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Orlando, Fla. • There are few times a team looks comfortable for 93 minutes, takes a 2-0 lead and does not come home with all three points. Real Salt Lake's season opener at Orlando City was one of those times.
In a deflating finale that undid a solid 90 minutes' work, Real's defense imploded in the face of frenzied pressure from the home team, conceding two unlikely goals in the space of slightly less than 60 seconds.
It was such an improbable scenario, even some of the usually fanatic home supporters had already left before 2015's Rookie of the Year Cyle Larin finally pierced Nick Rimando's backline.
And then, in a finish as incredible as anything we are likely to see all season, Jeff Cassar's men were undone again almost from the kickoff, and a comfortable three points had become a scant one in the blink of an eye.
"I can't recall ever being in a game like this," Cassar said. "Things happen fast and you have to be able to finish, but in the last six minutes, we just became fatigued, undisciplined, not recognizing the dangers and we paid the price."
RSL had done everything right for the most part, riding out an early storm of pressure and surviving the loss of Demar Phillips 20 minutes on after the defender was shown two yellow cards.
Rimando needed to make a smart sixth-minute save from Kevin Molino after the Trinidadian midfielder broke clear into the box on a Rafael Ramos cross, but otherwise Orlando only had a string of corners to show for their early dominance.
Even the shock loss of Phillips — two fouls in the space of nine minutes — did not disturb the equilibrium of a team that seemed perfectly set up for a defensive smash-and-grab raid.
That looked even more likely in the 26th minute as Kyle Beckerman's long ball over the top caught the Orlando back four short of pace in chasing Yura Movsisyan, and Seb Hines' challenge on the Armenian striker had referee Chris Penso pointing to the penalty spot.
Joao Plata promptly dispatched the penalty into the top corner of the net, and the game was back to level terms in playing numbers in first-half stoppage time when City midfielder Darwin Ceren charged into Javier Morales, caught the Argentine on the side of the face and was shown a straight red card.
The second half saw a classic period of punch and counter-punch, with veterans Beckerman, Morales and Plata firmly to the fore, highlighted by periodic moments of brilliance from Burrito Martinez.
And it was Martinez who opened the door to goal number two on 66 minutes. He burst between two defenders on the right and found the perfect pass on the right byline for Tony Beltran to fire a low cross to the far post where Plata finished from close range.
With time ticking down and Jamison Olave and Aaron Maund repelling most of Orlando's attacks, Rimando made one brilliant save at point-blank range from Pedro Ribeiro but could do nothing about Larin's sure touch in front of goal from a Brek Shea cross deep in stoppage time.
It seemed nothing more than a consolation for Orlando and their 60,147 crowd, but Olave and Maund both misjudged a hopeful punt forward moments later, allowing Larin to shield the ball to Swiss sub Adrian Winter, who had the easiest of chances to convert into a gaping goal.
"This is a crazy emotion right now," Orlando City coach Adrian Heath said. "I thought this was a game where we'd keep battling and battling and never get in the door and now, it actually feels like we won the game."
The Associated Press contributed to this report. —
Storylines
R Orlando City scores two goals in the 94th minute to salvage a 2-2 draw with Real Salt Lake in the Major League Soccer season opener.
• Joao Plata scores both of RSL's goals, one on a first-half penalty kick and the other on a second-half break. • RSL plays most of the game with 10 men, after Demar Phillips is ejected in the 20th minute for his second yellow card.