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SANDY, Utah (AP) -- It was not quite a grand opening at Real Salt Lake's new stadium.
Real and the New York Red Bulls tied 1-1 Thursday night, giving both clubs one point instead of three and getting them only slightly closer to clinching an MLS playoff spot.
"We've still got two games and we've still got a good chance of being in this playoff," said Salt Lake forward Clint Mathis, who needed 12 staples to close a gash caused by a cleat to the top of his head. "It's disappointing, but we still get at least a point out of it. It was an OK result at home."
Salt Lake (9-10-9) has never made the playoffs and is two points ahead of Colorado and Dallas for third place in the Western Conference. A win would have made it a four-point margin, but the Red Bulls (9-10-9) spoiled the party at Rio Tinto Stadium by snapping a three-game losing streak.
Real Salt Lake didn't allow a shot on goal in the second half, but couldn't get anything past Jon Conway, even after getting a one-man advantage when New York's Juan Pietravallo got a red card in the 83rd minute. Conway stopped three shots in the 4 minutes of extra time as Real tried to cap the opening night with a win, but all three were right at the goalkeeper's arms.
"It was there for us. The grass was perfect. The fans were loud. They were into the game," Salt Lake's Kyle Beckerman said. "Everything was there for us to put on our best performance and get a win. We didn't do it tonight."
New York's Dave van den Bergh scored in the 31st minute, the first goal ever at Rio Tinto Stadium, and Conway had five saves for the Red Bulls. New York had allowed 11 goals during the skid, but kept Real from scoring again after Olave tied it in the 41st minute.
The 20,000-seat stadium, capped with scrolling white awnings over each side, is about 15 miles south of Salt Lake City, at the base of the Wasatch Mountains. The stadium is a bowl carved out of the ground and the mountain peaks dominate the horizon.
It was a long-awaited project that nearly didn't happen. The venue finally opened, more than a year after owner Dave Checketts had wanted it to. Repeated snags in getting some public financing for the construction. Gov. Jon Huntsman, who attended the game, got the Utah Legislature to step in at the last minute in February 2007 and meet an ultimatum set by Checketts to keep the team in the state.
"I think it died 12, I don't know, 15 times. Even when we got it going there were still hurdles," Checketts said after the game. "It's beyond what I dreamt of."
The grand opening featured fireworks, streamers in Real's team colors of blue red and gold and even a halftime proposal -- she said yes.
Van den Bergh scored on a clearing attempt. Nick Rimando had just made a save and Kyle Beckerman tried to clear it, but the ball went right to van den Berg in front and he drove it into the lower right corner.
Real tied it on a goal by Olave off Morales' corner kick. It was Morales' 15th assist since joining the club last summer, setting an RSL record.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
