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90th minute magic: Movsisyan tally earns advantage for RSL
Sandy, UT (Sports Network) - For the second week in a row, Real Salt Lake forward Yura Movsisyan was the hero, scoring a 90th minute goal to propel his squad to a pivotal result.
The most recent heroics came Saturday evening at Rio Tinto Stadium with RSL hosting Chivas USA in the first leg of its first-ever MLS Cup playoff appearance.
"I thought he really worked hard, he made things really difficult for their two center backs," RSL coach Jason Kreis said of Movsisyan. "He is a guy right now that is feeling good about himself, as we are feeling good about him. It's good to see that he is rewarded at the end for all his hard work with a tap-in finish."
Argentine midfield maestro Javier Morales controlled the ball in the Chivas USA penalty area near the endline with two defenders on his back before playing a ball to the top of the six-yard box. Movsisyan then touched the ball into the far-post side netting with a cheeky back-heel to propel the home side to the 1-0 victory.
"I just barely noticed the defender open his legs," Morales said. "I saw the opening and was just able to kick it in, and Yura took care of the rest."
"I was kind of hoping that Javi [Morales] would get a ball across because he had a guy on him," Movsisyan said. "And fortunately for us he did a great job of shielding the ball and knocking the ball across. It came to me and I thought, 'You can control it or back-heel it,' and I guess I made the right decision.
"I never thought in my career that this would ever happen to me. I always thought I was going to earn every goal I score. But I guess you've got to have some luck too, and this is the right time to get lucky."
RSL will now take a 1-0 lead into the second and deciding leg of the total- goals, home-and-home series next Saturday at The Home Depot Center.
Last week it was a 90th minute Movsisyan goal that tied the score at Colorado to propel RSL to its first-ever playoff berth. The home side was certainly deserving of the victory this week, out-shooting Chivas USA 21-3 while controlling possession for the majority of the match.
"[The dramatic ending was] similar [to last week] only in the fact that we scored a late goal, because, for me, that was one of the best soccer games we've played all year, and it's interesting that it comes on the heels of one of the worst soccer games we played all year," Kreis said. "But that goes to show you that our team can absolutely play the game and they are fun to watch."
RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando made just one save to earn the clean sheet, improving to 8-4-1 in 13 career MLS Cup playoff matches.
Chivas USA 'keeper Zach Thornton, who ranks second to Kansas City's Kevin Hartman in playoff appearances, wins and shutouts for a goalkeeper, made seven saves in relief of Dan Kennedy, who missed the game because of suspension.
"I thought Zach was solid. He made some big saves for us and kept us in the game on a couple of occasions," Chivas USA coach Preki said.
With the loss, Preki is 0-2-1 in the playoffs since taking over as head coach prior to the 2007 season. His squad was upset by Kansas City last year despite entering the playoffs as the Western Conference's top seed. He will try to avoid being upset for the second-consecutive year when the second-seeded Goats hosts third-seeded RSL in the return leg next weekend.
"For a moment it was going to be one of those days where we escape, not conceding a goal and putting ourselves in a good spot going home," Preki said. "But one play off of the throw in, we fall asleep for a second, and it's one- nothing.
"We're in the same spot as we were last year. We're going home and hopefully this time it will be a little different for us. Even if it was 0-0 here we'd have to go home and win, so we have to win no matter what."
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Last week his last minute goal propelled RSL into the playoffs.
Movsisyan equalizer propels RSL to first-ever playoff berth
Commerce City, CO (Sports Network) - A 90th minute equalizer by Real Salt Lake forward Yura Movsisyan was enough to propel the fourth-year Major League Soccer franchise to its first ever berth in the MLS Cup playoffs.
Movsisyan's equalizer gave RSL a 1-1 draw with Colorado at xxxx's Sporting Goods Park and the third seed in the Western Conference playoff bracket.
Colorado (11-15-4) needed a victory in its last game to advance to the playoffs, and for 90 minutes it appeared that Conor Casey's 11th goal of the season, which was scored in the 19th minute, would be enough. But Movsisyan scored the equalizer in the closing seconds to propel the visitors to the second season.
Real Salt Lake (10-10-10) hosts expansion brethren Chivas USA next Saturday, at Rio Tinto Stadium in the first leg of the Western Conference semifinal series before traveling to take on the Goats at The Home Depot Center on Nov. 8 for the second leg.