This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Sandy — The final foul count at the conclusion of Real Salt Lake's 1-0 victory against visiting Sporting Kansas City told the story of a static affair that could have been a memorable, dynamic meeting had it not been for all the stops and starts.There were 34 total fouls, 17 for each team. Instead of a free flowing game matching two surging teams, more than 19,000 spectators at Rio Tinto Stadium were left with what could have been. RSL, outplayed in the first half, was fortunate to win its fourth straight game."I believe that this team can win in multiple ways," RSL coach Jason Kreis said. "I think it sends a message to the rest of the league that if a brawl is going to break out and it's going to be a wrestling match, well, we can win that way too."Kyle Beckerman's pin point free kick from 35 yards found Nat Borchers, who buried the header in the 54th minute.Nick Rimando made four saves, two from point blank range, to register his 50th shutout in an RSL uniform, and the 86th of his illustrious MLS career. It was a payback for Sportings' 2-0 win on Aug. 3 in Kansas City."The game was a battle from the first minute for both teams," KC coach Peter Vermes said. "Tonight it was a man's game and I think both teams did well in that aspect."