CARSON, Calif. (Wednesday, May 27, 2015) – For 83 minutes, Real Salt Lake was every bit the LA Galaxy’s equal. However a slow start proved costly and an early penalty was the difference in the match as RSL fell 1-0 at the StubHub Center.
Playing the middle game in a stretch of three matches in eight days, Head Coach Jeff Cassar rotated his squad heavily, making four changes to the lineup that topped NYCFC 2-0 on Saturday. In the second half, he also utilized both MF Javier Morales and FW Joao Plata to try to battle back from an early 1-0 deficit, and while RSL was able to generate possession and shots, it couldn’t find the equalizer and dropped to 4-4-5 (17 points, 7th in West) on the season.
GK Nick Rimando was called on early to make a big save, diving to his right to stop a shot from Mika Vayrynen in the fifth minute. Moments later, DF Jamison Olave was whistled for a handball in the box in the sixth minute, giving the Galaxy an early penalty. Vayrynen carried the ball into the box up the left side and Olave slid in to cut him off, but when Vayrynen cut back Olave handled the ball to draw the whistle.
Juninho converted the penalty to give LA the 1-0 lead in the seventh minute, shooting to Rimando’s right while Rimando dove left.
Although they would hold a 7-4 shooting advantage for the first 45 minutes, the remainder of the first half was played much more evenly after the penalty and the 1-0 score held until halftime.
Early in the second half, things would change for both teams, though, as three attacking stars entered the match. Robbie Keane came on for LA at halftime while Plata and Morales both entered in the 54th minute.
From that point forward, RSL outshot the Galaxy, but didn’t register the first shot on goal of the match until the 77th minute when FW Olmes Garcia had his running shot stopped by Jaime Penedo.
The Galaxy managed just one second-half shot on goal as well, an 89th minute shot from Robbie Keane that Rimando knocked away at the near post.
As RSL fought to equalize the match, Olave was ejected after a tussle with Keane in second-half stoppage time and the match ended soon after with a 1-0 score line. Because of the red card, Olave will miss RSL’s next match on Saturday against Vancouver Whitecaps FC at BC Place. The match kicks off at 4 p.m. MT with television coverage on KMYU.
Real Salt Lake Match Notes – LAvRSL
- MF Pecka made his first MLS start Saturday against the Galaxy. He is the 20th player to start a match for RSL this season.
- LA’s seventh-minute penalty was the fourth called against Real Salt Lake in the last five matches. Just two of them have scored.
- This is Real Salt Lake’s second string of three matches in one week. In the first, RSL earned five points from May 1-9 against the San Jose Earthquakes, LA Galaxy and Chicago Fire.
LA GALAXY 1-0 REAL SALT LAKE
WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2015
STUBHUB CENTER
Goals by Period 1 2 F
LA Galaxy 1 0 1
Real Salt Lake 0 0 0
Scoring Summary:
LA: Juninho (PK) 7’
Misconduct Summary:
RSL: Kyle Beckerman (Yellow; Foul) 10’
LA: Alan Gordon (Yellow; Dissent) 40’
LA: Baggio Husidic (Yellow; Foul) 46+’
LA: Mika Vayrynen (Yellow; Foul) 63’
RSL: Jamison Olave (Red; Serious Foul) 91+’
Lineups:
LA Galaxy (4-4-2): Jaime Penedo; Dan Gargan, Leonardo, Omar Gonzalez, Baggio Husidic; Gyasi Zardes, Mika Vayrynen (Kenney Walker 82’), Juninho, Ignacio Maganto; Jose Villarreal (Robbie Keane 46’), Alan Gordon (Edson Buddle 74’).
Substitutes not used: Brian Rowe, Rafael Garcia, Tommy Meyer, Sebastian Lletget.
Real Salt Lake (4-2-3-1): Nick Rimando; Tony Beltran, Aaron Maund, Jamison Olave, Abdoulie Mansally; Kyle Beckerman (C), Pecka (Joao Plata 54’); Luke Mulholland, Luis Gil (Javier Morales 54’), Olmes Garcia; Alvaro Saborio (Devon Sandoval 70’).
Substitutes not used: Lalo Fernandez, Elias Vasquez, John Stertzer, Sebastian Jaime.
Referee: Baldomero Toledo
Assistant Referees: Mike Rottersman, Eduardo Mariscal
4th Official: Daniel Radford
Attendance: 13,391
Weather: Sunny and 66
