Apr 15, 2017; Commerce City, CO, USA; Real Salt Lake fans cheer during the second half against the Colorado Rapids at Dicks Sporting Goods Park. Real Salt Lake won the game 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Real Salt Lake scored twice in the final five minutes to earn three road points against the Rapids. RSL is now 2-0 under Mike Petke.

The first leg of the Rocky Mountain Cup stayed true to tradition as RSL and the Rapids played 90 minutes of physical, sloppy soccer. It wasn’t until the waning moments that things shifted to Real’s favor. Chris Wingert drew a late penalty, which was buried by Yura Movsisyan, and Brooks Lennon opened up his own goal count a few minutes later to secure the 2-1 victory for the Claret & Cobalt. Here are some things that stood out.

Dealing with the bus

The Rapids chose to sit back and defend, especially after going up early with a goal from Kevin Doyle. Parking the bus created visible frustrations for RSL, as they struggled to create chances. Colorado did their best to deny the ball to Rusnák and limit service to Yura Movsisyan. Save some late mishaps, it looked like it was going to pay off.

Substitutes Luis Silva and Ricardo Velazco both played a part in the earned PK. First with Velazco earning a foul in a dangerous position, followed by Silva’s header hitting the cross-bar on the service, which would find Chris Wingert and force Jared Watts into a handball.

Before the late game heroics however, the attack struggled to crack the Rapids defense. Until the 85th minute, RSL only managed one shot on goal, despite having over 60% of the possession. Nick Rimando came up big, denying Colorado in what looked to be a for sure goal in the fifth minute, then again in extra time to secure the victory. After the strong showing against the Whitecaps, their performance seemed more similar to matches from earlier in the year.

After the match, head coach Mike Petke took the blame for the team’s poor showing. Praising the Rapids gameplan followed by RSL’s ability to find a way to win, Petke shared his thoughts on what comes next,

“Four days of practice. Another opportunity to get points and improve as a team. Compared to last week, today was kind of a bit of a step backwards but we found the way to win. Time to get back on track and play the style we like to play.”

Colorado’s tactics played a large factor in how tough this one turned out to be. Real will definitely get a chance to come out and play next weekend as MLS newcomers Atlanta United come to the RioT.

Continuity in the lineup

Having roster depth is always a benefit. RSL has been forced to dip well into their reserves so far this year, and that trend continued against Colorado.

The back line was the same lineup from previous matchup for the first time this year, but was still without Aaron Maund and Tony Beltran. Joao Plata returned to the injury list following a hip injury in training. His absence was apparent as the club tried to unlock the Rapids defense.

Sebastian Saucedo returned to the starting lineup before being replaced by Ricardo Velazco. Plata should return to the staring XI as soon as his is healthy. Opposite of Plata is a different story. Jordan Allen had a strong preseason performance, before a tough showing in the opener. Following his injury in Chicago, Brooks Lennon has really carved out a place for himself.

While Lennon’s game-winner was just his first goal of the season, he has been a spark and key contributor to the RSL attack since he replaced Allen. Lennon had also gone a full 90 in five straight matches. While the team has finally started to see regular lineups, which have also earned results, the next question is what will the club do when the veterans finally get healthy?

“Play the kids”

RSL has relied on their young players since week two, and with the results Lennon will almost certainly make the U-20 World Cup squad in May. This gives Jordan Allen a chance to earn his spot back without the direct competition, similar to how he lost it, but it will be worth watching to see how Petke gets both of them on the field before and after the World Cup.

Acosta has likely played himself into a spot on the team as well, and it won’t be surprising if Saucedo also earns a call up.

The youngster high level of play should allow RSL to get healthy before leaving the squad for about a month. Their contributions will definitely be missed. Real will be forced to shake up their lineup despite the team having strung together solid performances. Hopefully the shake up will go smoothly, and the veteran regulars will continue on without missing a beat.

Real has a tough grind the next three weeks, facing Atlanta, SKC, and FC Dallas. After that the youngsters will likely miss the next few games, including possible Open Cup matches.

RSL will be forced to test their depth again, but if they are able to stay on track (and stay healthy) the team will head into July with at least 23 players who have proven they can start and contribute at a high level. Something RSL has never been able to claim in the past.