The LA Galaxy are going to the Western Conference final after a dominant 5-0 win over Real Salt Lake in the second leg of their conference semifinal tie. The two teams played to a scoreless draw in the first leg of what many thought would be a tightly contested 180 minutes, but the second leg wasn't at all close. Landon Donovan scored a hat trick and the Galaxy throttled RSL.
LA Galaxy vs. Real Salt Lake: Final score 5-0, Landon Donovan hat trick leads dominant LA
Landon Donovan notched a hat trick as the Galaxy destroyed RSL to book a spot in the Western Conference final.
LA will play either the Seattle Sounders or FC Dallas in the next round. The two teams played to a draw in their first leg, and the second leg is on Monday night. If the Sounders win, LA will host the first leg of the conference final, but if Dallas wins, the Galaxy will host the second leg.
It took all of 10 minutes for the Galaxy to go in front, and it was a gorgeous goal to start things up. They played three one-touch passes before A.J. DeLaGarza crossed for Donovan, who got to the ball full speed and nodded it into the open net. It was a brilliant piece of team play and a sign of things to come.
LA continued to pressure Salt Lake after the first goal and found another in the 20th when Robbie Keane finished to double their lead. The Galaxy took that 2-0 lead into halftime, but it was such a dominant half that it didn't feel like RSL had a chance. They were outplayed all over the place and the Galaxy could have had three or four goals.
They did get their third goal less than 10 minutes into the second half when Donovan scored to make it a 3-0 match, and then Marcelo Sarvas scored in the 63rd minute to make it 5-0.
LA was so fluid through the midfield and the combination play between Donovan, Keane, Sarvas, Gyasi Zardes and Stefan Ishizaki was so good that RSL were completely overwhelmed. There were free runners all match long, but Donovan was still the star. He was so dangerous and Keane kept finding him. That's what happened in the 72nd minute when Keane picked up his second assist and Donovan his hat trick to wrap up an incredible performance by LA that has them one round away from their third MLS Cup final in four years.
LA Galaxy: Penedo, DeLaGarza, Leonardo, Gonzalez, Rogers, Sarvas, Juninho, Ishizaki, Donovan, Keane, Zardes.
Goals: Donovan 10’, 54’, 72’, Keane 20, Sarvas 63’.
Real Salt Lake: Rimando, Beltran, Borchers, Schuler, Wingert, Beckerman, Mulholland, Grabavoy, Morales, Saborio, Plata.
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