Washington • For the first time in nine MLS matches at RFK Stadium, Real Salt Lake left with a win, defeating last place United 1-0.
Before the end of the match on Sunday, Real Salt Lake had made the trip east to RFK Stadium 10 times across all competitions, and 10 times RSL left without a win. That all washed away Sunday with a 1-0 victory over D.C. United after a game-delaying storm and a well placed ball by a former United forward.
“I am thrilled with the three points,” coach Mike Petke said. “We talked a lot over the last 24 hours after the rain delay about how we started yesterday’s match and things that went on. I think we showed up today to play a bit more. The second half showed it.”
Officials stopped the originally scheduled Saturday match in the 29th minute due to severe weather in the area that left the RFK pitch unplayable for the evening. Fans took cover in the concourse of RFK for almost 90 minutes as rain flooded the field.
The game resumed Sunday with a United corner kick, starting from the 29th minute. Immediately, RSL took up defense as United stacked players inside the box for forward Luciano Acosta’s kick. The ball safely sailed over the heads of both teams and out of bounds.
“It is a bit of a weird situation,” RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando said. “But it gives us time to get organized and know right from the start what we are going to deal with.”
After 64 minutes of play and almost 24 hours of delay, forward Luis Silva gave Real Salt Lake the game-winning goal it needed to break its three-game winless streak. After Joao Plata hit a free kick from about 25 yards away, Silva sprinted to make a play inside the box. Capitalizing on a poor clear by midfielder Marcelo Sarvas, Silva ripped a shot from just inside the 18 and into the back of the net.
“A goal is a goal. I will take a goal against any team,” Silva said of scoring against his former club. “I think it is most important that it’s the three points.”
The goal was Silva’s second league goal for RSL.
“I am extremely happy for him and the biggest reason is that he does so much for us that I think he perhaps goes unseen,” Petke said. “His combination play allows other people to get to goal and it opens things up. For him to get the goal you could see how happy he was, and we were thrilled for him too.”
At halftime RSL trailed United 8-2 in shots.
“Our game plan coming in here with all of the scouting of D.C., we knew at least the first 15 minutes they were going to be buzzing and all over us,” Petke said. “We knew the beginning of the game we had to sit back a little more, and we knew the second half it would open up.”
Captain Kyle Beckerman and midfielder Stephen Sunday held up the midfield in the first half, allowing RSL to absorb United’s early pressure.
“I think [Beckerman and Sunny] were the key to winning the game,” Petke said. “I have four or five guys on the attack that just want to go to goal every time. As a coach that is brilliant … but there has to come a point when the road is blocked we have to pull it back and possess it. We did that the second half.”
For Petke, Silva and Rimando, the wacky weekend was a goodbye to a stadium that was once their home, but the focus quickly shifted to yet another game on the road. RSL has a quick trip back home to train before traveling to Montreal for a match Saturday against the Impact.
“It was nice to come back [to Washington D.C.]. Some familiar faces in the stands. A lot of memories here” Rimando said. “But again, [we need to] focus on Montreal and not RFK.”