RSL wins 1-0
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Real Salt Lake down Tigres UANL in friendly
(by John Coon realsaltlake.com 9-4-08)
SALT LAKE CITY -- Real Salt Lake wound down their exhibition schedule by offering Tigres UANL of Mexico's FMF Primera Division a taste of the tough defense MLS clubs have experienced all season.
RSL made an early goal by Yura Movsisyan stand up en route to grinding out a 1-0 victory against the Monterrey-based club on Wednesday evening at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
It marked the first win for RSL against a Mexican club in three tries. Real had previously lost exhibition matches to Monarcas Morelia in 2006 and Santos Laguna this past July.
Along the way, RSL also snapped a three-match winless streak to international opponents dating back to last summer.
RSL wasted no time attacking the goal early against Tigres. Robbie Findley drove down the far sideline in the fifth minute and crossed to Will Johnson at the opposite post. Johnson had a good look at the net, but his shot bounced wide.
It was Movsisyan's turn two minutes later. Receiving the ball in the center of the penalty area, he pivoted and fired a line drive ball right at Alfredo Talavera -- a shot the UANL goalkeeper easily scooped up.
Findley tried to strike himself in the 10th minute when he settled a long ball lobbed deep into the penalty area. He shot the ball in stride but Talavera had the right position to come up with a catch.
Movsisyan went on the attack again three minutes later when he sprinted down into the penalty area and fired at the right post from the opposite side of the area. The shot was nowhere close to being on frame and skidded wide right.
The third time was the charm for Movsisyan, finally putting Real on the board in the 18th minute. Alex Nimo swung a corner kick out Movsisyan at the far end of the penalty area. Talavera came out to corral Movsisyan's touch shot, but he managed to pop the ball over him and into the back of the net.
Further efforts to add to the lead in the first half proved fruitless for Real. But RSL started to get things heated up again on the offensive end just after halftime.
Two minutes after the break, Jesus Chavez committed a handball in the area and referee Landis Wiley pointed to the spot. Movsisyan's put the resulting penalty kick on target, but Talavera guessed right on his dive and knocked the ball away. The Tigres had a good shot at an equalizer in the 58th minute when Chavez got under a corner kick and headed it at Chris Seitz. It didn't take much for Seitz to grab the ball out of the air and prevent the would-be goal.
Mario Ruiz had another chance for UANL in the 61st minute when he lobbed a free kick over RSL's defensive wall. But Seitz also snagged that ball before it had a chance to develop into anything.
Real did not dress several of their usual starters for the exhibition match, including Fabian Espindola, Kenny Deuchar, Nat Borchers, Ian Joy, Javier Morales and Nick Rimando.
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