San Jose Earthquakes Vs. Real Salt Lake, Halftime: Sloppy Conditions Lead To Scoreless Half

There's no question that grass is a preferable playing surface. But on days like this when the San Jose Earthquakes and Real Salt Lake have played the first half of their game to a scoreless tie while the rain has been steadily coming down and wind has been whipping, the fake stuff doesn't look so bad. Players have been slipping and sliding all over the pitch and several good scoring opportunities have been wasted, mainly because of the slickness of the ball.

Both teams have been doing an admirable job of trying to play an attractive style, forgoing long passes and getting up and down the field, but the efforts have largely been spoiled by the conditions. The Quakes have been able to create the better chances, with Ryan Johnson and Chris Wondolowski both getting free near the goal, but neither were able to put them away. RSL has struggled to create much, with most of their chances coming from outside the penalty area.