SANDY — It was only fitting the hero for Real Salt Lake in its 2-0 win was Andy Williams.

With the team's playoffs hopes slipping away with the two teams scoreless through 79 minutes, Williams, who entered as a substitute in the 63rd minute, scored on a left-foot volley on a cross from Robbie Findley for what could turn out to be one of the biggest goals of the season.

"Andy has had his share of difficulties the last two years and has been sort of an emotional lighting rod for this team," said coach Jason Kreis. "I know that he has felt pretty disappointed because he hasn't got as much playing time this year as he really would have liked. So obviously it is fantastic to see Andy coming in and being a factor in that match, playing so well and then scoring the winning goal it's fantastic."

The lone original team member remaining from RSL's expansion season — Clint Mathis was also a member of the original team but spent a couple of season away from the club — Williams has endured every minute of the ups-and-downs of the team's five seasons. He has also gone through more personal trials this season than any human deserves.

Williams' wife Marcia has suffered through a rare from of leukemia. After many months of an agonizing search for a bone marrow match and donor, she opted for a core blood transplant in late July — a revolutionary new option for those that can't find a match for a bone marrow transplant. The results have been so far so good as Marcia has been on the right track. Williams spent a couple of months away from his wife while she was recovering, but she returned to Salt Lake Sept. 30.

"It has been awesome," said Williams of having his wife back in town. "It has been four months and she came home just last week and it's been some sort of normalcy back in my life."

Besides being as deserving a candidate for a game-winning goal as anyone could find, Williams had a premonition that he might find the back of the net. On his Facebook page he posted earlier in the day: "ESPN2 tonight following the USA game. Don't miss it, I'm scoring tonight."

"I've done it before and it has never worked, but I just had a feeling today," said Williams of the online prediction.

Besides Williams feeling of good-to-come, Kreis followed his gut and inserted Williams just in time.

"I felt we were playing really well up to that point, but we needed just a little bit of an extra spark," said coach Jason Kreis. "Fresh legs at that point and I think Andy Williams was exactly what the game needed. He got on the ball quite often, was pulling off plays and putting good service into the box."

The 11-year MLS veteran had plenty of reasons to feel good Wednesday night, but he kept things in perspective.

"It's night-and-day," he said when comparing scoring the goal to having his personal life returning to normal. "The important thing was that we won."

e-mail: mblack@desnews.com