Real Salt Lake 0 at LAFC 2
August 15, 2018; Los Angeles; Banc of California Stadium
Real Salt Lake (10-10-5, 35 points); LAFC (11-7-6, 39 points)
Man of the Match: Andrew Putna came on at halftime to make his MLS debut with a potent LAFC attack in front of him and the club’s raucous supporter group behind him. While it may not have been the ideal circumstances to be thrust into in his first MLS match, he handled the situation with aplomb. He finished the match with four saves to keep LAFC from extending its first half lead – keeping RSL in the match through the final 45 minutes.
Telling Stat: Sebastian Saucedo returned to the starting lineup after a move to the bench over the course of the last five matches. He showed the move to a reserve role didn’t hamper his confidence, though, aggressively putting pressure on the LAFC defense and goalkeeper Tyler Miller throughout his 90 minutes. He led both teams with three shots on goal and four shots in the match, but couldn’t add to his scoring total or cut into the LAFC lead.
What You Missed: RSL went to a different formation than the 4-2-3-1 that has become a staple in recent years, opting instead for a 5-3-2. It’s a formation the club has used to protect late leads often this season, but Head Coach Mike Petke observed that teams that had seen success against LAFC had been ones that put an extra defender on the field. And while the end product wasn’t a result for RSL, the team did stand toe-to-toe with one of the more pricey teams in the league for a good deal of the match.
So What: RSL remains in the playoff chase, but the loss ended a four-game unbeaten streak. It won’t be long before another chance to pick up some points, with the club traveling to face the Houston Dynamo on Saturday. There they will meet a team that has lost four straight and is winless in the last six matches. The hope is that a rested Damir Kreilach and Jefferson Savarino will provide some needed punch in the attack for RSL against a struggling Dynamo side.
