Alvaro Saborio is heating up and the rest of MLS better watch out. The Vancouver Whitecaps apparently didn't get the memo on Saborio and paid for it, giving up two goals to the striker and allowing the Costa Rican to lead Real Salt Lake to a 2-1 win at Rio Tinto Stadium.
Real Salt Lake Vs. Vancouver Whitecaps, 2012 MLS: Alvaro Saborio’s Brace Leads RSL To Win
Saborio first got on the scoresheet thanks to a mistake by Jay DeMerit. The center back handled a ball in the box to give Salt Lake a penalty, which Saborio cooly took to put the home side in front.
That penalty made up all of the scoring in the first half and sent RSL into the second half in front, but the Whitecaps did have an answer after the break. A great ball by Camilo Sanvezzo put Darren Mattocks in alone on goal and the rookie beat Nick Rimando to the ball before sliding it come to level in the 52nd minute.
But the Whitecaps would only be even for six minutes. Ned Grabavoy raced down the right side just two minutes after coming on as a substitue in the 54th minute to trouble the Vancouver before before dropping the ball back for Javier Morales. The RSL playmaker then spotted Saborio in the box and hit a ball right onto his head, which Saborio snapped into the net for what would prove to be the winning goal.
With the win, Salt Lake now sits just one point back of San Jose for the best record in MLS, but the Quakes do have a match in hand. Despite the loss, Vancouver does remain in third place in the Western Conference, although they now trail RSL by eight points.
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