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CARSON, Calif. — Things went from bad to worse quickly for Real Salt Lake in its first MLS match since the World Cup began in Brazil.
Already riding a four-match winless run in MLS play (as well as a 2-1 loss at the NASL’s Atlanta in the U.S. Open Cup), Luke Mulholland’s straight-up red card in the ninth minute Saturday night saw the visitors to a 1-0 loss to Chivas USA at the StubHub Center. The RSL newcomer from Preston, England, went in hard on a studs-up tackle on Chivas midfielder Martin Rivero, and that was it for his night.
“The guys have been looking at it, and I think that it looks pretty bad,” RSL coach Jeff Cassar said of Mulholland’s challenge. “I know speaking with Luke, the intent wasn’t there. When you leave your feet and expose your cleats, you leave yourself at the mercy of the referee.”
The Goats (3-7-5, 14 points) improved their record against their fellow 2005 expansion team to 11-12-4 all-time, including an 8-6-1 mark at home. RSL swept Chivas in all three meetings of 2013, but the opening match of the 2014 series tilted in the direction of the California club.
RSL (6-3-7, 25 points) responded to the early red card, driving possession for large portions of the first half to finish with the ball 54 percent of the time. But the visitors only put up four shots in the final third while coming away with 54 percent of possession.
Erick “Cubo” Torres only needed one shot to volley home a ball into the top shelf in the 35th minute. That goal made him the top Mexican goalscorer in MLS history with 17 goals.
We didn't struggle to play. We didn't have a tough performance. We dealt with the red card, and we know that when we deal with those things, it's tough. On the whole, this is one of the best groups I've ever been around. We react well to this kind of adversity. We're going to have to man-up and get our points this week.
–Nat Borchers, RSL defender
Aside from that shot, a one-footed strike reminiscent of Tim Cahill’s goal for Australia against the Netherlands in the World Cup, RSL played well, defender Nat Borchers said.
“We didn’t struggle to play. We didn’t have a tough performance,” Borchers said. “We dealt with the red card, and we know that when we deal with those things, it’s tough.
“On the whole, this is one of the best groups I’ve ever been around. We react well to this kind of adversity. We’re going to have to man-up and get our points this week.”
Despite the early hiccup, RSL midfielder Javier Morales (who donned the captain’s armband while teammate Kyle Beckerman helps the U.S. men’s national team in Brazil) also said his team played well through adversity.
“It’s pretty tough. Sometimes it’s hard to win with 11 guys, and with 10 playing 80 minutes, it’s not good,” Morales said. “We have to be proud with what we did on the field. We fought to the last minute.”
That will be the main positive RSL takes from the match: controlling several facets of the game except for the scoreboard. But soccer can be a cruel mistress at times.
“With 10 men playing like that, fighting for every ball, trying to possess the ball, that was good,” Morales added. “But it wasn’t good enough; we lost the game. When we played 80 minutes, you get tired and maybe don’t make the best decision in the last part of the game. It’s more and more important for us.”
The finishing touch was about the only thing that they lacked, according to Cassar. Chivas outshot RSL, 19-8 with an 8-2 margin in shots on target. The Salt Lake side also had three shots blocked by the Californians' back line.
“The effort, commitment and the fight from the guys was off the charts, I think,” Cassar said. “We knew we were going to get two or three chances, and we had to keep them off the board. But sometimes, somebody’s got to step up and put it in the back of the net and take some initiative.”
RSL will turn its attention to Friday’s home match against New England on July 4. The club enters that game on a five-match winless streak, something nearly unimaginable after starting the season with 12 straight wins. Borchers said that game could be the most important of the season as RSL tries to snap its funk.
“When you lose a game, you want to come back and take another bite of the apple,” he added. “That’s what we’ll do.”
