Jason Kries On Javier Morales: “Big Players Make Big Plays In The Biggest Games.”

As the clock was ticking down at Monterrey’s Estadio Tecnológico Wednesday night, Real Salt Lake trailed 2-1 to Monterrey in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League final.

A road loss by one goal wouldn’t have been a bad result for the MLS side, as they’d go back home with a road goal in tow, needing only a 1-0 victory to secure the championship.

Real Salt Lake miidfielder Javier Morales had other ideas, though.

In a second half mostly dominated by the Mexican side, Morales popped up and scored a vital goal in the 89th minute, giving RSL a 2-2 draw heading into next Wednesday’s second leg at Rio Tinto Stadium.

“Arturo Alvarez made a good play on the outside to give me the ball. I touched it and that’s when the defender came to me. I tried to cut and cross the ball and was happy because it ended up as a goal,” Morales said.

Real Salt Lake head coach Jason Kries wasn’t completely shocked Morales stepped up for his side”

“When the ball gets on Javier’s foot I think we all take a collective breath and hold it for a moment because we know that he’s capable of special plays. Big players make big plays in the biggest games,” Kries said.

Although his team were on the back foot for much of the second half, Kries knew the oppotunity to nick a late equalizer against the run of play might arise.

“I thought we might be able to get something against the run of play, and that’s where it came from. I’m pleased the guys continued to believe, but, to be completely honest, I was alright with walking out of here 2-1 down,” he said.

But RSL did better than that, and the 2-2 result sets up a fantastic opportunity for the club to be crowned kings of the CONCACAF region in the second leg on April 27.

““This is the stuff that dreams are made of, the opportunity to raise this kind of trophy and be the best team in the region. It would be simply fantastic and amazing to raise the trophy in front of our home crowd,” Kries said.

Real Salt Lake’s success has inspired many MLS players and fans to adopt them as their own, as they’ve become the last MLS team in the competition.

One interested observer is none other than David Beckham of the Los Angeles Galaxy.

“I think when you see the success that Salt Lake has had, it makes you want it. It makes you want that as a player and as a club. Let’s hope they continue that, because it’s great for this league. It’s great for the sport around the world. The success that they’re having, it gets coverage all around the world. It’s important for this country and the sport in this country,” Beckham said.