LOS ANGELES (Wednesday, August 15, 2018) – Real Salt Lake (10-10-5, 35 points) had a new look for its road match against LAFC on Wednesday at Banc of California Stadium. However, it didn’t alter RSL’s struggling record on the road, as Salt Lake fell 2-0 to end a four-match unbeaten streak.
GK Nick Rimando left the match at halftime with a hamstring strain and was replaced by GK Andrew Putna in his MLS debut.
RSL came out in a 5-3-2 formation, but LAFC was able to break it down early in the match with an opportunistic attack. Christian Ramirez scored his first two goals since coming to LAFC in a trade with Minnesota United last week and while RSL was able to create scoring chances on the other end, goalkeeper Tyler Miller made all three first-half saves asked of him. Ramirez opened scoring in the 13th minute on a ball over the top by Carlos Vela, getting in 1v1 with Rimando before netting the goal to go up 1-0. He followed that up in the 30th minute when Eduard Atuesta made a run to the endline up the left side and found Ramirez on a ball through the box to the far post where Ramirez scored his second of the match and ninth overall of the season to make it 2-0.
Real Salt Lake went to Putna for the second half when Rimando was forced out at halftime with a hamstring strain and the former Real Monarchs keeper finished with four saves in his MLS debut. That kept the match close for RSL, but the visitors managed just one shot on goal in the second half and couldn’t pull closer than the final 2-0 scoreline.
The loss drops RSL to 1-9-2 on the road this season, but the club remains in playoff position in the Western Conference, two points ahead of Vancouver in seventh place.
UP NEXT: RSL remains on the road and will visit the Houston Dynamo on Saturday at BBVA Compass Stadium. Real Salt Lake won the previous meeting between the two clubs 2-1 at Rio Tinto Stadium on May 30.
GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN:
LFC: Christian Ramirez (Carlos Vela), 13th minute – Carlos Vela slipped Christian Ramirez in behind the RSL defense with a ball over the top on a quick counter, leaving Ramirez 1v1 with Nick Rimando. He thumped his shot past the RSL keeper for his first goal since coming to LAFC in a trade last month, putting LAFC up 1-0.
LFC: Christian Ramirez (Eduard Atuesta, Jordan Harvey), 30th minute – Jordan Harvey played the ball up the left side for Eduard Atuesta and he carried it to the endline before sending a ball across the edge of the six-yard box to the oncoming Christian Ramirez at the far post. He hit a first-time shot into the open net for his second goal of the match and a 2-0 lead.
KEY SAVES AND DEFENSIVE STOPS:
LFC: Tyler Miller, 10th minute – Kyle Beckerman poked a ball free in the midfield and Sebastian Saucedo took it into the box where he fired a left-footed shot across the body of Tyler Miller, but he dove to his left to make the early stop.
LFC: Tyler Miller, 66th minute – After a rebound, RSL pressured the LAFC defense and Sebastian Saucedo shot to the far post, but Tyler Miller just got a hand to it to parry it over for a corner kick.
RSL: Andrew Putna, 75th minute – After an RSL clearance fell right to his feet, Carlos Vela blasted a low shot on frame, but Andrew Putna got a leg to it to deflect it clear for a corner kick.
NOTES:
- RSL DF Marcelo Silva was unavailable for the match due to a foot injury.
- GK Andrew Putna is the 10th player to make his MLS debut with Real Salt Lake this season, joining MF Damir Kreilach, DF Shawn Barry, FW Alfredo Ortuno, FW Corey Baird, DF Adam Henley, MF Pablo Ruiz, DF Nick Besler, FW Ricky Lopez-Espin and DF Aaron Herrera. Additionally, DF Taylor Peay made his RSL debut this season, making Putna the 153rd player to appear in an MLS match for RSL since the club’s inaugural season in 2005.
- DF Shawn Barry saw his first MLS action since suffering a knee injury in the home opener on March 10.
Match: Real Salt Lake at LAFC
Date: August 15, 2018
Venue: Banc of California Stadium; Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 22,000
Weather: Clear and 75
Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
Real Salt Lake 0 0 0
LAFC 2 0 2
LFC: Christian Ramirez (Carlos Vela) 13’
LFC: Christian Ramirez (Eduard Atuesta) 30’
Lineups:
Real Salt Lake (5-3-2): Nick Rimando (Andrew Putna 46’); Brooks Lennon, Nick Besler, Justen Glad, Shawn Barry (Joao Plata 56’), Aaron Herrera; Kyle Beckerman, Sunny (Pablo Ruiz 72’), Albert Rusnák; Sebastian Saucedo, Corey Baird.
Subs not used: Danilo Acosta, Adam Henley, Damir Kreilach, Jefferson Savarino.
LAFC (4-2-3-1): Tyler Miller; Steven Beitashour, Danilo Silva, Laurent Ciman, Jordan Harvey; Benny Feilhaber (Andre Horta 83’), Lee Nguyen; Eduardo Atuesta, Christian Ramirez (Latif Blessing 78’), Diego Rossi (Aaron Kovar 88’); Carlos Vela.
Subs not used: Luis Lopez, Walker Zimmerman, Joao Moutinho, Adama Diomande.
Stats Summary: RSL / LFC
Shots: 0 / 0
Shots on Goal: 0 / 0
Saves: 0 / 0
Corner Kicks: 0 / 0
Fouls: 0 / 0
Offside: 0 / 0
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
RSL: Sunny (Caution) 24’
LFC: Eduard Atuesta (Caution) 33’
RSL: Brooks Lennon (Caution) 38’
RSL: Shawn Barry (Caution) 43’
RSL: Kyle Beckerman (Caution) 63’
RSL: Justen Glad (Caution) 84’
OFFICIALS:
Referee: David Gantar
Assistant Referees: Apolinar Mariscal, TJ Zablocki
4th Official: Baldomero Toledo
Video Assistant Referee: Allen Chapman
