It’s official. Real Salt Lake will not be participating in the 2007 MLS playoffs.
Needing to win the rest of its season to have a chance to make the postseason, RSL earned a 2-2 draw against the New York Red Bulls Saturday at Giants Stadium.
RSL led the match 1-0 and 2-1 but squandered both advantages.
“To have a lead twice in that match, you feel that you should do better and that you should walk away with three points, especially when you have the lead late as we did,” RSL head coach Jason Kreis said.
Chris Brown capitalized on Real’s only shot on goal of the first half by putting home his fourth score of the season in the 22nd minute off the assists of Chris Wingert and Andy Williams.
After the intermission, New York’s Francis Doe baffled both Matias Mantilla and Nick Rimando with his footwork to equalize in the 49th minute.
Real regrouped and retook the lead in the 75th minute when Alecko Eskandarian sent the ball forward to Fabian Espindola. The Argentine raced up the left side of the field before crossing the ball to Kyle Beckerman, who made good on his try.
But, as has been the case several times this season, Real was unable to close out its opponent with a late lead.
The Red Bulls’ Seth Stammler went down in the box in the 80th minute, and the referee called for a penalty shot. Juan Pablo Angel completed the penalty try for his 17th goal of the season, a team record.
“I think it a soft call on the P.K., but that’s the referee’s job to call, and he called it,” Williams said.
Not closing out matches is a frustrating pattern that Real has developed this season. A lead in the final fifteen minutes is far from a guaranteed victory for the club.
“I would hope that they’re learning,” Kreis said. “We’ve had enough games now where it feels like I’ve come in and said that we just didn’t do enough with our lead, and I would say that it’s the same case tonight.”
The draw prevented New York (11-10-6) from clinching a playoff berth just yet, but it also relegated RSL (5-13-9) to an early off-season.
“In different circumstances, if it were earlier in the year, then we’d be happy with (the draw), but we needed a win to stay in the playoff race, or at least to be considered for it, so that kind of hurt,” Beckerman said.
For the third time in as many years, RSL will miss the playoffs. The club plays next when it welcomes Chivas USA to Salt Lake City on Oct. 6.