This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Sandy • Crashed out.

At home, featuring a top-choice lineup, against a struggling rival in an elimination match, Real Salt Lake went to extra time for the second straight 2016 U.S. Open Cup match. And for the second straight Open Cup outing, the result was settled from the penalty spot.

Only this time, it was the visitors who walked out of Rio Tinto Stadium as the victors.

The Seattle Sounders, who came into Tuesday's match with only a handful of regulars in its starting 11, topped RSL 4-1 on penalty kicks to advance to the 2016 U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals, thwarting RSL's dream of another tournament run.

Joao Plata and Kyle Beckerman had their penalty attempts saved by Seattle goalie Tyler Miller, while the Sounders were flawless to drop RSL out of the tournament.

In extra time, as in regulation, RSL had its chances at netting the game-winner. In the 104th minute, Burrito Martinez sliced a wide-open volley at the back post off a cross by substitute Jordan Allen. A few minutes earlier, Allen had his own shot at putting RSL ahead, but the loose ball in the box that fell to him wasn't struck with enough power and was saved.

In the 117th minute, on a fantastic individual effort dribbling into the box, Javier Morales sent his left-footed shot wide of the far post.

"Extremely disappointing," said right back Tony Beltran. "Disappointing in the fact that we even let it get to that point. We just didn't have our shooting boots on tonight. So many chances."

Then it went to the spot, and the results did not go RSL's way.

It was a converted penalty kick by Plata that gave RSL a 1-0 lead in the 42nd minute, when he thundered his attempt to his left and beyond Miller, who guessed right but couldn't get to the ball. Striker Yura Movsisyan drew the penalty when Sounders center back Tony Alfaro fouled Movsisyan from behind in the 41st minute. A free kick played on the ground by Morales zipped to the feet of Martinez, who with the slightest of touches, allowed Movsisyan to get one-on-one with Miller.

Once referee Alex Chilowicz signaled a penalty, it was Plata who grabbed the ball and walked to the spot while Movsisyan argued briefly that it was his penalty to take. Movsisyan, who had scored in his previous four league starts, could only shake his head while Morales and Martinez helped calm him down.

RSL coach Jeff Cassar said after the game that he didn't see the exchange, so he couldn't comment. Asked how the club determines who takes penalty kicks, Cassar said he doesn't believe in having a set penalty-kick shooter.

"I think there's different ways to do it," he said. "I think it's important that the players communicate with each other, have respect for each other and get through it."

The goal was Plata's seventh of the year across all competitions and second straight in U.S. Open Cup play.

Seattle equalized on a disastrous mix-up between center back Justen Glad and goalkeeper Jeff Attinella in the 51st minute. An emergency clearance by Seattle defender Zach Scott soared over Glad and Aaron Maund, but Glad's header didn't have enough force behind it. Couple that with Attinella sprinting 30 yards off his line attempting to clear it himself, it was a recipe for the tying goal. Seattle's Nelson Valdez was there to poke it into the empty net.

"That just shouldn't happen," Cassar said.

"I was just trying to play off my line to help those balls over the top," Attinella said. "The wind was blowing pretty hard and they were hitting it pretty far. Just a miscommunication. That's all it comes down to. It can't happen and it's something Justen and I will learn from and we'll move forward and hopefully it doesn't happen again."

Prior to the goal, Movsisyan had the best chance of the first half in the 17th minute when a sneaky through ball by Martinez pierced the Seattle back line and put Movsisyan in alone on Miller. But the young Sounders goalkeeper was up to the task, deflecting Movsisyan's close-range shot out for a corner kick.

Twitter: @chriskamrani