RSL plays rare game without Rimando, Beltran, Wingert

Kansas City, Kan. • It is a rare occurrence when Real Salt Lake does not play with goalkeeper Nick Rimando, defender Tony Beltran and defender Chris Wingert in the lineup.

The last time that happened was Sept. 28, when RSL won 1-0 at Vancouver. Before that, you have to go back to Oct. 6, 2007, a 3-2 loss to Chivas USA at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Rimando injured his knee and Beltran sprained his ankle while playing for the U.S. men's national team in Wednesday's friendly with Mexico, a 2-2 draw. Wingert suffered a groin injury in RSL's 3-0 win over Toronto FC last week. None of the three injured RSL players made the trip to Kansas City.

Jeff Attinella got the start in goal for RSL. Rich Balchan started for Beltran, and Kenny Mansally started for Wingert.

The last win in K.C.

After Saturday night's draw, RSL still has just one victory in Kansas City. It came in 2009, a match in which Rimando did not play.

Pablo Campos's goal in the 18th minute stood up as RSL won 1-0. RSL was without Rimando and several other starters who rested for then-coach Jason Kreis. Chris Seitz started in goal and picked up his first career MLS win and shutout.

Sporting KC was then known as the Kansas City Wizards and played in nearby CommunityAmerica Ballpark.

Painted wall

RSL players and coaches were wise not to look in the northwest corner of Sporting Park, where they've painted the wall with a gold "2013" under "MLS Cup Champions," a reminder of last year's heartbreaking loss.

In January, a month after RSL's MLS Cup loss at Sporting Park, Sporting KC began running commercials that ended with a note about single-game tickets going on sale. The campaign used fans' cell phone videos of the final shootout kick by former RSL defender Lovel Palmer, who hit the crossbar and sent the fans into a frenzy.

The other Salvador Perez

No, that was not RSL team administrator Salvador Perez leading the Kansas City Royals to victory Saturday afternoon in Kansas City. That would be All-Star catcher Salvador Perez, whose eighth-inning RBI double was the difference in the Royals' 4-3 win over the Chicago White Sox.

RSL's Salvador Perez became the team administrator last year after spending four years as the team's manager of Latino marketing and sales.