Real Salt Lake's 2-2 Draw at Chivas USA Clinches Spot in Western Conference Final

CARSON, Calif. (Saturday, November 8, 2008) - Real Salt Lake's debut appearance in the MLS Cup Playoffs will last at least one more game, as the Utah side earned a 2-2 draw at Chivas USA tonight in front of a raucous crowd of 19,265 at The Home Depot Center, a result that gave the Utah side a 3-2 win in the aggregate goals Western Conference Semifinal series between MLS' "Class of '05" expansion brethren. The magical season of MF Javier Morales picked up even more momentum, as the Argentine playmaker notched a goal and an assist on the evening, helping Real Salt Lake to within one game of a return trip to The Home Depot Center for the MLS Cup Final in two weeks' time.

Thanks to tonight's result, Real Salt Lake will advance to next weekend's Western Conference Final to face the winner of the Houston Dynamo-New York Red Bulls Semifinal series, which is knotted at 1-1 heading into tomorrow's decisive second leg at Robertson Stadium in Houston (1:00 p.m. MT, TeleFutura). Should the Dynamo advance, Real Salt Lake will travel to Texas to square off against the two-time defending champions on Sunday, Nov. 16, while a Red Bulls upset will result in RSL hosting the penultimate game against New York next Saturday, Nov. 15.

While Real Salt Lake gained the results it needed in the 90th minute over the last two weekends, the action picked up much quicker this evening, as the visitors went down at the half hour mark when Chivas USA MF Sacha Kljestan buried a penalty kick into the upper right corner, tying the series at 1-1. But RSL would gain the advantage back nine minutes later, when MF Dema Kovalenko nodded a Morales cross past Chivas USA GK Zach Thornton. The Utah side looked to put the series out of reach in the 77th minute when Morales curled a shot just inside the far right post to push the series lead to 3-1 RSL, but Chivas USA striker and Salt Lake City native Justin Braun kept things interesting against his hometown squad in the 83rd minute, finishing off a chance to keep the final minutes interesting. Despite quality chances from both sides in the final minutes of regulation and throughout five minutes of stoppage time, neither team would move the scoreboard, which was just fine with a Real Salt Lake squad that continues to make noise in its first-ever postseason appearance.

Real Salt Lake head coach Jason Kreis

On the team's performance:

More than anything, I'm proud of the way we reacted. It was an all-out situation that our boys were placed in from minute one of that match. For them to react the way they did was phenomenal, and then to play the way we did in the second half, to score that goal, was phenomenal. Obviously to allow the second goal was difficult, but that showed me huge improvements because earlier in the season and definitely last year, our team would've folded and given up another, and we didn't. We kept at it and the guys kept their heads; it was great.

On if, before the season, he envisioned being in the Western Conference Championship:

No. The plan that I laid out, I really didn't think that we'd even be able to make the playoffs. I knew that we had a lot of good players, and I knew that we could coach them into being a team that would compete, be very, very competitive. We'd win our share of games but we'd never be consistent enough to probably make the playoffs this season. I thought that was definitely a next-season thing. But they've just improved more than I ever thought, and so obviously now, as I said when we came into the playoffs, we're not just happy to be here, we think we can win the whole thing.

Real Salt Lake midfielder Kyle Beckerman

On going down a goal:

We didn't get phased at all, we kept believing that we were going to win this game. We felt like we were the better team, they weren't in our class, in our level, and it's as simple as that. We matched their intensity, and the better team is going to win. We just kept believing. It was good timing to get the goal after they scored, and just went on from there.

On the team's attitude:

We just believe in it. We feel like it's ours, it's there for the taking. Somebody's got to get to the final, win this whole thing, and win these semifinals. Somebody's got to do it, so why not us.

Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando

On the defense:

We fought together, and we knew there were going to be times where they were going to put a lot of pressure on us, and we knew there were going to be times when we're going to keep possession. We had to pick our times to get forward and defend. When they threw five forwards up there, it was pretty difficult at the beginning, and they kept the ball and they kept on throwing stuff in there. But we fought, I think that was the main thing. We fought and we hustled, and if one guy wasn't marking up, the next guy was, and filling in, and that's what it took today.

On the progress the team has made:

A lot, for sure. We knew we had the ability to be where we're at today, it was just about putting it into practice, and putting it into the games, and playing full nineties. That's what we're doing now. Where we used to not finish games, they would get late goals, we would give up bad mistakes. Now we're not doing that. Knock on wood, we're playing through the ninety minutes.

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