LAFC vs. Real Salt Lake
Wednesday, September 9, 2020
6:30 p.m. PT
TV: YouTube TV, Estrella TV
RADIO: ESPN LA 710AM, ESPN App, KFWB 980 AM
Although the last meeting between the two clubs was postponed in support of the players standing in solidarity with the Black community, the similarities between now and the last time LAFC looked towards Real Salt Lake as its next opponent is uncanny. Pre-last meeting, the Black & Gold were coming off the heels of a tough loss to crosstown rival Galaxy. They were without reigning MVP Carlos Vela and 2019 MLS Best XI Eduard Atuesta. In the now-rescheduled game 15 days later at Rio Tinto Stadium, all of these elements still ring true, and as the Club continues to fight to find its footing, this next matchup against Salt Lake is a must win as the MLS Regular Season creeps closer to its midpoint.
This will be the fifth meeting regular season meeting between the two clubs, with LAFC dominating the series against Salt Lake, winning all matches with a whopping +8 goal differential. However, LAFC fans and supporters will not forget RSL’s only victory over the Black & Gold, when they sent LAFC home in their first-ever MLS Cup playoff game that featured this goal from midfielder Damir Kreilach.
Real Salt Lake is a club that has struggled to find consistency this season, opening the year with two draws against Orlando City SC and the New York Red Bulls, respectively, before embarking on an MLS Is Back journey that saw them advance past the group stages but suffer a 5 – 2 defeat against the San Jose Earthquakes in the Round of 16. Although the club found success in its first match back in the latest MLS restart against the Colorado Rapids, RSL is currently looking to break its three-game winless streak after facing Portland, Seattle and Minnesota. RSL sits eighth place in the Western Conference with a record of 2-2-5 (11 pts).
After breaking a three-game losing streak across all competitions, downing the San Jose Earthquakes 5-1 last Wednesday night, the Black & Gold find themselves reeling after a 3-0 loss to bitter rival Galaxy on Sunday night. The Club opened the 2020 MLS Season with a win over expansion team Inter Miami FC and a draw against the Philadelphia Union before the season was suspended on March 12th as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the MLS Is Back Tournament, the Black & Gold were sent home by Orlando City SC in the quarterfinals by way of penalties, but not before picking up five regular season points in the group stage with ties against Houston and Portland and a win over the Galaxy. The Club suffered back-to-back losses to the Galaxy and Seattle Sounders, took three points from San Jose and lost again to the Galaxy in the latest regular season restart and currently sits 7th place in the Western Conference with a 3-3-3 record (12 points).
REAL SALT LAKE IN-DEPTH
This Salt Lake roster is led by a head coach in Freddy Juarez, who came through the ranks of its Youth Academy program, and features a mix of MLS veterans and a highly capable, young backline. On the defensive side, the oft-pressing team has been successful in limiting opposition passing percentages, limiting counter attacking shots and chances and defending set pieces. Offensively, they have been plagued by inconsistency, but still have one of the best finishers in the league in Damir Kreilach when the opportunities present themselves.
TAKING IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL
Recently in MLS, much has been made of younger, talented homegrown players “making the leap,” taking their game to the next level and finding themselves among the stars of the league. This year it looks like RSL has a star in the making in forward Corey Baird. Baird is dangerous on the attacking side, and because of his threatening speed can stretch and cause headaches on the defensive end as well. Moreover, he is a quality finisher that LAFC must keep an eye out for throughout the match.
LAFC WILL WIN IF…
The Club can regroup and hold each other accountable. It has been a tough stretch of late without the usual presence of Eduard Atuesta and Carlos Vela, and it’s imperative for players to continue to push each other and step up. LAFC Head Coach Bob Bradley echoed this sentiment clearly after the Club’s loss to the Galaxy, “The main thing is the need for different guys to take more responsibility.” Bradley said. “Those guys would be Tristan, that would be Eddie Segura. That would be Mark and Diego. I think Diego is doing a very good job. We've got to have others, like Latif, now understand that when you're on a good team and you go through a tough stretch, they have got to be the ones to push the others.”
REAL SALT LAKE CAN WIN IF…
They are able to finish their limited chances. Remember the last (and only) time RSL found a victory over LAFC, a 3-2 victory in the opening round of the 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs, RSL did not control or even outplay LAFC’s squad, but Kreilach made the most of two shots that found their way into the net. It’s worth noting again that RSL can find success if LAFC continues to struggle on set pieces, and in the air in general.
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT…
In addition to Carlos Vela and Eduard Atuesta, LAFC will also be playing without 2019 MLS All-Star Mark-Anthony Kaye, who suffered the Club’s first red card of the season after a tough challenge against the Galaxy’s Julian Araujo directly in front of referee Allen Chapman. It will be interesting to see how LAFC’s middle shapes up in Kaye’s absence.
This upcoming match will be the fifth in 19 days, and in this period of quick turnaround times, the Club has arguably been going through the roughest stretch in its young history. Not only has LAFC had to deal with the physical aspect of the season, but the mental hurdles dealing with the multitude of challenges that the global pandemic has caused. After the tough loss to the Galaxy though, Latif Blessing offered a stark message to his teammates. “We have to keep our head up,” Blessing said. "Things are not going good but we are going to come back."
