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Angel's penalty kick helps Red Bulls tie Real Salt Lake

Sep 30, 2007 - 3:31 AM EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Ticker) -- Juan Pablo Angel provided a familiar ending in the sixth meeting between the New York Red Bulls and Real Salt Lake.

Angel scored the equalizer on a penalty kick in the 80th minute to help the Red Bulls salvage a 2-2 tie with Real Salt Lake on Saturday.

Angel, who set a new Red Bulls record for goals in a season with 17, ensured that the two teams would play to a tie for the fifth time in six meetings.

With the tie, the Red Bulls (11-10-6) were unable to clinch a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. They needed a win and losses by Columbus and Colorado.

"I'm happy, but today was about a playoff spot," Angel said. "It was about winning the game, it wasn't about breaking the record. I'm more concerned about doing well as a team."

"It's good to just keep going, to keep believing in ourselves and at the end get a draw, but it was a matter of getting three points today," Red Bulls coach Bruce Arena said. "We were playing for a playoff spot today."

Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando dove to his right, but Angel elevated the shot past him into the left corner, knotting the game at 2-2. The penalty kick was set up when Real Salt Lake midfielder Carey Talley took down Seth Stammler in the penalty area.

"I just didn't have a good view," Real Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis said. "There were just so many people standing between where I was standing and where the foul happened. Judging by the reaction of our players, I would say it must have been pretty questionable."

Angel then nearly won the game for New York as he apparently scored in the 89th minute, but was ruled offside.

Real Salt Lake (5-13-9) got on the board first as Chris Brown scored on a diving header from the top of the penalty box off a well-placed left-footed cross from fullback Chris Wingert.

Brown's goal sailed into the top left-hand corner past an out-of-position Ronald Waterreus, which came on their first shot of the night.

New York answered in the 49th minute as Francis Doe took a header in the penalty area from Angel and made several moves on Real Salt Lake fullback Matias Mantilla, shooting between his legs and beating a diving Nick Rimando just inside the far post.

Kyle Beckerman gave Real Salt Lake a short-lived 2-1 lead in the 75th minute as he took a pass from Fabian Espindola on the left wing beat Waterreus to the right side.

"I'm disappointed because you feel you should do better and walk away with three points when you have a lead twice," Kreis said. "Especially to have a lead late in the game, which we did."