ASN: Actual Salt Lake and L.A. Galaxy Battle to a 0-0 Draw

No one scored, however nobody within the viewers was bored both. Actual Salt Lake and Los Angeles couldn’t break by means of, establishing an enormous showdown on the StubHub Heart subsequent Sunday.

BY

Blake Thomsen

Posted
November 02, 2014
9:22 AM

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SATURDAY’S FIRST MLS PLAYOFF sport, between the Columbus Crew and New England Revolution, delivered six objectives. The league’s second matchup delivered nothing of the type. That doesn’t in any respect imply that it wasn’t entertaining, although.

If it wasn’t apparent earlier than, Saturday evening’s matchup between Actual Salt Lake and the L.A. Galaxy on the Rio Tinto Stadium made it abundantly clear that these groups don’t like one another very a lot. In a sport that referee Silviu Petrescu considerably misplaced management of, the laborious fouls got here thick and quick.

The house staff created the higher of the possibilities in a chilly, windy evening in Salt Lake, however it couldn’t make a breakthrough due to an impressed efficiency from L.A. goalkeeper Jaime Penedo. In the meantime, the Galaxy was uncharacteristically wasteful on the counterattack, failing to transform just a few very presentable alternatives.

The tip outcome? A 0-0 draw, a outcome that offers each groups loads of hope heading into the return leg at L.A.’s StubHub Heart subsequent Sunday.

The swirling wind impacted play from begin to end, however there have been nonetheless a good few scoring possibilities, particularly for the house facet. Regardless of Salt Lake’s normal dominance of the run of play, it was L.A. striker Robbie Keane who picked up the sport’s first huge probability. His nifty contact arrange a taking pictures alternative within the fifth minute, and the Irishman related effectively however shot straight at Nick Rimando.

Minutes later, Salt Lake almost scored on a nook—it was the primary of many scares for a Galaxy protection that bent all evening however refused to interrupt.

Within the twenty third minute, U.S. youth worldwide Luis Gil set off on an excellent run down the left wing, however his teasing cross was reduce out by typically wonderful defending from L.A. stalwart A.J. DeLaGarza. Shortly after that, Actual’s Joao Plata was by means of on purpose, seemingly onside, however the assistant referee incorrectly flagged the play useless.

Los Angeles had its personal offside name to complain about quarter-hour later, and it was an excellent larger declare. In a panoramic sequence, Salt Lake almost scored on one finish, solely to be denied by additional very good defending from DeLaGarza. From the clearance, the Galaxy launched a lightning counterattack that led to a beautiful by means of ball from Landon Donovan to Gyasi Zardes, which the younger ahead completed with aplomb. The play unfolded with out both staff realizing that the offside flag was raised, however the assistant referee’s incorrect name denied the Galaxy what would have been an important away purpose.

The second half was the Penedo Present from the opening minute. Actual got here out of the locker room on hearth, and inside 45 seconds Plata was by means of on purpose once more, this time with the offside flag down. Nevertheless, Penedo was equal to the younger Ecuadorian’s tried dink, blocking the shot and parrying it to security.

Eight minutes later, L.A. would get its solely true probability of the half. An absolute jailbreak from a Actual set piece left a shocking four-on-two break for the Galaxy, led by MVP candidate Keane. However the striker failed miserably, holding onto the ball for too lengthy earlier than enjoying a tame cross proper at Rimando, who gratefully held on. From that time ahead, the Salt Lake onslaught started in earnest.

Within the 69th minute, Penedo someway bought a hand to a deflected effort from the vigorous Plata. At that time, it will need to have began to really feel like “one of those nights” for Salt Lake. And people emotions solely magnified six minutes later, when Javier Morales’s audacious Olímpico bid (a direct shot from a nook kick) was clawed away on the close to publish by Penedo.

The Salt Lake strain by no means ceased over the course of the sport, and it seemed like final 12 months’s MLS Cup finalists had the win within the ninetieth minute. Morales curled an effort in the direction of a massively unsighted Penedo, however the Panamanian was as much as the duty but once more, getting a robust hand to Morales’s shot and saving the Galaxy as soon as extra. That was Actual’s final good probability of the sport, and the house facet was pressured to accept a irritating draw.

The 2 groups now head to L.A. with every part to play for. The Galaxy has been forcefully dominant at dwelling, shedding solely as soon as all 12 months. However that loss got here to this Salt Lake staff, so there’s no saying what would possibly occur after they meet with much more at stake. Additional, with MLS’s new away objectives rule within the playoffs, Salt Lake can advance with a draw of any rating besides 0-0.

All instructed, the collection may be very finely balanced because it heads again to hotter climes. It’s in all probability secure to anticipate a good few objectives on the StubHub Heart, particularly if the goalkeepers (and hyperactive offside flags) are rather less distinguished.

What did you concentrate on Saturday’s sport? Which staff has a greater probability of advancing? Tell us within the feedback part beneath.

Blake Thomsen is a frequent ASN contributor. Comply with him on Twitter.