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Saborio stays hot as RSL tops Vancouver

Jul 28, 2012 - 3:07 AM Sandy, UT (Sports Network) - Real Salt Lake striker Alvaro Saborio may be sad to see the month of July come to an end.

On Friday, Saborio tallied two more goals in a 2-1 RSL victory over Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Rio Tinto Stadium, giving him six goals in five games in July.

Saborio converted a first-half penalty kick to put his team in front, and after the visitors equalized through Darren Mattocks early in the second half, Saborio headed home the winning goal for his 13th tally of the campaign.

Salt Lake has now won three of its last four games to move eight points clear of Vancouver in second place, while the Whitecaps sustained their third defeat in five matches.

Vancouver was slow to get started in the opening 45 minutes and the 'Caps fell behind shortly after the half-hour mark when defender Jay DeMerit fouled Kyle Beckerman inside the penalty area, allowing Saborio to convert the spot kick.

The visitors managed only one shot in the first half, but Mattocks brought them to life after the break by getting on the other end of a chipped pass from Camilo to slot his shot past goalkeeper Nick Rimando.

Barry Robson struck the post a few minutes later for Vancouver, and Mattocks narrowly missed on a header from Camilo's corner kick.

But Saborio restored the lead for RSL after the spell of pressure by getting up to head home a cross from Javier Morales.

Vancouver was still dangerous and was searching for the equalizer when a poor backpass from DeMerit forced goalkeeper Joe Cannon to handle the ball outside his penalty area, earning him a red card.

Despite playing down a man for the final 15 minutes, Vancouver substitute Kenny Miller managed to come close with a header which would have allowed his team to steal a point in the last 10 minutes.