A comedy of errors doesn’t accurately describe the night for Real Salt Lake on Saturday against D.C. United.
After a solid opening 30 minutes for RSL, a yellow-card-turned-penalty-call shifted the momentum United’s way. From there, Real were actors in the saddest drama of the season.
Wayne Rooney completed his first hat trick in Major League Soccer, RSL finished with nine available players on the field and D.C. United drubbed Real 5-0 at Audi Field in Washington. Three of the five goals RSL conceded came as a direct result of turnovers in the backfield.
RSL coach Mike Petke told KMYU after the game that the team discussed how well it played in the first 30 minutes, which could be a positive he takes away from the loss. Still, he was disappointed in the result.
“At the end of the day, we lost 5-0,” Petke said. “Doesn’t matter how it happened.”
D.C. tallied 22 shots to RSL’s four. Two of Real’s players earned red cards, and two other were given yellows.
Center back Marcelo Silva stepped on Paul Arriola’s foot as the D.C. midfielder dribbled in the box. Silva was given a yellow card, which triggered a video review. The review resulted in a penalty kick for Wayne Rooney, who scored and gave D.C. United a 1-0 lead in the 34th minute.
A few minutes later, D.C. defender Leonardo Jara took the ball away from Aaron Herrera in the backfield. Jara passed to Rooney, who chipped a shot over RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando, giving United a 2-0 lead.
Adding insult to injury, Jefferson Savarino, in an attempt to get a foot on a ball floating above his head, kicked the United player defending him in the face. Savarino was shown a red card and RSL had to play short-handed in the second half.
“We’ve got to be very organized and disciplined and make sure we’re getting everybody behind the ball as much we possibly can all the time,” RSL goalkeeper coach Todd Hoffard said at halftime on the KMYU broadcast about playing a man down.
Savarino and Silva will miss next week’s road game against Los Angeles Football Club as a result of the red cards.
Petke said the team “gave” D.C. the first two goals. The next three however, United earned, he said.
Silva turned the ball over in the backfield, which led to Rooney’s third goal in the 65th minute. Silva picked up another yellow card soon after, ejecting him from the game and relegating RSL to just nine men for the remainder of the match.
Lucas Rodríguez and Ulises Segura provided two more goals for D.C. United in the 78th and 80th minutes, respectively.
RSL will be without a slew of players next week at LAFC due to international duties and suspensions from the red cards. Petke might have to summon his bag of tricks in order to have a better showing than against D.C.
“We’re gonna have to come up with something different, maybe a bit creative,” Pekte said. “We’ll figure it out.”
Storylines
• Wayne Rooney scores first MLS hat trick as D.C. United drubs Real Salt Lake, 5-0.
• Two RSL players receive red cards, get ejected and will miss the next game.
• D.C. United earns its third consecutive shutout.
