This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Sandy • His name was announced to an antsy, ecstatic crowd. The moment was months in the making. Three months and 26 days, to be exact. The long road back for Real Salt Lake's all-time leading scorer Alvaro Saborio was taxing and it was arduous.
He missed another chance at the World Cup when he broke his fifth metatarsal on May 29, weeks before Costa Rica turned in one of the more memorable performances in the tournament's history. All the while, Saborio sat and watched in a walking boot.
So when his name was announced in the 77th minute of play Saturday night at Rio Tinto Stadium, he sprinted onto the pitch needing to do what he's known to do.
It took merely seconds.
When the 32-year-old striker finally found his spot in the 18-yard box on the south end of the stadium, he awaited a corner kick to be played in by Javier Morales. It was just like he'd done so many times before. He waited for the ball to dip. It did and Saborio rose to the ball and flicked it to the far post.
It hit nothing but net. Saborio's return was over. The presence was back. And more importantly, three points. The header from Saborio propelled RSL to a 2-1 victory over FC Dallas Saturday night. The win put Dallas now four points behind RSL for the No. 3 spot in the West. They also placed RSL closer to league-leading Seattle and the rolling L.A. Galaxy for the top two spots in the conference.
While Saborio's dramatic return will be remembered, it was forward Robbie Findley who gave RSL an early 1-0 lead. Once the ball rolled Findley's feet moments after Luke Mulholland's long-range shot, his chance eradicate the struggles and misfortune of 2014 was front-and-center for the Real Salt Lake forward. The 29-year-old striker seized the moment.
Findley took a slight touch and fired a shot to the far post, giving RSL a lead, and more importantly, notching his first league goal of the 2014 season. He ran to the corner flag on the northwest side of Rio Tinto Stadium with hands on his face in elation. The goal made Findley the club's second leading scorer all-time with 36 career goals.
Entering Saturday night's meeting, RSL knew of the FC Dallas poison: Free-kick opportunities and the counter-attack. Dallas burned RSL briefly again in the 62nd minute when midfielder Michel drilled a left-footed free kick through a wall and into the back of the net to equalize.
Twitter: @chriskamrani