Preview | LAFC at Real Salt Lake 10/4/20

Sunday, October 4, 2020
6:30 p.m. PT
TV: YouTube TV, Estrella TV
RADIO: ESPN LA 710AM, ESPN App, KFWB 980 AM

Inconsistency has plagued the reigning Supporter’s Shield winners throughout the 2020 MLS Season, and the last match saw more of it in all the wrong moments. The Black and Gold owned much of the first and second half run of play, but late mistakes and costly bounces resulted in two late goals to push the San Jose Earthquakes past the Club for the first time ever in the regular season.

“In the final moments when we just need to be able to defend certain situations better,” LAFC Head Coach Bob Bradley said. “These are bad errors and it's a day where I don’t think we have enough guys that play well. The ability to just finish a game, even if it’s not your best day….We let ourselves down. It’s a bad loss.” Next, LAFC travels to face another familiar Western Conference opponent in Real Salt Lake, and with a little more time to regroup, look to find some consistency against an RSL squad who has been unbeaten in their last two matches.

This will be the sixth regular season matchup between these two sides, with Real Salt Lake earning their first-ever three points in the last matchup, a 3-0 win just under a month ago. The two clubs currently occupy the seventh and eight positions in the Western Conference table, and as the march towards the MLS Cup Playoffs draws nearer, both are entering a crucial stage of the season to make a major push. 

Real Salt Lake is another club that has struggled with inconsistency this 2020 season, and since taking three points from LAFC on September 9, has suffered two losses to Colorado and Vancouver, respectively, a win against LA Galaxy, and a draw against Minnesota. In a crucial stage of the season though, they may be finding a rhythm as they look towards a potential three-game unbeaten streak. RSL currently sits eighth in the Western Conference with a record of 4-4-6 (18 pts).

After the Black & Gold missed another opportunity to take two straight wins, and with only nine regular season games left, there’s no better time than the present to show the rest of the league what they’re really made of. LAFC currently sits seventh in the Western Conference with a record of 5-6-3 (18 pts).

REAL SALT LAKE IN-DEPTH

RSL is a squad that has had multiple personalities as it relates to approaching game strategy this season. Sometimes they employ a low block strategy, sometimes a higher press, but it's their mix of versatile veterans and a strong, young backline that is able to keep everything together and stay competitive whichever way they line up. It’s worth mentioning that they are among the strongest clubs in the league on attacking set pieces, as LAFC saw first-hand in the two clubs last meeting.

TIME TO REGROUP

As we mentioned here prior, both of these clubs have struggled this season with inconsistency. One can point to a multitude of factors why, with LAFC facing injury setbacks, sharpness issues, and RSL facing depth and rotation issues, but one key factor that has exacerbated these issues for both clubs has been the league’s condensed schedule. However, with this upcoming meeting, both clubs will have had a week between matches and a little more time to regroup and train. “I mean this week we really tried to get back to what we've been doing, and it's kind of what we did last year and the beginning of the season where we had a little bit more time between games,” remarked LAFC GK Pablo Sisniega. “We could really analyze everything that we did, like the mistakes we made in the game. So I think it's been good kind of this week to get us back together back morally and to kind of get us back on track.” It will be interesting to see how this extended training time fares for both sides.

LAFC WILL WIN IF…

They convert their big chances. RSL has been prone to give up big chances, but LAFC has found it difficult to finish some bigger chances thrown their way this season. Last match arguably faltered at the inability to get a second goal and put San Jose away, “We talked quickly about our ability to finish chances and get that second goal.” Bob Bradley said in the postgame last match. “The ability at the end to stay focused and make the plays that matter.” LAFC must finish these chances if they want to pick up three points.

REAL SALT LAKE CAN WIN IF….

LAFC concede too many set pieces. In the club’s last meeting, RSL scored two goals on set pieces that broke the match open. If they can make the most of their set piece chances, they can possibly see success.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT…

• RSL will be missing major contributor and Designated Player, Albert Rusnák who has been called in to the Slovakian National Team for a playoff match in UEFA Euro 2020 Qualifiers. It will be interesting to see who they shift and how they make up for his absence.
• LAFC Head Coach Bob Bradley is four wins away from passing Dominic Kinnear to move into third place all-time in MLS wins.