Rimando saves last minute Galaxy PK but lightening the only thing to strike

RSL 0 : 0 LA Galaxy

A sudden lightening outburst during the national anthem delayed this game for over an hour. When it began both sides took time to come to terms with a wet surface before an exciting second half. Although scoreless, the game became very entertaining and ended in high drama when Nick Rimando saved a LA Galaxy penalty.

Juninho (stomach pain) and Robbie Rogers were absent for LA Galaxy who fielded Raphael Garcia in midfield. Leonardo joined Omar Gonzalez in the centre half slots with AJ DeLaGarza moving to full back.

The shaken up back four had a good start catching Devon Sandoval offside three times inside the first 420 seconds in a recurring theme.  It was Saborio who was offside next .. and so it went on. Alan Gordon (LA), Saborio, Sandoval (twice), Saborio all before half time. Assistant referee Fabio Tovar was more likely to catch carpal tunnel syndrome than a cold.

If bad positioning was RSL’s nemesis then poor touches and mishit passes however characterised the visitors’ early movement up front.  Garcia especially struggling with the streaky surface and surrendering the ball needlessly four times inside 20 minutes. Even Gordon was having trouble holding on to the ball. Galaxy in truth had no confidence in their own ability in the conditions and even seemed happier when RSL had the ball.

In the first half’s best chance, young Jordan Allen tested LA keeper Jaime Penedo from distance but found the Panamanian’s stomach excellently positioned to swallow the shot cleanly without a rebound. Dan Gargan was very alert to head a cross around the post and prevent the dangerous Saborio a goalbound header.

Gonzalez was rightly booked for a nasty tackle on Sandoval who had briefly strayed onside just before half time.

That apart, the Galaxy held their discipline if little else in an error-ridden first half. Zardes compounded it by heading wide when unmarked in the 6 yard box. It was in truth a very poor miss and hard to blame on the conditions.

RSL had performed far better than they did in San Jose in the first 45 minutes but still no goals had come by their own efforts.

The first half yellow caused Gonzalez a vulnerability which was visible early in the second half where he felt unable to make a tackle on a rampant Saborio. Penedo palmed away a Luke Mulholland drive as the home side upped the pace.

Gordon failed to make the most of a couple of set piece headers and it looked as if LA Galaxy had weathered the storm (as it were). On his third effort, he finally made Nick Rimando work, tipping the header over the bar from an excellent Gargan cross.

Penedo fumbled a less than clean Saborio strike and was rescued by Gargan, perhaos the game’s best player. Then Arena finally moved.

Ishizaki and Gordon were removed for Igancio Maganto and Juninho. Jeff Cassar responded and Olmes Garcia replaced Sandoval.

 

Saborio made Penedo work harder than ever from 20 yards in the 77th minute and while it was certainly true that Olmes Garcia had given RSL a boost with his effort, it was another substitute, Juninho, who showed guile in getting between Allen and the ball, leaving the youngster to fling himself hopefully into the penalty box.

Assistant referee Tovar had his biggest impact yet in the 90th minute when he saw Jamison Olave dragging down Gonzalez in the penalty area. Juninho however was bested by Rimando who dived the right way down low to his left and saved yet another penalty to preserve his side a point.

It was probably some measure of justice as RSL did not really deserve to lose the game. They nearly won it but Olave fired wide with the game’s last kick.

So RSL’s goal drought continues and Galaxy draw yet another game but both coaches will have cause to be in better moods than after their last games.

Alan Gordon encapsulated LA Galaxy’s view of the match well:

“I think all things considered this was a good result for us. This is going on a string of games where we’re playing multiple different people in multiple positions. We are obviously missing some key players; we’ve talked about that. But we continue to get results. And sometimes you need to grind out these tough games. It’s not an easy place to play and so to give ourselves a chance to win at the end, we’ll take that.”

Both sides know Javier Morales and Robbie Keane are waiting in the wings, hopefully not in an offside position.

Lineups:

Real Salt Lake (4-4-2): Nick Rimando; Tony Beltran, Elias Vasquez, Jamison Olave, Demar Phillips; Kyle Beckerman (C), Luis Gil, Luke Mulholland (Sebastian Saucedo – 86′), Jordan Allen; Alvaro Saborio, Devon Sandoval (Olmes Garcia – 76′).

Substitutes not used: Jeff Attinella, Abdoulie Mansally, Aaron Maund, Pecka, John Stertzer.

LA Galaxy (4-4-2): Jaime Penedo; A.J. DeLaGarza, Omar Gonzalez, Leonardo, Dan Gargan; Baggio Husidic, Stefan Ishizaki (Juninho – 72′), Rafael Garcia, Bradford Jamieson (Mika Vayrynen – 82′); Alan Gordon (Ingacio Maganto – 72′), Gyasi Zardes.

Substitutes not used: Brian Rowe, Raul Mendiola, Tommy Meyer, Oscar Sorto.

Referee: Jose Carlos Rivero
Assistant Referees: Fabio Tovar, Jeremy Hanson