RSL Serves CCL Notice With Dominant Win

Alvaro Saborio scores RSL's first goal vs. Tauro FC.  (Reuters)

Real Salt Lake had their backs against the wall last night, there can be no question about that.  After a disappointing loss to Herediano to open CCL play, RSL had to come out of this one with 3 points to have any hope of advancing past the group stage.  It's safe to say they responded rather well.

The first half against Tauro FC was dominated by the Claret and Cobalt, unfortunately it was also punctuated by the type of histrionics that we've come to expect from the Central American sides.  The Tauro players looked for any contact then went down as if shot by a sniper, earning delay after delay.  A nice new wrinkle appeared as well, with the Tauro 'keeper going down every chance he got, forcing even longer delays and making the Rio Tinto fans chant their own suggestion of "get some Midol."

As it turns out, he was ok, and he needed to be as he faced several outstanding efforts from RSL in the first half.  Unfortunately for the 20,000+ at Rio Tinto, he was up to the task.  RSL's play was extremely encouraging though.  They kept the tempo high through much of the first half and really could have gone to the locker room up 2-0 already.

The Panamanian side was forced to abandon their diving ways early in the second half though.  In the 48th minute Paulo Jr. unleashed a brilliant 40 yard run, slipping the Tauro defense.  He slapped a shot on goal, only to have it saved once more.  However, the rebound fell kindly to Alvaro Saborio who blasted the ball into the net to make it 1-0 to RSL.

Captain Kyle Beckerman got the all important insurance goal in the 58th minute as well.  Paulo Jr was again the spark, as he slid a pass to Beckerman near the top of the area.  Kyle hit a low laser into the bottom of the net to make it 2-0.

Unfortunately that would be all the goals that RSL could muster, as Beckerman got himself sent off.  In the 72nd minute he went into a flying tackle studs up and caught a Tauro player in a rather delicate region.  RSL's captain earned a red card and the Tauro man will probably be singing soprano for awhile.  Beckerman was retaliating for a deliberate knee to the face a couple of minutes earlier that went unnoticed by the referee.

The other bad news for RSL is that FB Kenny Mansally suffered a sprained MCL from a dirty studs up tackle by a Tauro player.    The Tauro man was given a yellow on the play, and Mansally will face some time on the sideline.

RSL will face Tauro again on Sept 18 in Panama for their next CCL match.