RSL drops points after 2-0 lead against Rapids, draws 2-2

Well! That’s not what you want to have happen. Real Salt Lake managed to surrender a 2-0 lead against Colorado Rapids, drawing 2-2 in an absolute collapse of a performance.

• 15’ Anderson Julio has gone down with an apparent quad injury — not exactly a positive sign. He’s replaced by Justin Meram, and Jefferson Savarino slots over to a more central position. Maybe it’s more of a free role?
• 39’ Zac MacMath is shown a yellow card for pushing Diego Rubio after a harsh tackle against Aaron Herrera. It is the most exciting moment of the first half.
• GOAL! RSL 1-0 COL — 45’ HERE WE GO. JEFFERSON SAVARINO HAS SCORED AN ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL GOAL. 1-0 RSL. Savarino’s shot was a skipping one from distance on the absolute edge of halftime, with the whistle coming immediately after the Rapids kicked off. A really nice shot from Savarino, though one does suspect that William Yarbrough could have done a better job with his goalkeeping. I, for one, am glad he messed that one up as much as he did.
• HT — RSL has found a couple near-finishes through Justin Meram and Pablo Ruiz, both of whom skimmed the crossbar with shots from distance, but it’s Savarino who unlocks the match.
• GOAL! RSL 2-0 COL — 50’ JUSTIN MERAM, STAND UP. Or don’t, because stooping down for a header has given RSL a 2-0 lead after Pablo Ruiz absolutely smashed the crossbar with a free kick from distance. A bit of a funny finish all told, but you know what? I don’t hear anyone complaining.
• 58’ Ruiz springs Sergio Cordova on a scything counterattack, who is the subject of a pretty good tackle from the Rapids defense, and Jefferson Savarino picked up a subsequent ball and sent a very nice cross to Cordova who remarkably hits the post on a header, having all of the goal to aim at.
• GOAL. RSL 2-1 COL — 66’ Michael Barrios is taken down by Marcelo Silva in the box, with the RSL defender dragging his foot and catching the Colorado attacker. The ensuing penalty stands and is finished by Diego Rubio.
• 74’ Nick Besler and Rubio Rubin enter for Sergio Cordova and Pablo Ruiz. The Ruiz move was absolutely a smart one — he was on a yellow card and consistently chirping at the referee, and a second yellow for dissent would have been an unmitigated disaster.
• 80’ Jasper Löffelsend is taken down with a hard, late scissor tackle from Max from behind. He’s down for quite a while being treated, and Max is shown just a yellow card for his troubles. I’m not usually a “should’ve been a red” guy, but that — that should have been a red. Löffelsend does eventually get up and walk on his own, but it’s still a
• 85’ Diego Luna and Scott Caldwell enter for Jefferson Savarino and Jasper Löffelsend, respectively.
• 86’ Justin Meram is shown a yellow card for kicking the ball away.
• 89’ Lalas Abubakar really is not a player I have a lot of love for, mostly because he does things like — well — that. He scored a goal, picking up a header from Gyasi Zardes and firing past MacMath from close range. Abubakar was kept on by Aaron Herrera, although .
• 90+1’ Nick Besler is shown a yellow card for stopping a Barrios breakaway.
• 90+5’ Scott Caldwell, free at the top of the box but with a load of players between him and the goal, sends a shot just past the post and over the touch line.