit it well and the ball did the rest of the work," said Mathis.

Last year RSL midfielder Will Johnson's goal against FC Dallas was named MLS Goal of the Year, and Mathis is one of the early leaders in the clubhouse for this year's award after Saturday's bomb.

The build-up to the breakaway finishes by Movsisyan, Escalada and Findley was fantastic, and Williams' dipping free kick over stunned keeper Brad Knighton in the 85th minute was stunning in its own right.

Movsisyan said he had a hunch today would be the day he finally scored after finding out earlier in the day that his wife Marianna is pregnant with their first child.

With the victory Salt Lake improved to 3-2-0, but its home record now stands at 3-0 with 12 goals scored and just two goals against.

Much of the success Saturday night was the result of a tactical adjustment. Most of the season Kreis admits that RSL has been trying to break down defenses by playing the ball in behind. Against New England it was all about the passing.

"I think we're a very good passing team, we can solve problems that are placed in front of us by passing ourselves of it. And I think that was the difference for us tonight," said Kreis.

Only Williams' free kick goal was unassisted.

As much fun as the players had, Johnson said it wasn't quite flawless.

"It was still 0-0 at halftime. I don't think they adjusted well to our formation, and when we get the ball in the midfield like that and can possess the ball against teams it opens up space for ... all of our creative players, and when they have time and space on the ball that we can give them through possession you see what they can do and it's unbelievable," said Johnson.

RSL returns to the field this Tuesday in a U.S. Open Cup qualifying match at Seattle, and then jumps back into league play Saturday in Colorado.