Vancouver Whitecaps' road hell continued, going down 2-0 to a Real Salt Lake side that showed what a difference clinical finishing can make to a team.
For all of the Caps speed merchants, it was the quick thinking and quick acting of the home side that led to second half goals from Luis Gil and Javier Morales, with the Whitecaps once again failing to heed the "you snooze, you lose" lessons dished out to them in recent weeks.
Vancouver's two keys to the game were the same as they have been for most of the season - stop making defensive errors and mark up better, and convert more of the numerous chances they have been creating.
Once again they did neither and once again they came away from a road trip with nothing to show for it apart from regrets and a lot to work upon, slipping further behind the pace with those above them in the Western Conference.
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As expected, Martin Rennie rang the changes again, making six alterations from the team that beat Edmonton on Wednesday night, with changes in every aspect of the pitch apart from in goal.
The game started in pretty lacklustre fashion, with both sides enjoying possession but failing to create any clear goalscoring opportunities.
Real Salt Lake were by far the more lively looking team, with a number of dangerous balls being played into the box, which the new look Caps backline did well to deal with.
Chris Wingert fired wide for the home team from long range, as they piled the pressure on Vancouver, without troubling Joe Cannon.
The Whitecaps' closest opportunity came when Andy O'Brien headed onto the top of the net in the 34th minute, but it wasn't even close to forcing a save out of Nick Rimando, who was having a very easy night of it.
Chris Schuler got on the end of a corner with six minutes of the half remaining and sent a dangerous header across the Caps goal but out of play.
It had been a horrible first half to watch and even the referee couldn't bring himself to play the full amount of time he'd indicated to add on, blowing a halt to proceedings a few seconds early.
The game finally burst into life two minutes into the second half following some quick thinking from Nick Rimando.
The RSL keeper saw that Vancouver were slowly heading back to their own half after an attack and sent a quick goal kick deep into the Caps half to Joao Plata. The winger send a perfect ball into the middle and Luis Gil ran in unmarked to head home the opener from seven yards out.
It was an easy goal for Gil and once against slack Vancouver marking let him ghost in unchallenged and cost the Caps dearly.
The Whitecaps finally got a decent chance a minute before the hour mark, when Daigo Kobayashi rose to head the ball down to Camilo, but the Brazilian could only curl his effort over from just inside the box.
Corey Hertzog almost brought the Whitecaps level in the 62nd minute coming close as he ran on to a long ball and flicked the ball off Rimando and trickling towards the goal. He could only to look on agonisingly and see Nat Borchers clear the danger off the goalline, although it looked like it didn't have enough pace to have crossed the line anyway.
Reo-Coker blocked a Javier Morales shot in the box three minutes later, which he didn't know too much about, with the referee waving away RSL claims for a penalty.
Hertzog was unable to get his foot on the end of a great Reo-Coker ball across goal in the 71st minute and the Caps were immediately punished when RSL went straight up the pitch and doubled their lead.
Salt Lake sub Sebastian Velasquez held off the attention of Alain Rochat and played the ball into Plata. The little Ecuadorian got his second assist of the night when he cut the ball inside to Javier Morales and the DP easily swept home to make it 2-0.
Vancouver made a double substitution to try and kick start some offence. Apart from an initial spurt, nothing was forthcoming.
Real Salt Lake easily saw out the remaining minutes, coasting to the final whistle and under no pressure from Vancouver getting back into the match.
Another away defeat is now becoming the norm, but the nature of this one leaves a sour taste in the mouth, as you felt that RSL hardly had to get out of first gear to get the job done.
The home side, missing key performers, didn't do much themselves, but they did all they needed to do to see off a toothless Caps side.
The pressure is now mounting on both the management and the players. The more they fall off the pace at the top of the West, the more changes will need to be made.
The transfer window remains open until Monday.
FINAL SCORE: Real Salt Lake 2 - 0 Vancouver Whitecaps
ATT: 17,480
REAL SALT LAKE: Nick Rimando; Tony Beltran, Nat Borchers, Chris Schuler, Chris Wingert; Kyle Beckerman, Luis Gil (Sebastian Velasquez 54), Ned Grabavoy, Javier Morales; Devon Sandoval, Joao Plata (Carlos Salcedo 89) [subs Not Used: Josh Saunders, Lovel Palmer, Olmes Garcia, Khari Stephenson, Kenny Mansally]
VANCOUVER: Joe Cannon; Young-Pyo Lee, Andy O’Brien, Johnny Leveron, Alain Rochat (Tommy Heinemann 75); Nigel Reo-Coker, Gershon Koffie; Daigo Kobayashi, Camilo Sanvezzo (Kekuta Manneh 67), Russell Teibert; Corey Hertzog (Darren Mattocks 74) [subs Not Used: Brad Knighton, Jordan Harvey, Jun Marques Davidson, Erik Hurtado]
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