Real Salt Lake won 4-2 against 10-man the Portland Timbers at Rio Tinto Stadium on Friday night with Javier Morales hitting the goal of the evening.
Luis Gil opened the scoring in the ninth minute before Joao Plata doubled the advantage six minutes later.
Darlington Nagbe pulled a goal back for Portland just after the half-hour mark, but their comeback hopes dimmed when Ben Zemanski was sent off just before halftime.
If Portland had any hopes of getting back into the game, Morales squashed them with a spectacular bicycle kick goal in the 55th minute.
Plata served a corner in from the left side, with the ball narrowly missing the head of leaping Nat Borchers before falling to Morales at the back post.
And though the ball initially bounced up on Morales, the Argentine midfielder twisted his body to hit a bicycle kick that bounced off the far post and into the net.
Álvaro Saborio would go on to add an insurance goal on 67 minutes before Sal Zizzo scored a consolation for the visitors in the 78th minute.
"It was a perfect corner kick from Plata but I think my first touch wasn't good," said Morales after the game.
"So the ball goes up and Sabo told me, 'Leave it! Leave it!' but I was there and I was thinking to do the bicycle and lucky for me I scored."
Captain Kyle Beckerman added: "Whew! It was great. I didn't expect it, and then I saw it and it was just what a great goal."
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| Real Salt Lake player Javier Morales scores a bicycle kick goal against Portland Timbers Photo: YouTube |
Luis Gil opened the scoring in the ninth minute before Joao Plata doubled the advantage six minutes later.
Darlington Nagbe pulled a goal back for Portland just after the half-hour mark, but their comeback hopes dimmed when Ben Zemanski was sent off just before halftime.
If Portland had any hopes of getting back into the game, Morales squashed them with a spectacular bicycle kick goal in the 55th minute.
Plata served a corner in from the left side, with the ball narrowly missing the head of leaping Nat Borchers before falling to Morales at the back post.
And though the ball initially bounced up on Morales, the Argentine midfielder twisted his body to hit a bicycle kick that bounced off the far post and into the net.
Álvaro Saborio would go on to add an insurance goal on 67 minutes before Sal Zizzo scored a consolation for the visitors in the 78th minute.
"It was a perfect corner kick from Plata but I think my first touch wasn't good," said Morales after the game.
"So the ball goes up and Sabo told me, 'Leave it! Leave it!' but I was there and I was thinking to do the bicycle and lucky for me I scored."
Captain Kyle Beckerman added: "Whew! It was great. I didn't expect it, and then I saw it and it was just what a great goal."
