Yet it won, for once.

Midfielder Andy Williams blasted home a goal in the third minute of overtime to lift RSL to a 2-1 victory over Virginia Beach of the USL First Division in the U.S. Open Cup tournament, salvaging a mostly dreary performance in front of only a few hundred fans - the announced attendance was 6,960 - at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

"It's never easy," coach John Ellinger said.

Using the game as an audition for many of the backup players who mostly had been watching while the regulars

endured a six-game winless streak, RSL nonetheless did not exactly blow out a team that plays in a lower-division league.

At the same time, though, the victory was a welcome relief for a team that embarrassingly lost its first Open Cup game to a similarly lesser team last season, and had scored just twice during its six-game winless stretch. It took nearly three hours because of a lightning delay and overtime, but it was worth it.

"Last year, we lost in overtime, and it was kind of like the rest of the season that hung over our heads," Ellinger said.

RSL advances to play the Colorado Rapids in the next round of the tournament at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Aug. 2, and returns to MLS play at New England on Friday night. Owner Dave Checketts is expected to address the team in the locker room before that game, probably to rebuke them for playing so poorly the past few weeks.

Checketts already has everybody's attention after threatening that RSL won't remain in Utah for long.

In the wake of a vote Tuesday by the Salt Lake County Council that all but ruined his hopes of securing public financing for a proposed suburban stadium complex in Sandy, Checketts said the future of the club in Utah is "in serious jeopardy."

Yet for one night, at least, the team left the field happy to finally enjoy a victory.

"After last year, I'm not disappointed with anything," Ellinger said.

The game was delayed 36 minutes by lightning in the second half, by which time the game was tied 1-1 on a penalty kick by RSL's Jeff Cunningham in the 28th minute and an athletic equalizer past a pair of defenders by Virginia Beach's Tim O'Neill in the 37th minute.

But RSL did not fold afterward, the way it did in a 2-1 loss at Chicago last month.

Though his team agonizingly missed several good opportunities late in the game - "something about the 6-yard box and finishing," Ellinger lamented - Williams nailed the game-winner on a brilliant blast for his first goal of the season.

RSL 2, Virginia Beach 1

OVERTIME

IN SHORT - RSL advances to the fourth round of the U.S. Open Cup by winning before only a smattering of fans.

KEY STAT - RSL scored as many goals against Virginia Beach as it had during its six-game winless streak.

KEY MOMENT - RSL's Andy Williams takes a pass from teammate Mehdi Ballouchy off a free kick early in overtime, and blasts the game-winner.