CARSON, Calif. -- Real Salt Lake went from longtime Western Conference cellar dwellers to earning a spot in the Western Conference Championship after playing Chivas USA to a thrilling 2-2 draw Saturday night at The Home Depot Center. The result saw RSL through to the conference final after winning the series 3-2 on aggregate over their former expansion brethren.
With the series win, RSL sent Chivas USA crashing out of the first round of the playoffs for the third consecutive year. RSL now will face off against the winner of Sunday's Houston-New York match next week for a spot in MLS Cup 2008.
Dema Kovalenko and Javier Morales scored for RSL after Sacha Kljestan gave Chivas USA an early lead off a penalty kick. Justin Braun scored for Chivas USA in the final 10 minutes of the match but the RSL defense withstood a frenetic end to hold off Chivas USA.
The match started off at a fast pace with Chivas USA playing the aggressor from the outset to try to erase RSL's goal from the series opener a week ago.
In the 10th minute Clint Mathis was given a yellow card for taking Jonathan Bornstein down after the referee's whistle had stopped play.
RSL had the first look at goal when Yura Movsisyan tried to flick the ball over the head of Chivas USA goalkeeper Zach Thornton from inside the penalty area in the 16th minute. But the attempt from Movsisyan, the last-minute hero in the 1-0 first-leg win, was too strong and the ball went over the goal.
Then Chivas USA increased the pressure and were rewarded for it. First, Sacha Kljestan hit a hard shot from inside the penalty area that was blocked just wide of the goal by Nick Rimando.
Chivas USA pulled even for the series in the 29th minute. Ante Razov dribbled the ball into the RSL penalty area where he was hauled down by Javier Morales. Referee Michael Kennedy immediately pointed at the penalty spot and Kljestan stepped up to take the spot kick. Kljestan sent his shot into the upper right corner of the goal, just out of the reach of Rimando's outstretched arms.
The goal snapped a 411-minute scoreless streak as Chivas USA last scored a playoff goal in the second half of their first-ever postseason encounter, a 2-1 win against Houston in 2006.
RSL nearly pulled one back in the 37th minute. Kyle Beckerman beat the Chivas USA defense to an in-swinging ball inside the penalty area and headed the ball inches wide of the goal.
Kovalenko made no mistake about it two minutes later, though. Morales sent a cross inside the penalty area from the right flank to an onrushing Kovalenko, who lunged to get his head on the ball and knock it past Thornton inside the far post.
The goal put RSL back on top in the series and shifted the pressure back on the hosts.
Chivas USA made one change to start the second half, adding more offense by substituting Alecko Eskandarian for defender Jim Curtin.
RSL continued to attack into the second half. In the 53rd minute, Movsisyan dribbled into the Chivas USA penalty area and hit a low shot that Thornton was just able to swat away with his left hand.
Chivas USA countered moments later, Kljestan sending a pass to Ante Razov 15 yards from goal. Razov hit a soft, bending shot over the head of Rimando but inches left of the post.
Chivas USA coach Preki went to his bench again in the 57th minute when he inserted forward Justin Braun in place of defender Carey Talley.
Movsisyan nearly scored in the 66th minute, firing a shot from 12 yards out that hit the side netting.
Morales blew a golden chance to seal the match in the 71st minute. After taking a pass from Movsisyan at midfield, Morales raced unmarked toward the goal but opted to take a 19-yard shot over Thornton, who had come off the goal line. Morales' shot went wide left of the goal.
Five minutes later Morales made up for it. Robbie Findley corralled a loose ball near the left corner before passing to Morales who was standing just inside the penalty area. Morales controlled the pass, raced past a defender and hit a low shot across the goal and past Thornton to give RSL the two-goal lead on aggregate.
Chivas USA would not go without a fight. In the 83rd minute Braun took a perfect through ball from Francisco Mendoza at the top of the penalty area and slotted a shot past Rimando to pull Chivas USA to within a goal of sending the match into overtime.
The RSL bench watched the final agonizing minutes of the match on their feet.
Findley nearly took advantage of Chivas USA sending everyone forward on the attack. Findley took a deflected ball and raced half the distance of the field before hitting a close shot that Thornton saved.
Kljestan kept the Chivas USA attack going and two minutes from full time he hit a 15-yard shot just over the crossbar.
Five minutes of stoppage time were added on but RSL was able to fend off the furious Chivas USA attack and book a date in next week's conference championship.
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