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RSL drops points against Vancouver on Herrera-conceded penalty, loses 2-1

RSL tied things up through some neat work, but it was all undone at the death.

Real Salt Lake v Vancouver Whitecaps FC
The caption says he’s celebrating, and I think that’s accurate. But he doesn’t look intensely excited, does he? I dunno.
Photo by Christopher Morris - Corbis/Getty Images

RSL went down 1-0 to Vancouver, tied things up, and gave up an unnecessary penalty at the death — and that’s how RSL lost what became a somewhat upsetting 2-1 loss to the Whitecaps. How’d we get there? Let’s talk.

  • GOAL, Vancouver 1-0 RSL — 32’ RSL fell asleep on a long throw-in, and Zac MacMath’s goal was left largely unprotected as Vancouver knocked a ball in. Sergio Cordova challenged weakly for a defensive header, and defender Ranko Veselinovic tapped the ball in following a smart run past Justen Glad.
  • 52’ Cody Cropper made what might have either been a wonder-save or a near-save — with the ball maybe going over the line — preventing a Sergio Cordova goal from a very nice header.
  • GOAL, Vancouver 1-1 RSL — 53’ RSL’s Justin Meram got free on the left side and finished very neatly past Cropper, picking up a really nice pass from Pablo Ruiz. Had that goal not gone in, we might have been looking at a VAR situation. But the ball didn’t go out of play after the Cordova header, so there was no cause to stop play, and they certainly wouldn’t call back a goal to give a different goal for the same team. Although that would have been fun.
  • 81’ Pablo Ruiz hit the post on a shot from distance, though it was a deflection that sent it there — quite an opportunity, created in particular after Bobby Wood and Cropper collided.
  • 84’ RSL is saved by an offside call, with Tosaint Ricketts only just drifting offside. His finish was very nice, and his run past Brody was a bit head-shaking on the RSL side. At any rate, all’s well that ends well.
  • 90+1’ Speaking of things that end well — uh, yeah. Aaron Herrera gave up a penalty and received a second yellow card for his trouble, going in way too hard on an unnecessary sliding tackle in the box.
  • GOAL, Vancouver 2-1 RSL — 90+3’ The ensuing penalty? It’s a goal. Awhoops.
  • We saw the debut of Diego Luna (88th minute or so), another solid showing from Jefferson Savarino (around the 60th minute) and the return from injury of Anderson Julio (82nd.)