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SANDY — Real Salt Lake added three more points to its season Saturday night, continuing to hold its spot on top of the Major League Soccer Western Conference, with a 1-0 win over Eastern Conference opponent the Houston Dynamo.
It was a win that RSL head coach Jason Kreis said was won in a different way than usual for the club.
“I did feel like we were a little flat the first half, the mood was a little flat,” Kreis told the media. “All in all, I’m really, really pleased that we got a result in a little different way tonight than we typically do. It’s important; I think it’s really important as you start to enter the stretch and start to enter the playoffs that you have to feel like you can win in multiple ways.”
The Salt Lake club’s lone goal on the night was from leading scorer forward Alvaro Saborio off a penalty kick in the 37th minute. RSL forward Olmes Garcia was awarded the penalty after being taken down in the box by Houston midfielder Adam Moffat.
The Dynamo tested RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando eight times in the second half in search of the back of the net, but was unsuccessful.
Kreis rolled out a different than usual formation in his starting lineup Saturday night with a 4-3-3 for only the second time this season and the first time on the Salt Lake club’s home pitch.
He said the move was a way to get Garcia and forward Joao Plata some starting minutes that they have earned.
“I woke up Thursday morning with some quandary on my hands about how to get fresh players on the field and how to get some guys that I think have been really, really good a starting opportunity without changing the spine of the team,” said Kreis. “I thought it was okay. I think Garcia and Plata worked very hard, I think both of them were in and around some dangerous things.”
Historically, RSL has struggled against the Houston-based club, but the win improved the Salt Lake club’s overall record with Houston to 4-9-5 and 4-1-4 on its own pitch inside the walls of Rio Tinto.
The win also moved the Salt Lake club to 12-7-5 on the season and 41 points, giving the club a five-point cushion atop the MLS Western Conference.
The Salt Lake club now hits the road for a two-game road trip facing Western Conference opponents. RSL will first face the Los Angeles Galaxy Aug. 17 and then the Portland Timbers Aug. 21.
RSL will return to Rio Tinto Stadium Aug. 24 to begin a two-game home stand. The Claret and Cobalt will first host the Columbus Crew for the first and only meeting between the two sides this regular season and then RSL will host the Portland Timbers Aug. 30 for the second time this season, with the first being in Open Cup play earlier this week. Kira Terry is a sports writer covering Real Salt Lake for KSL.com. Follow her on Twitter, @kiraterry.
