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PORTLAND, Oregon — Real Salt Lake needed as many points as it could get in the final two games of the regular season as it sought to fight off FC Dallas for third place in the Western Conference.
And that's why the Salt Lake side will see Friday night’s 0-0 draw with Portland as a point gained, rather than two lost, in the final road match of the Major League Soccer regular season.
RSL finished 4-7-6 on the road in MLS play in 2014.
“Portland, for a team that plays very attractive soccer, resorted to a lot of long balls direct into a forward and picking up second balls and going from there,” RSL coach Jeff Cassar told reporters after the match. “So I think they were frustrated. Obviously I’m sure they’re pretty upset, coming away with a draw. That was the goal.”
RSL now stands at 53 points with one game remaining before the MLS Cup playoffs open. Dallas is two points back, and plays struggling Colorado in its penultimate regular-season game Saturday afternoon in what is virtually a must-win for the Texas club to climb out of the playoffs’ opening-round knockout match.
Friday night’s effort proved to be a gritty defensive performance for RSL. Goalkeeper Nick Rimando, who started and played a half for the U.S. Men’s National Team on Tuesday in South Florida, punched out six saves.
“For some reason I get up for these games. Maybe because they attack us more. They put more shots on goal,” Rimando said. “They’re a very dynamic team with special players that get their chances on us. Maybe some other teams that get one or two chances a game, these guys get four or five. I just have to show up and make sure that I’m ready to play when I play against Portland.”
Rimando’s back line of Nat Borchers, Carlos Salcedo, Tony Beltran and Chris Wingert also contributed to the shutout. Beltran had a double-save in the 61st minute surrounding a save by Rimando, and the young outside back cleared a ball off the goal line as the Timbers peppered through three straight shots.
Even the rest of the RSL field players put in defensive work, though. Luis Gil cleared a ball off the line in the 67th minute, and Robbie Findley nearly put a goal in twice before forcing phenomenal saves by Timbers' goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts.
In other words, RSL needed a full defensive effort from every player.
“You just look at their front four and they’re going to get their chances,” Cassar said of Portland. “I don’t think any game this year, they didn’t create. What you want to do is try to limit them and not give up any set play goals. It was a slick turf. The ball was zipping all over the place. It was a fast-paced game and I thought our boys did well.”
Not to be outdone in the end, though, Rimando clinched his standout effort with an 88th-minute save on a scorching shot by Portland’s Gaston Fernandez that the veteran netminder clamped down to the turf. The Utah club now turns its attention to finishing off the regular season at home against Chivas USA on Wednesday, a day they could potentially clinch third place in the conference.
“It always seems like that we have a fun game with Portland,” RSL captain Kyle Beckerman said. “They come out to play, we come out to play. Even 0-0’s are pretty exciting, which is good for the league. It’s just the style that both teams like, which is good for the fans.”
