LA Galaxy Vs. Real Salt Lake, 2011 MLS: RSL Defensive Mistakes Spark Comeback Win For LA

The LA Galaxy all but confirmed their status as Supporters Shield winners with a 2-1 home win over Real Salt Lake, although they left the victory fairly late in an exciting match that saw the visitors take the lead before Bruce Arena’s men mounted a comeback at the Home Depot Centre. The match meant more than just LA’s pride - RSL needed a win to have any hope of catching the Seattle Sounders for second place in the west, and while that looked likely for a while they ultimately made far too many mistakes to come away from this match with the points.

Neither side really had the edge in the first half, although RSL looked fairly dangerous on the break. It wasn’t a counterattack that gave them the lead, however. LA were far too lax about their defending from set pieces, and Fabian Espindola was left free to nod home a corner in the 44th minute with Josh Saunders helpless. That wasn’t the only action around half time: Referee Kevin Stott also issued no less than six less cards in an eleven minute spell around the break.

The game was threatening to get a little out of hand at this point, but fortunately matters went back to actual play soon enough. Fortunate, that is, unless you’re a Real Salt Lake fan. A calamitous mixup between Nick Rimando and Jose Olave allowed little Chad Barret to steal in between the pair and lay in a cheeky flick, prodding the ball home when he had essentially no right to do so and netting the game up at 1-1.

Worse was yet to come for the visitors, who was a double deflection lead to an own goal a quarter of an hour later. Todd Duinivant got on the end of a free kick and tried to fire a shot back across the goal to the waiting Barrett, put instead several pairs of RSL legs intervened and the play ended with a baffled Nat Borchers putting the ball into his own net. At this point, the game was more or less finished - the visitors would never again mount a coherent threat, and the Galaxy looked more likely to extend their lead than give it up. Eventually, Stott blew his whistle, and 2-1 was the final score.

It looks like the West is more or less wrapped up at this point. It’d take a miracle for Seattle to dislodge LA for the top spot, and it would be almost as unlikely for RSl to grab second from the Sounders. Despite FC Dallas’ loss to Colorado today, they’re hardly going to finish out of the playoff spots either. Over to you, Eastern Conference.