HARRISON, NJ (July 27, 2013) – Midfielder Dax McCarty’s goal off a diving header in the fourth minute of stoppage time gave the New York Red Bulls a 4-3 win over Real Salt Lake in a thrilling contest at Red Bull Arena Saturday evening in front of 18,604 spectators.
Former Real Salt Lake forward and current Red Bull Fabian Espindola converted a pair of penalty kicks, including a game-tying tally in the 89th minute, as the Red Bulls (10-7-5), tied in second place with the Montreal Impact, overcame an Alvaro Saborio hat trick and a 3-2 deficit to move to 35 points – just one point shy of Eastern Conference leader Sporting Kansas City.
The Red Bulls took the lead in the 11th minute. After Espindola won a free kick on the right side of the field, Thierry Henry’s ensuing delivery found a wide open Tim Cahill, whose header was too powerful for goalkeeper Jeff Attinella to keep out.
New York controlled the opening stages of the match and earned a penalty kick when Kenny Mansally fouled Red Bulls defender Brandon Barklage in the box. Espindola stepped up and doubled the hosts’ advantage, chipping it right down the middle past a diving Attinella.
Red Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles made a good save to deny Javier Morales’ free kick in the 34th minute, going to his left to punch away the Real Salt Lake midfielder’s on target attempt. Four minutes later, Henry was fed by Jonny Steele and the Red Bulls captain drove towards goal and hit the ball with his right foot off the right post. His follow-up attempt on the rebound was blocked away by the Real Salt Lake’s Nat Borchers. Attinella kept the score at 2-0 with a point blank block on an Espindola blast moments after.
Despite being under the gun for most of the opening 45 minutes, the visitors earned a penalty kick when Markus Holgersson was adjudged to have fouled forward Olmes Garcia. Saborio converted the spot kick to pull Real Salt Lake to within one entering halftime.
Saborio tallied his second of the match with 10 minutes to play and tied the game, putting home a Garcia pass. Two minutes later, the Costa Rican completed his hat trick, chipping it in past Robles after getting the ball from Joao Plata.
However, the Red Bulls mounted a furious rally to earn three points. In the 89th minute, Espindola was able to get into the box and earned the team’s second penalty kick of the night when he was fouled by Real Salt Lake’s Aaron Maund. With his second try from the spot, Espindola this time curled it inside the left post, beating Attinella with a precise shot.
Then, in the fourth minute of stoppage time, substitute Lloyd Sam cut it back on the right wing to Barklage, who whipped in a cross that was headed home by a diving McCarty to give New York the three points.
New York hits the road to take on Sporting Kansas City on Saturday, Aug. 3 at Sporting Park at 6:30 PM ET (TV: NBC Sports Network; Radio: ESPN Deportes Radio Nueva York 1050 AM). New York’s next home contest is on Aug. 17, when it battles the Philadelphia Union at 8:00 PM at Red Bull Arena. Tickets for Red Bulls matches are available by calling 1.877.RBSOCCER or logging onto www.newyorkredbulls.com.
New York Red Bulls 4, Real Salt Lake 3
July 27, 2013 – Red Bull Arena – Harrison, NJ
MLS Regular Season
Scoring Summary:
NY: Tim Cahill 6 (Thierry Henry 5) 11’
NY: Fabian Espindola 5 (penalty kick) 23’
RSL: Alvaro Saborio 5 (penalty kick) 45’
RSL: Alvaro Saborio 6 (Olmes Garcia 3) 80’
RSL: Alvaro Saborio 7 (Joao Plata 6) 82’
NY: Fabian Espindola 6 (penalty kick) 89’
NY: Dax McCarty 3 (Brandon Barklage 5) 94’+
Disciplinary Summary:
RSL: Yordany Alvarez (caution) 4’
RSL: Olmes Garcia (caution) 64’
NY: Jonny Steele (caution) 68’
NY: Jamison Olave (caution) 76’
NY: Tim Cahill (caution) 78’
RSL: Aaron Maund (caution) 88’
NY: Dax McCarty (caution) 95’+
New York Red Bulls (10-7-5, 35 points) – Luis Robles, Brandon Barklage, Jamison Olave, Markus Holgersson, Roy Miller, Eric Alexander, Dax McCarty, Tim Cahill (Lloyd Sam 85’), Jonny Steele (Peguy Luyindula 87’), Fabian Espindola (Marius Obekop 92’+), Thierry Henry
Substitutes Not Used: Ryan Meara, Kosuke Kimura, Ibrahim Sekagya, Michael Bustamante
Real Salt Lake (11-7-4, 37 points) – Jeff Attinella, Lovel Palmer (Joao Plata 77’), Aaron Maund, Kenny Mansally, Nat Borchers, Javier Morales, Ned Grabavoy, Sebastian Velasquez (Luis Gil 70’), Yordany Alvarez (Khari Stephenson 61’), Alvaro Saborio, Olmes Garcia
Substitutes Not Used: Lalo Fernandez, Devon Sandoval, Brandon McDonald, Robbie Findley
Referee: Silviu Petrescu
Referee’s Assistants: Daniel Belleau, James Conlee
4th Referee: Daniel Fitzgerald
Attendance: 18,604
