There was some actual face-saving at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday night in Real Salt Lake’s 2-1 victory over the Houston Dynamo.
Nick Rimando’s late-match heroics in the form of a double save that probably left a dent in the RSL goalkeeper’s face has not only been making the rounds on the GIF circuit, but it also epitomized the kind of effort that his team turned in. Despite not always being particularly elegant, Real managed to get the job done against a Dynamo side that really needed a win to jumpstart its season.
Houston presented Real with some challenges tactically. Likely realizing that RSL would start off slow, the Dynamo came out and created several chances early on while keeping the match compact and forcing Real to look for long balls over the top. Even with Ricardo Clark and DaMarcus Beasley earning yellow cards early in the match, Houston stayed composed while frustrating RSL.
The visitors also scored the first goal of the match — it was a deflection, but could also have been called a handball in the box. Even after Real scored two goals to take a 2-1 lead, the Dynamo looked dangerous, forcing Rimando into that save.
On the attacking end, RSL were missing Joao Plata through injury. The Ecuadorian striker was definitely missed, but Burrito Martinez and Javier Morales were able to start.
Martinez’s individual ability produced several chances out of virtually nothing, and his movement off of Yura Movsisyan’s point caused Houston some problems. Morales’ return brought more balance to the Real midfield, providing a link to the frontrunners that had been missing during his absences.
Both goals came from concerted efforts from individual players to win the ball and keep play moving forward, and from then using the flanks to open up play, rather than making an easy back pass. That defensive tenacity at the top of the 18, and the ability to keep the attack moving as a result, allowed momentum to build and keep the Dynamo on their heels. While Movsisyan and Jordan Allen were ultimately the beneficiaries and did very well with their chances, each goal was a team effort.
For RSL, the win was another marker of the growth demonstrated since last season. The team already has more come-from-behind victories than it did in the entire 2015 season, and to do so in the wake of a rough loss at LA last weekend is an encouraging sign.
Next, Real will take on the bigger challenge of an extended road trip. While the grass at the Riot is being replaced, RSL will have five consecutive road games — three at Western Conference foes in Colorado, Houston, and Kansas City and two trips back East to Columbus and New York City.
With that many road matches, there are likely to be a few hiccups along the way — Real is looking at some very difficult fixtures, and there won’t be any retreats to the friendly confines of the Riot to regroup. Can RSL keep up its winning ways? And how will the players respond to adversity?
Real has managed to answer most of the questions put before it so far in 2016. The next five matches are sure to yield a few more for the team to answer — hopefully on a positive note.
