To the green eye, it appeared to appear from nowhere. Minutes afore the Colorado Rapids addled aboriginal with a ambition in the 20th minute, Real Salt Lake may accept appeared listless--but it wasn't.
The claret and azure confused the brawl amid their arresting band and midfield design with precision, sending adroit passes into Colorado's arresting third of the acreage and affective players into and out of accessible spaces. If not for one aberration fabricated by an over-playing midfield on the Rapids aboriginal goal, RSL would've larboard Rio Tinto Amphitheater on Fri. Sept. 19 with a shutout.
Yet a 5-1 achievement of this consequence by a ahead disturbing claret and azure ancillary ability accept alive a aggregation that gave up a ambition at the afterlife to lose a heart-breaker aftermost anniversary at alliance arch Seattle.
This anniversary though, a 15th minute cracker from about 25 yards out bribery the glossy amphitheater apparent was the alone highlight that belonged to the opponent--the blow belonged to RSL.
In the 30th minute, apostle Chris Wingert broken into a 30-yard canyon bottomward the larboard abut assimilate which new accretion Sebastian Jaime ran and controlled. some chic coaction followed, as RSL zigged and zagged amid Colorado defenders until Wingert--who had fabricated a run into a amplitude alfresco of Colorado's box--sent a brawl into Ned Grabavoy, posited at the top of the box.
Grabavoy addled the brawl off his aback heel into an advancing Plata, who on his aboriginal blow angled a brawl above Colorado's keeper, bouncing into the net to akin the bold at 1-1.
"He's a guy that brand to get advanced a little bit on the larboard and face up defenders and attending to amalgamate to get himself in. Obviously, aback he goes over there to my side, we accept a addiction to articulation up together," Grabavoy said post-game. "So aloof that aggregate of affective about and aggravating to accomplish their guys chase runners, which I didn't anticipate they did a acceptable job of tonight. He plays me the ball, I see him move accomplished his apostle and I aloof flicked it to him a little bit. That's his shot. Bending the brawl to the aback column is his aliment and butter. He's been accomplishing that for us all season; astonishing finish."
It was Plata's 13th on the year, best on RSL. no beneath than a minute later, RSL was aback animadversion on the Rapids door. Colorado was beneath siege, accepting accustomed a bend bang to the home side.
Morales' in-swinger bend swung appear Colorado's goalmouth until it accomplished Jaime--who had angled his aback cautiously to acquiesce the brawl through the six-yard-box and into the net, ambagious the Rapids apostle who was appearance him.
RSL was up 2-1 and it wouldn't let up from there. The armament was alive bottomward aloft the acreage in claret and azure beatitude and so were the goals.
Off of a accepted chargeless bang in the 36th, Morales alone addition inswinger into Colorado's box--this time on a absolute chargeless bang on the larboard abut from about 30 yards out. Colorado's babysitter misread the placement, however, punching the brawl anon into the aisle of an advancing Chris Schuler, who toe broke it accomplished the Rapids aftermost band of aegis for a 3-1 lead.
Just afore halftime, RSL kept pecking at Colorado's abandoned larboard flank. Wingert confused into position area a midfielder would commonly sit, the midfielders posited themselves abutting to the Rapids maligned backline and the forwards, well, they aloof took positions anywhere they could alongside RSL's mids.
It was an attacker's dream and it was a daydream for the Rapids. Wingert ambiguous in a canyon to Grabavoy on the larboard flank--who played a brawl into Morales that he dummied. At this point, Colorado didn't apperceive which way was up--and the brawl was played into Jaime at the top of the 18.
Jaime--who in one bold has durably accepted himself as a big-time playmaker--played a one-touch brawl aback into Morales, who cut a canyon beyond the six-yard box appear Plata. Sliding beyond the clammy pitch, the Ecuadorian side-footed a brawl appear ambition that the Colorado babysitter approved to accumulate out in vain--but couldn't.
"I anticipation he [Jaime] was fantastic. He put it in on both abandon of the ball, fabricated absurd runs, won aeriform battles, which was a additional for us. Aloof all-embracing a actual acceptable performance," RSL arch drillmaster Jeff Cassar said post-game.
RSL was now up 4-1 on the own ambition created by RSL's altruistic play. Colorado had no answers for the claret and cobalt's adamant attacks--and RSL capped off a big night with addition ambition off of a Rapids absurdity in the 62nd.
Next up for RSL is a must-win bold at a Vancouver aggregation angry for its playoff life. It's additionally one area three credibility is a call for RSL--in adjustment to break aural arresting ambit of Seattle and the LA Galaxy.