Final thoughts
A smattering of boos as the final whistle goes, and RSL may certainly feel that they should have had more for all their pressure. Though on reflection this week, they might feel that given the amount of chances they created, the fact that they didn’t concede at home may turn out to be the decisive stat on the night.
Jaime Penedo was excellent in goal for LA, with a couple of great reaction stops, especially as Javier Morales began to ind his range with the wind in the second half. At the back Schuler came through his test well, while Beckerman played both sides of the ball in typically solid fashion to keep the RSL attacks flowing and the LA counters to a minimum.
It’ll be an intriguing game in LA with RSL knowing a score draw will take them through, in this brave new modern era of away goals etc. Meanwhile the Galaxy have not ignited up front for a few games now, but the onus will be on them to do more at the StubHub Center.
Richard Whittall will be here tomorrow with a report on the first leg of New York vs DC and we’ll both be back on Monday to cover what we learned in this first weekend of the playoffs. For now, thanks for joining me and good night.
Updated
Final score: RSL 0-0 LA
Final thoughts in a minute...
90 mins +4
RSL have a lot of men pushed up in the LA half, and Borchers lofts a ball forward that Juninho hoofs clear and that will be that...
90 mins +3
Maybe one more chance for RSL as they pick up a throw near the corner flag after persistent work from Mulholland...
90 mins +2
Long throw forward by Wingert is picked up by Morales who’s crowded out. Now LA try to mount an attack, but the ball over the top for Keane to chase is always asking too much of him.
90 mins
Gargan gets a timely foot in to intercept a lovely Morales flick intended to spring Saborio. But LA still have to defend as Gil and Saborio try to dribble through into the box and then Morales chips a loose ball that Penedo has to tip over acrobatically.
Real waste the corner but they’ll have three minutes of stoppage time to get something here.
88 mins
So Bruce Arena looking to either steal this, or keep RSL second-guessing to the final whistle as he brings on Alan Gordon for Husidic. Donovan goes to the right wing.
Gordon straight into action, flattening Wingert, as is his wont.
86 mins
Corner sees Gil have a couple of decent swings at in the box, and as the ball comes clear of Gargan the hovering Gargan drives a swerving shot juuuuuust past Penedo’s right post with the keeper looking unsighted by all the bodies in the box. Almost a goal from nothing.
RSL back to trying to tiptoe their way through the Galaxy lines now,a s they ping short passes around looking for an opening.
84 mins
RSL still going for it though. Saborio surges forward down the right then checks back on the corner of the box and loops a shot goalwards, drawing the save on the ground by Penedo. He may be busy again now as RSL have another free kick wide left, about 35 yards out. Morales will swing it in...
...the wind catches it and Penedo is stretching to tip it over at the last moment. He does and that’ll be a corner, after Penedo has received treatment for his awkward landing.
82 mins
...corner evades everyone but Landon Donovan who barrels upfield outstrippping Gil and initiating the counter. RSL scramble back, but that’s another reminder that they can’t commit too many resources in looking for a winner in this one. A 0-0 draw would not be the worst result to take on the road.
80 mins
Free kick for LA is poorly cleared by Real and Husidic pokes the ball back into the box, only to find none of his team mates have taken the chance on staying up.
The chants of “Believe” are going up around Rio Tinto, as RSL have another corner...Plata will take it...
78 mins
Foul from Robbie Rogers wide right. Yellow for Robbie Rogers. Morales free kick is headed backwards by Gargan who’ll be relieved to see it fly clear for a throw in.
Now Penedo has to get down sharply as Plata’s driven cross dips with the wind towards the base of his near post. The keeper grabs it safely though.
76 mins
Morales almost scores from corner! Juninho has to head clear an awkward inswinger and from the corner Morales cross is caught by the wind and is spinning goalwards at some pace as Penedo reaches up to punch clear.
LA go up the other end and Borchers does well to see off Keane’s attempts to hustle past him.
74 mins
Beckerman in action again as he improvises a header off a Morales cross from the right. He can;t get it on target though and it loops over the bar.
RSL get another free kick from distance and take it short. The ball finds Saborio, who for once has spun into an onside position. Gargan recovers to clear for a throw, but the RSL tempo is building again.
72 mins
Saborio called offside as he tries to turn and run onto a header dropping behind the LA defense.
RSL try to get forward with a couple of lovely touches by Beckerman, who ends up dumped to the turf as Donovan comes sprinting across to upend him. Morales free kick from distance is headed clear by Juninho.
70 mins
CHANCE!
LA trying to get something going now and a long ball almost picks out Keane who goes sprawling under pressure from Schuler. he wants a penalty but instead his side are left chasing Plata as he goes clean through at the other end on a flick forward from Saborio. Penedo sprints out and Plata’s second touch is just too strong, allowing the keeper to parry his shot. That was a real chance for RSL and this game has burst back to life again. Still RSL 0-0 LA though.
68 mins
Now Wingert is booked as he goes in late on Zardes.
Game looking a little fragmented at the moment. As if to illustrate a promising RSL move ends in Morales booting a ball wide well beyond the advancing Mulholland.
66 mins
Speaking of Donovan, he’s been quiet so far (he tempted fate).
(sure enough) And now Donovan picks up a cushioned header on the left from Rogers, surges to the byline and drives a cross across the six yard box, but Rimando is able to get to it.
Now Beckerman upends Sarvas off the ball but gets away with it as the LA man goes sprawling.
64 mins
Beltran wants a foul as he’s knocked off his feet in the LA half, only to pick up a yellow card as he upends Donovan in frustration a few seconds later.
62 mins
So the pattern of the half so far is RSL pushed a lot further up the field and causing more problems for LA, but looking that much more precarious on the counter as a result. The first goal could be crucial here.
Plata wriggles his way into the box on the left, but seems to run out of steam and his tame cross/chip is straight at Penedo.
60 mins
This time it’s an RSL ball over the top for Gil to chase but the wind carries it comfortably out of his reach as he tries to run down the left into space. RSL regain the ball, but a loose touch by Beckerman almost sets Donovan free down the right. Beltran’s timely foot in slows the LA attack down enough to avert the break and it’s still RSL 0-0 LA.
58 mins
Some lovely approach play by RSL ends with Plata shaping to dart into the bo, until Sarvas sticks a timely foot in to block the ball and get it clear. Nearly an hour gone, and at the moment it’s all Salt Lake.
Just a hint of a warning there though, as a ball over the top sees Keane racing clear. He’s offside, but it only takes one...
Grabavoy warming up at the moment for RSL. Not that he maybe needs warming up. He had a fever this afternoon, which was why he didn’t start.
56 mins
Gonzalez jawing at the referee after the card, which seems...imprudent. He’s just back after his first ever red card as a professional, remember.
Saborio tries to spin off Gonzalez on a ball over the top now, but he’s gone a little early and the offside flag is up.
54 mins
More end to end action as Gonzalez catches Saborio 30 yards out to stop an attack and picks up the first yellow card for his troubles.
Free kick. Central. Morales shapes to shoot but touches it to his right, where Beckerman’s shot flies high and wide.
52 mins
Long bal from Schuler finds Saborio, but his knockdown for Mulholland sees the midfielder’s attempted cross charged down.
RSL keep pressing though, and now there’s a dangerous free kick on the corner of the penalty box as Morales draws the foul from Juninho...
...Morales over it. It’s flighted in and Penedo punches clear and suddenly the Galaxy break... Four on two for a minute and Keane scampers through to the byline, but his low cross can only find Rimando. that was a good chance spurned.
50 mins
LA mount an attack now as Donovan touches the ball inside for Sarvas, who twists and turns looking for a shooting angle before scooping the ball into the box. It’s forced awkwardly clear by Beltran, but not before the Galaxy have appealed for a penalty as the ball ricocheted off his...face.
48 mins
Immediate action and great save by Penedo! Saborio forced a loose ball past Gonzalez down the left, wriggled into the box and cut the ball back for Plata, whose shot took a wicked deflection and looked goalbound before Penedo, at full stretch, touched the ball away.
RSL applying pressure further up the field at the start of the half.
Second half starts: RSL 0-0 LA
We’re off again...LA kick off
Half-time thoughts
So with the wind affected play and the events unfolding as they have, you might say that LA are leading 0-0 at the moment. RSL have had more shots and possession, but were unable to turn any of those balls into the wind into goals, while LA did enough with their own chances on the counter (including a perfectly good Zardes goal ruled out for offside) to suggest they’ll cause problems for Real when they play into the wind in the second half.
Chris Schuler’s looked solid enough in his first game back, though at moments it looked like Robbie Keane had both center backs in trouble. He may get another look, and RSL will need Kyle Beckerman to continue his sterling support work in helping out his defenders.
Jeff Cassar told tv cameras his team will try and keep the ball in the second half given the wind, so a frenetic first half could look very different if RSL try and get their short passing game going in the second half. Let’s see.
Half-time: RSL 0-0 LA Galaxy
Half-time thoughts in a moment...
45 mins
RSL push the ball back to Rimando who launches it forward, only for Gargan to pick up the second ball and get it clear.
No added time and that will be that for the half...
44 mins
Wingert floats a ball to the edge of the LA box and Saborio heads back across the box for Morales to spin and loop a first time shot just over the bar. Morales did well to even get a shot off there as he cleverly managed to spin off Gonzalez.
42 mins
Donovan beats the offside trap but is forced wide left and has to settle for cutting the ball back for Keane in the box. By the time it reaches him, Beckerman has recovered to clatter him off the ball and avert the danger. He’s done sterling work off the ball to keep his team’s shape when they lose the ball.
40 mins
More rough stuff as Plata is dumped into the advertising hoarding. The refereeing has been pretty lenient in the playoffs so far, since the opening yellow card fest in Dallas.
38 mins
It’s all going off now! Zardes has the ball in the RSL net on a neat through ball from Donovan. Replays show he was onside, but he’s called off.
At the other end, the whistle goes for an infringement in the box as Penedo comes charging out and flattens a couple of red shirts like bowling pins. The crowd bays but that’s an LA free kick.
36 mins
It’s been a lively game with few clear cut chances so far.
There’s one though... Saborio surges into the left of the LA box and hits a low shot straight at Penedo, who spills it and is very grateful for DeLagarza to anticipate the loose ball faster than the lunging Plata.
34 mins
A Keane dummy almost gets Sarvas in on a surging run but Schuler reads it well.
At the other end Penedo tries to shepherd a through ball out for a goal kick, but has an anxious moment as Plata chases him down as the ball is trickling towards the byline.
Awkward Beltran giveaway gives LA a chance on the counter and Keane finds Donovan on the outside, but he loses his footing as he tries to cut the ball back from the byline and the danger has gone.
32 mins
Juninho finds Donovan on the left and Keane overlaps him looking for the ball, only for Donovan to go for goal and earn a corner as his shot is blocked.
Corner taken short and Donovan curls a cross beyond the penalty spot, but Gonzalez can’t control it
30 mins
RSL have been slowly coming to life in this game, and are camped in the LA half, which may actually suit the counter-attacking prowess of the visitors, as Salt Lake are not getting a lot of clear chances for all their pressure.
And now another offside call on Plata as Beckerman seeks him out with a lovely diagonal ball. This one was more clear cut, though try telling that to an indignant home crowd. Still RSL 0-0 LA
28 mins
Saborio is clattered wide right again, and Morales will get another chance to float a free kick into the box...
...again the man at he back of the box has a free header — this time it’s Plata. But it’s straight to Juninho (I think), who helps it clear.
26 mins
Better from RSL now as Gil goes on a mazy run down the left and pokes a tempting low cross across goal that LA are relieved just to deflect for a corner. They’re probably even more relieved now as RSL make a hash of the short corner. They still have possession though, and a throw to the left of the box.
They’re under pressure though, and in the end are relieved that Rimando is as good as he is with the ball at his feet, as a Schuler pass back under pressure forces him to fend off Zardes and clear.
24 mins
Looking at that previous update, in fairness to Morales, I’m not entirely sure what any of us can do with the wind (I mean, windsurfing, obviously...)
Meanwhile Plata gets a harsh offside call when he would have been racing in on goal on a ball over the top 50 yards out. That looked very borderline. In the next sequence he’s threatening again, as RSL finally seem to be finding their range with balls over the top.
22 mins
Morales has a free kick about 45 yards out wide right. Can he do something with the wind?
Well, he floats it to the back of the box where Schuler does well to read the flight of the ball and knock it back into the box. It takes enough time to drop for an LA body to do enough to put Mulholland off his shot and the ball floats over for a goal kick.
20 mins
For what it’s worth, Keane’s looked lively so far, while Schuler’s done OK, while still looking like he’s finding the pace of the game. At the other end Saborio and Plata haven’t had much of a look at goal yet. Still RSL 0-0 LA.
18 mins
Saborio briefly looks to have picked up the ball behind the Galaxy backline but he’s called offside.
So far the Galaxy can be marginally the happier of the two teams and now they’re threatening again as Borchers has to rely on a lucky bounce to make an unconvincing clearance, with Keane set to pick up the ball on the edge of the box with a free run at goal.
16 mins
Schuler lofts another ball forward but this one runs harmlessly through for a goal kick. His main contribution so far has been as an awkward body in the box for the small LA defense to deal with on a corner.
Speaking of corners, LA have one now, though they really wanted a free kick for a handball from Tony Beltran. And now they’re getting greedy and want a penalty as Keane goes sprawling in the six yard box as the corner comes in. He gets up slowly and gives the assistant referee the universal “I see what you’re saying, and normally I’d agree with you, but you’ve got to understand where I’m coming from...” gesture.
14 mins
Another long RSL ball forward is dealt with easily by Gonzalez and now LA are committing men forward to try and press the hosts, only to give up possession in the RSL half through a Sarvas foul.
12 mins
Wind causing a little more havoc as Borchers has to let a ball bounce before heading clear with Keane ready to pounce on any error.
At the other end Rogers has to make a stretching intervention on Saborio on the edge of the box but Salt Lake retrieve with the LA defense out of position and Gil rasps a shot goalward that Penedo has to tip over.
The resulting corner causes a mass of chaos in the box and Morales header bounces just clear of Borchers attempt to nod it home on the line, and on past the post. That was a decent chance though.
10 mins
RSL try to counter quickly through Mulholland, but already LA are flooding men back and the brief opening down the right closes.
At the other end, Keane gets to the byline and Beltran has to lunge to cut out his cross, with LA players surging forward. Still RSL 0-0 LA
8 mins
Morales clatters into the back of Donovan and trots off protesting his innocence. LA come forward but end up content to retain possession for a moment as RSL organize. Finally the ball comes forward and Keane and Borchers tussle before the latter gets the decisive touch for his keeper to get the ball clear.
6 mins
Boos around the stadium as Saborio falls to the ground but he’s judged to have been backing in to Gonzalez. LA get the ball forward and from a throw Keane wrongfoots Schuler with a delicate little header and sets himself up for a shot from the edge of the box, but it’s straight at Rimando. Warning for RSL and Schuler in particular there — he totally lost Keane in that move.
4 mins
LA get the ball and stroke it around the back a little to try and settle, but a poor ball forward can’t find Zardes and RSL will recover. Another illustration of the wind as Gonzalez sends a defensive header floating for miles and miles through to Rimando, then a minute later he’s involved again with a poor back pass that almost puts Penedo in trouble with Plata lurking.
2 mins
RSL instantly earn a free kick as they try to pass their way through LA lines, but it crashes off the one man wall of Landon Donovan. It’s very windy out there — a lot of debris blowing around the field. Beckerman takes advantage of it early to hoist a ball forward for Plata that holds up in the wind, but Robbie Rogers recovers.
Kick off
“Peep!” goes the referee’s whistle, and “gentle tap” goes the foot on the end of the leg of Alvaro Saborio as Real Salt Lake get us under way...
Nearly off...
Anthems have been sung (with some alarming lip-licking action by Nat Borchers and his unfeasibly bushy beard), tifos have been unfurled, sincere handshakes have been exchanged, huddles have been gathered, montages have been played, obligatory long distance tv shots of snow on the Rockies have been wobbled, and we’ll be off in a sec...
Meanwhile Twitter has been thoroughly confused by the Kyle Beckerman photo at the top of this page:
@guardian_sport @KidWeil I thought that was Henrik Larsson at first glance ⚽️⚽️⚽️
— Paula McNamee (@Indie_cisive) November 2, 2014
They’ve never been seen in the same building...
Who to keep an eye on (hipster edition)
RSL: Mulholland, Gil (wide men in the midfield diamond)
LA: Rogers, Gargan (full backs supporting the attack)
Speaking of defense...
...RSL haven’t conceded a goal in a month. A couple of keys to them preventing LA getting a significant away goal — one is the late scratch of Ned Grabavoy from midfield and the introduction of Luis Gil, who is not quite as known for playing on the defensive side as Grabavoy. With LA’s pressing and movement in the final third, he’ll need to do his share of helping out at the back.
The other key of course is Schuler, who I’ve just seen warming up in his mask — it appears to be being held on by electrical tape. I’ll get a photo up if I can. It looks...precarious.
Previously on MLS Playoffs (criminal defense unit)
Columbus Crew got absolutely battered by New England this afternoon. By the end of it they’d pulled back a late penalty to be “only” 4-2 heading to New England, but before they start dreaming of scoring more, they might want to have a word with their absent defenders.
Team News:
Real Salt Lake: Rimando; Beltran, Schuler, Borchers, Wingert; Beckerman, Gil, Mulholland, Morales; Saborio, Plata
LA Galaxy: Penedo; Gargan, Gonzalez, DeLaGarza, Rogers; Husidic, Sarvas, Juninho, Donovan; Keane, Zardes
Looking pretty much like full strength sides for both teams. How Sarvas does his enforcing job for the Galaxy may be just as important as how Beckerman does his for RSL, while Donovan’s been quiet in the last couple of outings and could do with a performance to go with the farewell hype.
Schuler starts at the heart of the RSL defense and can expect the Galaxy to give him some attention early on to see just how fragile he is on his comeback.
LA Galaxy
The Galaxy have had a testing couple of weeks with those two games against Seattle Sounders that saw them miss out on the Supporters Shield. Looking at the team sheet for the second of those two games, in Seattle, there was a little bit of a sense that the Galaxy had conceded the Shield after letting a 2-0 lead slip in the first game in LA. Certainly the decision not to risk a slight Robbie Keane injury on the Sounders’ artificial turf might not have been made had LA being going into Seattle only needing a draw.
Keane’s back tonight, to bolster an LA attack that managed a league-leading 69 goals during the regular season. Keane himself plundered 19 of those, but his true value to the team is not just in his goals, but in his movement, and the space it opens up for the players around him. It’ll be fascinating to watch whether he can find space between Beckerman and the RSL center backs, to do some damage tonight.
Oh and this guy will be playing his last game for the Galaxy in Sandy, Utah...*
*obligatory Donovan retirement reference
Real Salt Lake
“The team is the star” is the motto for Real Salt Lake, though it might equally be “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” — such has been the emphasis on continuity.
One thing that is broken is Chris Schuler’s nose — the unlikely hero of this series last year (Schuler that is, not his nose) is likely to be playing in a mask tonight if he appears. Other than that though, it’s a pretty full strength looking RSL, which means the 4-4-2 diamond midfield, the best shot stopper in the league in Nick Rimando, one of the best holding midfielders in the league in Kyle Beckerman, and the undisputed best beard in the league in Nat Borchers.
Preamble
Good evening. It’s MLS playoff time.
The regular season may have ended just last weekend, but already two teams have been ejected from the post-season reckoning: as Vancouver and Sporting KC this week found themselves joining the likes of Portland, San Jose, Colorado, Chivas USA, Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston, and Toronto on an early holiday, or in Chivas USA’s case, the end of days.
So we’re down to eight teams and tonight it’s Real Salt Lake vs LA Galaxy in the Western Conference semi-final first leg. In other words, a repeat of last season’s semi-final, though this time it’s the Galaxy who’ll get to host the second match, after they were eliminated on the road in extra time last year.
A lot of the same key personnel are back again this year — a year on the changes have not been so much massive personnel shifts as in different players emerging as key players in this campaign. Joao Plata has been among the goals for today’s hosts, while Gyassi Zardes has grown into his early promise in his second year — as one of three LA players who’ve hit double figures for goals this year.
The other two of course are the familiar faces of Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane, more of whom in a moment. But they’re not the only familiar faces from a match up between two teams who pretty much know each other inside out at this point. Nick Rimando, Kyle Beckerman, Alvaro Saborio and Javier Morales are all still there for RSL.
Arguably, the only key presence missing from last year’s campaign is coach Jason Kreis, who left for New York City FC in the off-season. His replacement and “boot room” style appointee Jeff Cassar, got RSL off to a fantastic start to the season, and had he not lost key players to the World Cup and injury, Seattle and LA could have spent the last couple of weeks battling for second place instead of the Supporters Shield.
As it is, both teams are pretty much back to full strength and with them having split their three games so far this season, with a tight win for each team and a draw, there’s not a lot to choose between them. Find out who does make a difference shortly. For now get your tweets coming in to @KidWeil or emails to graham.parker@theguardian.com and I’ll be back shortly with some more team news and build up.
