Garcia, RSL find goal-scoring touch in win over Montreal


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SANDY — Since June 14, Real Salt Lake had scored one goal in run of play, and head coach Jeff Cassar visibly bristled as he was asked about the stat day after day.

His message, then, was simple following his team’s 3-1 win over the last-place Montreal Impact on Thursday night.

“We scored three goals from the run of play,” he said almost before he got to the podium during his post-match news conference.

Olmes Garcia bagged a brace, his first multi-goal game since June 2013 against the L.A. Galaxy. Luke Mulholland also grabbed a goal, which came in his first start since receiving a red card June 28 at Chivas USA, and midfielder Javier Morales dished two assists.

In essence, it was a complete night for RSL (8-4-8, 32 points), especially for Garcia and his first scoring touch of 2014. The 23-year-old striker whom his team calls “Gol-mes” snapped out of a scoring drought in a big way.

“The final ball to him was fantastic. It’s what we want from him, and he gave us tonight a fantastic performance,” Cassar said of Garcia. “He also worked very hard on the defensive side. Just a great night for him.”

Garcia, RSL find goal-scoring touch in win over Montreal
Photo: Tom Smart/Deseret News

Mulholland scored in the third minute of play, an early advantage that Cassar has stressed for several weeks to his team. In the middle of three-straight road matches, playing the last-place Montreal Impact (3-11-5, 14 points) and before a sold-out crowd of 20,398 fans, Real Salt Lake couldn’t even let Hassoun Camara’s equalizer in the 31st minute deter its spirits.

Mulholland’s goal was the earliest scored by RSL since Morales struck in the opening minute at Houston on May 11.

“That stuff comes naturally,” said Mulholland, whose coach called him "a beast." “Anything inside the 18-yard box, I just need to get it on target. Seeing the ball just drop, I know I need to react quickly. I’m delighted to get it in the back of the net.”

There were a lot of smiles to go around in the RSL locker room after the match. Many of them came for Garcia, who last scored June 13, 2013, in a 3-0 win at FC Dallas.

“I’m happy. I’m so happy to see Garcia come in the second half and score two goals,” Morales said. “I think we needed them more than him. We need those guys to come in the second half off the bench and make an impact.”

Midfield veteran Ned Grabavoy was most happy about “getting the three points” at home — but seeing them come by way of a brace for Garcia added a nice topper.

“I think we’re happy any time we see some young guys be rewarded a little bit,” Grabavoy said. “I think it’s difficult for some of our younger guys, because they are in and out of the lineup with more of a core to the team. It’s difficult for them sometimes. But we see how much they work in training, how much they care, so it’s great to see a young guy rewarded like that.”

RSL was aided in the 65th minute red card by Issey Nakajima-Farran, who was sent off for a studs-up tackle on RSL’s Chris Schuler. The third goal showed a final-third approach that RSL has been lacking for several weeks.

“It was great, especially the third one, to take that pressure off, even though we were up a guy,” Grabavoy said. “We haven’t been able to find that killer instinct as much.”

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