After his heroics in Game 1, the fans' expectations may have been too high for Wednesday's game, but Morales just couldn't seem to get past third gear. It could have had something to do with playing without Beckerman or it could have been Monterrey's double-team strategy. Real needed heroics from Morales that just didn't materialize. Grade: B+
Alvaro Saborio
Saborio's play was much improved in the last few games and he began to show some of those flashes of brilliance RSL fans became accustomed to last season. His best suit was his defense in playing high and hard attacking all game. His first touch is still a little shaky, but his positioning and physicality were spot on all night. Too bad he couldn't convert some of those holding balls into better quality shots or assists on goal. Grade: B+
Fabian Espindola
Fabi was a pest, and that's how we like him. His defense in Monterrey's third was terrific by creating numerous counter-attack chances that Real couldn't convert on. However, for all his hard work, Espindola's lack of patience and anxiousness may have cost Real a goal or two. Rather than waiting for players to show up and give him options after winning balls away from Monterrey, he tried to go it alone and often got caught trying to be more tricky than he needed to be. Grade: B+
Arturo Alvarez
The Twittersphere was buzzing when Alvarez was subbed in for Andy Williams in hopes he'd provide the spark needed for RSL to come back in round one, but it wasn't meant to be. In fact, Artie's decisions and poor passing left much to be desired. He could have been the spark RSL needed but just never seemed able to find his rhythm. Grade: C+
Tony Beltran
RSL fans are so used to seeing Beltran step up when subbed in to big games that the sting of losing Russell to a leg injury for the second half wasn't so bad until Beltran didn't prove his usual dependable self. Poor passes along the sideline and slow decisions kept RSL in a bit of a funk during the opening minutes of the first half. Grade: B-
Chris Higbee is the Product Director for DeseretNews.com and a soccer fan for life. He can be found @chigbee on Twitter.
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Your grades are way too high!!! Espindola and Saba both deserve Cs at best. C=average and they were barely average. The biggest weakness on the team was them. As for the rest of the team, no one deserves higher than a B+ if you are losing. I know we More..
I agree with the above poster - several of the grades were too high. Saborio deserves a C, Espindola deserves a C+. You also can't have two votes for Man of the Match. It's either Olave, or it's Johnson. Personally, I didn't think Johnson did More..
Similar to what the others said. I thought Espindola was very good, just got unlucky on a couple shots but very dangerous. Sabo was terrible last night, and has been since he played at Rio Tinto vs. Saprissa. He looked slow, his touches on the ball More..