Jaime scores again, but RSL plays Columbus to disappointing 2-2 draw at home


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SANDY — In the final match before Nick Rimando and Kyle Beckerman depart to represent the United States in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, Real Salt Lake could only muster a 2-2 draw with Columbus Crew SC.

Sebastian Jaime needed just 91 seconds the second half to score his second career MLS goal, charging at Crew goalkeeper Steve Clark and chipping a ball over his head to walk in the 2-1 advantage.

Ethan Finlay scored his third goal of the season for Columbus, getting the final touch on a chaotic ball inside the 6-yard box for the Crew to tie the game at 2-2.

Olmes Garcia scored the opening goal of the match in the 36th minute off a well-drawn play from a free kick. Luke Mulholland slid a ball to Kyle Beckerman from 25 yards out, and the captain found Joao Plata on the end line to head it down and create a pure tap-in for Garcia.

Jaime and Garcia have combined to score four goals in the past three games for RSL.

Tony Tchani pulled one back for Columbus in the 42nd minute, finishing a ball near the penalty spot that Finlay crossed in for his MLS-leading 10th assist of the year.

Here are three quick takeaways from RSL’s draw with the Crew in front of 20,171 fans on Saturday night.

It's called the annexation of Puerto Rico ... maybe ---------------------------------------------------

Garcia’s goal was the culmination of a schoolyard-like play allegedly called "the annexation of Puerto Rico" (Mulholland had no comment when asked about the 'Little Giants' classic) that started with Mulholland and passed through four RSL players as the ball barely touched the ground.

Plata’s assist came off his head, and the 5-foot-2 Ecuadorian went up on the end line to strike down a perfectly played ball at the feet for Garcia for the easy finish.

"Give all credit to the coaches for that one," Mulholland said. "We've practiced that a few times since last year. I think Kyle suggested doing it then and there on the field. We tried, and it finally came off. The first time trying, it came off.

"I think we were all surprised as anyone that it happened, but delighted for Olmes to tap that in."

The Colombian striker scored for the second time in three games after going nearly 800 minutes without a goal in 2015. The partnership between Jaime and Garcia may prove even more useful for RSL during the Gold Cup, when the team will be without five players, including leading scorer Alvaro Saborio (Costa Rica).

Rookie Kavita impresses in first start

Phanuel Kavita became the second Utah native in Real Salt Lake history to start a match at Rio Tinto Stadium, joining former Salt Lake Community College standout Justin Braun on the short list. Kavita partnered with Aaron Maund in central defense while Justen Glad nursed a minor hamstring injury suffered during RSL’s 1-0 loss at New York on Wednesday.

The Highland High product and Clemson University alum had two chances to score in the opening six minutes of the match. Mulholland’s close-range free kick redirected off Kavita’s boot in front of goal in the fourth minute, and the youngster nearly landed a chance on Luis Gil’s corner kick just a minute later.

"I thought he did really well," Maund said of Kavita. "It's not an easy battle up there with Kamara. For that to be his first start in the league, I thought he did an excellent job."

RSL is seeing a lot of red

RSL substitute Jordan Allen was sent off with a red card — the third such infraction in two games for the Salt Lake side — in the 77th minute for a late challenge on Tchani. The RSL second-year utility player went in on a hard foul, flashed his studs and felt the ire of referee Ismail Elfath.

RSL was already without Javier Morales and Demar Phillips, who were both serving one-game suspensions for red cards earned Wednesday in a 1-0 loss at New York.

The club has now earned six red cards through 18 games of the regular season.

"I have to do a better job of making sure my team is disciplined and making good choices," RSL head coach Jeff Cassar said. "I don't want this to be a team that is erratic and wild. I want us to be smart and disciplined, very aggressive when it is time to be aggressive.

"We're making some poor choices."

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Sean Walker

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