WATCH: Plata hits stunning free kick, catches sleeping Portland

While the bigger talking point from Real Salt Lake's first half against Portland Timbers will undoubtedly be Kyle Beckerman's red card, that will be rivaled by a stunning free kick from Joao Plata.

Plata's 16th minute goal came after Burrito Martinez stripped Diego Chara of the ball and worked his way toward goal.

A tricky run-over from Javier Morales didn't seem to do much initially, but it was just enough to distract Portland Timbers goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey, who cheated a bit to his left. Plata's free kick was sublime, and it basically dipped right where Kwarasey had been standing.

It was a wonderful moment from Plata, and it is far from his only great moment in 2016. He scored RSL's only goal against Tigres, he scored twice against Orlando in a 2-2 draw, and he notched two assists in a 2-1 win over Seattle Sounders.

This is a distinct improvement over Plata's 2015, to say the least.