Real Salt Lake kept its playoff hopes alive by
earning a 3-0 victory vs. its Rocky Mountain rivals, the Colorado Rapids, on
Saturday night at Rio Tinto Stadium.
Two goals from Robbie Findley - his team-leading 11th and 12th - and a goal
from Yura Movsisyan, were enough to earn the team's 11th victory of the season
and help it leapfrog the Rapids in the standings in the final 2009 regular
season game for both teams. RSL is currently tied with Colorado, but owns the
tiebreaker.
Now, depending on the outcomes of the rest of the weekend fixtures, both teams
could make the playoffs or both teams couple be making vacation plans.
Findley gave the hosts the early lead just 15 minutes on a great set-up by
fellow striker Fabian Espindola. Espindola received a long ball on the right
side of the Rapids' penalty area and quickly played a looping cross to the
opposite side to Findley, who headed home to make it 1-0.
Findley doubled the home side's advantage in the 33rd minute when he ran onto
another Williams long ball, chipped over onrushing goalkeeper Preston Burpo,
and tapped it home.
Movsisyan put an exclamation point on the game with a brilliant individual
effort in the 85th minute to close out the scoring. He received a ball from
Javier Morales in the offensive third, drove around a defender in the penalty
area and fired a perfect shot into the far post side-betting for his eighth
goal of the season.
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