Real Salt Lake vs. Minnesota FC Report Card

RSL got an early wakeup call in the 4th minute of their US Open Cup match against 2nd division Minnesota FC when the underdogs scored off a muffed punch out by Kyle Reynish. It seemed as though they might not overreact when Luis Gil found the next in the 29th minute, but when Minnesota went up 2-1 to close out the half on a PK goal and then all but wrapped up the game in the 58th minute, RSL went into spastic mode. Patience went out the window and as a result passing and positioning were out of sync, rendering RSL totally ineffective in what is usually their hallmark - the short passing game in the midfield and in front of the 18-yard box. Their hopes at a Concacaf Champion's League birth were dashed but on a silver-lining note, the young players that made up Real's frontal attack know the bitter taste of losing what should have been a gimme on their home pitch.