The game in 100 words (or less): Players Real Salt Lake were without Saturday night in Vancouver: Javier Morales, Kyle Beckerman, Nick Rimando, Joao Plata, Jamison Olave, Chris Schuler, Jordan Allen and Luke Mulholland. With both eyes firmly placed on their US Open Cup semifinal on Wednesday night — and in the midst of a 15-day, five-game jaunt across North and Central America — Jeff Cassar, who was sent off himself in this one, opted to rotate his squad a great deal. So, it’s really little surprise they were beaten and battered, to the tune of 4-0, by the Whitecaps at BC Place. It was shocking, however, at just how easy RSL made life for the Whitecaps and how quickly things got out of hand. With their 13th victory of the season in hand, the ‘Caps remain very much in the thick of the Supporters’ Shield race, where they trail D.C. United by just two points with a game in hand. Meanwhile, RSL sink to eighth in the Western Conference, three points behind the Seattle Sounders for the sixth and final playoff place.
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Three moments that mattered
7' — Rivero taken down in the box, PK awarded — Elias Vasquez was (woefully) adjudged to have taken down Octavio Rivero inside the RSL penalty area despite minimal contact, and certainly nothing outside your run-of-the-mill jostling on a set piece. Rivero converted to give the ‘Caps and early lead.
40' — Kah scores his third in two games for the ‘Caps — Pa-Modou Kah, center forward, am I right? Nope, still wrong. This is one of the more hilarious — and Kah-esque— goals you’re bound to see in MLS this season. With roughly 85 percent of the net wide open through which to tap home his easy goal, Kah somehow hit the 15 percent occupied by Jeff Attinella, and scored anyway.
50' — Techera taps home from close range — “Close range” doesn’t really do justice just how far Cristian Techera actually had to hit Jordan Harvey’s cross to put it over the line. Though, to be fair to Techera, the tight angle was quite difficult and he did well to not hit the post followed by his face.
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Man of the match: Cristian Techera
Goalscorers: Rivero (PK - 7'), Kah (40'), Techera (50', 68')