RSL best Municipal in Guatemala

In a match that featured as close to a first choice lineup as possible given the injuries that Real Salt Lake is facing, they entered this match looking to win. It did not take long for the game to open up with Joao Plata scoring a goal from the top of the box after a Javier Morales corner was deflected. RSL pretty well controlled the match for the first 20 or so minutes with the better part of the possession and solid defending. Were it not for some Municipal fouls in their own end, RSL would have had a few more opportunities to go up by two goals. Kyle Beckerman's physical play is, apparently, frowned upon by CONCACAF referees and he was shown a yellow card around 35 minutes in for a couple of challenges that would probably not be fouls in MLS play. Around 40 minutes in, Carlos Ruiz was awarded a free kick that went over the wall and was on target, but Nick Rimando got his fingers on it just in time to hit it off the crossbar. The half came to an end with RSL in the lead in Guatemala.

The second half started and within a minute or two, Demar Phillips got away with a clear handball in the box that should have been a PK for Municipal, but Municipal got "CONCACAF'ed" and no call was made. The next 20 some odd minutes did not see many chances, but there were a lot of bodies on the ground for both sides, some were legitimately fouled while others were less so. RSL started to knock on the door again and Sebastian Jaime was able to get around the last defender off of a long pass from Phillips but the keeper stopped it. Plata got ahold of the ball and made a quick side step to the right. His shot went up to the top right corner but the Municipal defender got his head to it to prevent another RSL goal.  With about 15 minutes left, Municipal was pushing forward and Carlos Ruiz got on the end of a ball from the flank that looked like it was going to be an equalizer, but Nick Rimando came up big again to prevent a goal. Some cheeky play in the corner from Morales killed off the game and RSL held on for the win.