Real Salt Lake: Playoff hopes alive with 2-0 victory over Red Bulls

SANDY — Real Salt Lake survived to fight another day.

It was a nerve-wracking match that tested the intestinal fortitude of everyone at Rio Tinto Stadium, but against an opponent content to pack it in for 90 minutes, RSL finally found its way late in the game and pulled away for a 2-0 win over long-time nemesis New York.

"It means were still alive," said relieved coach Jason Kreis. "Saturday (at Toronto) is another one off, another cup final for Real Salt Lake."

It was Real Salt Lake's first victory in 11 tries against the Red Bulls but, more importantly, it kept its playoff hopes alive with two matches remaining.

Minute by minute throughout Wednesday's match with New York, that hope seemed to be fading away.

Just like it did in last year's conference final loss to New York, RSL dominated possession and peppered the visitors with shots. And just like that 1-0 setback to end last season, it didn't seem like anything was ever going to find the back of the net.

"All I kept thinking was deja vu. I thought is this going to be another game where there's chance after chance after chance and we're in their half the entire second half and we don't walk out of here with three points," said Kreis. "It was good to see it different this year."

That deja vu only lasted 80 minutes. Just 10 minutes from a final whistle that would've effectively ended RSL's playoff hopes, second-half subsitute Andy Williams crashed the net on a Robbie Findley cross and buried the shot for the 1-0 lead — sending the 16,247 fans into hysterics.

Realistically, Real Salt Lake was inches away from falling behind just seconds earlier when Jamison Olave blocked a goal-bound cannon of a shot by Carlos Johnson. Olave corraled the ball and quickly pumped it up the right sideline to a streaking Findley for the counter-attack opportunity.

After reaching the right edge of the penalty area, Findley sent a dangerous ball into the box. New York keeper Danny Cepero appeared to be in good position to corral the ball, but teammate Seth Stammler actually flicked it over his head and to the waiting feet of Williams.

"The game happens in transition. It goes from being a fantastic play from Jamison Olave ... and it transition down to the other side of the field so quickly," said Kreis.

Real Salt Lake desperately needed that transition opportunity because, throughout most of the match, New York was content to drop everyone behind the ball and defend. Unlike last year's conference final, though, on Wednesday night RSL found a way to break it down.