Real Salt Lake: Draw is lost opportunity

SANDY — In its latest most important match of the season, Real Salt Lake's spirited second-half effort Saturday night just wasn't good enough.

Against the best road team in Major League Soccer, it needed to be better for more than 45 minutes. A pair of ankle sprains and suspensions definitely played a part in RSL's dismal first-half possession, but those were circumstances it desperately needed to overcome yet couldn't in settling for a 1-1 draw against Chicago in front of 17,615 fans at Rio Tinto Stadium.

"I'm disappointed with one point, because I know at home we should win and the opportunities were there even in the second half to finish off that game and win," said RSL coach Jason Kreis. "It's not the end of the line; it's not the end of the season; what it means is we're going to have to pick up a few more points on the road than we thought we might have to."

Until Saturday night, that wasn't necessarily the case.

With its critical win at Kansas City two weeks ago, RSL seemed poised for an MLS playoff berth assuming it won its final three home games. For a team with a 7-1-4 record at home such a scenario wasn't out of the question. It is now, though.

RSL likely needs nine or 10 points in its final five matches to secure a playoff berth, and three of those matches are on the road, including next weekend in Houston.

"Every time we have a home match, we feel we can win and outplay the other team, but at the same time this might be the point that gets us over the top and into the playoffs," said Chris Wingert. "Obviously it can't be the last point; we have to get a win on the road."

As disappointed as the players are not to win, they know it could've been worse. Clint Mathis' ankle sprain in the ninth minute sent RSL into a funk, and rookie Jean Alexandre wasn't necessarily the answer. The team struggled to possess the ball in the first half and Chicago capitalized with the bulk of the play and a goal late in the half.

Chris Rolfe put Chicago ahead 1-0 on a wonderful goal in the 44th minute. Sandwiched between a pair of RSL defenders, Rolfe chested down a Marco Pappas cross and quickly volleyed the shot past a diving Nick Rimando.

Emergency substitute Alexandre wasn't the only player who struggled with possession in the first half, but it's something the team quickly fixed in the second half.

"Just a lot more movement, we played the ball a lot quicker," said Andy Williams. "I think everyone was fumbling the ball up a little bit too much in the first half, but we kind of cleaned it up in the second half."

The insertion of Yura Movsisyan in place of Pablo Campos at halftime helped, as did Javier Morales coming on for Alexandre in the 62nd minute. Kreis acknowledged he wanted to insert Morales sooner, but his ankle injury just didn't allow it.

RSL finally got the breakthrough it needed in the 72nd minute on a scintillating goal from Jamison Olave, who calmly volleyed in a 60-yard centering ball from Williams, who called his pass a "Hail Mary" in honor of college football season.

With the score level at 1-1, the team continued pushing forward and dictating the pace, ultimately outshooting Chicago 12-6 in the second half and 18-13 for the game. RSL was unlucky not to go ahead in stoppage time as Movsisyan cracked a shot off the left post and Olave had a header smothered by Chicago diving keeper Jon Busch.

A goal from either could've kept RSL on pace for the playoffs, but now the team is in a pretty desperate position.

e-mail: jedward@desnews.com