"Unbelievable," midfielder Kyle Beckerman said. "It was a team effort. I'm just proud of everybody. It was really an awesome effort, and I think we deserved it".
After Morales was whistled for taking down Ante Razov in the penalty area, allowing Chivas USA's Sacha Kljestan to even the aggregate score, 1-1, Morales spent the rest of the night making up for it.
Without Maykel Galindo, the dynamic striker who has missed most of the season due to hernia surgeries, Chivas lacks a defense-stretching forward who can run behind backlines.
"It's one of those things, if you can come in and help the team either indirectly or directly," Russell said. "It just gives you that sense that you're helping the team out and doing your part. That's all you can ask for."
"Nobody believed in this team," Kovalenko said. "Even our own paper in Salt Lake said we're not going to make the playoffs. But we know who we are in this locker room. We fought all year and we believe in ourselves."
MLS CUP PLAYOFFS - WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS, GAME 2 RSL 2: 2 CHV (RSL WINS ON AGGREGATE 3 : 2 ) SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2008 THE HOME DEPOT CENTER - CARSON, CA
Real Salt Lake head coach Jason Kreis
On the team’s performance:
More than anything, I’m proud of the way we reacted. It was an all-out situation that our boys were placed in from minute one of that match. For them to react the way they did was phenomenal, and then to play the way we did in the second half, to score that goal, was phenomenal. Obviously to allow the second goal was difficult, but that showed me huge improvements because earlier in the season and definitely last year, our team would’ve folded and given up another, and we didn’t. We kept at it and the guys kept their heads; it was great.
On if, before the season, he envisioned being in the Western Conference Championship:
No. The plan that I laid out, I really didn’t think that we’d even be able to make the playoffs. I knew that we had a lot of good players, and I knew that we could coach them into being a team that would compete, be very, very competitive. We’d win our share of games but we’d never be consistent enough to probably make the playoffs this season. I thought that was definitely a next-season thing. But they’ve just improved more than I ever thought, and so obviously now, as I said when we came into the playoffs, we’re not just happy to be here, we think we can win the whole thing.
Real Salt Lake midfielder Kyle Beckerman
On going down a goal:
We didn’t get phased at all, we kept believing that we were going to win this game. We felt like we were the better team, they weren’t in our class, in our level, and it’s as simple as that. We matched their intensity, and the better team is going to win. We just kept believing. It was good timing to get the goal after they scored, and just went on from there.
On the team’s attitude:
We just believe in it. We feel like it’s ours, it’s there for the taking. Somebody’s got to get to the final, win this whole thing, and win these semifinals. Somebody’s got to do it, so why not us.
Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando
On the defense:
We fought together, and we knew there were going to be times where they were going to put a lot of pressure on us, and we knew there were going to be times when we’re going to keep possession. We had to pick our times to get forward and defend. When they threw five forwards up there, it was pretty difficult at the beginning, and they kept the ball and they kept on throwing stuff in there. But we fought, I think that was the main thing. We fought and we hustled, and if one guy wasn’t marking up, the next guy was, and filling in, and that’s what it took today.
On the progress the team has made:
A lot, for sure. We knew we had the ability to be where we’re at today, it was just about putting it into practice, and putting it into the games, and playing full nineties. That’s what we’re doing now. Where we used to not finish games, they would get late goals, we would give up bad mistakes. Now we’re not doing that. Knock on wood, we’re playing through the ninety minutes.
Boz Art...
Boz Note...
If anyone out there fancies a specific photo that I've posted in the past, or perhaps a specific player, just drop me a line and I will email you the raw shot--for Free-Fifty-Free.
Just tryin' to spread that RSL love one photo at a time.
