Real Salt Lake Settles For Point As LA Forces Draw With Last-Minute Goal
May 11, 2024, 10:44 PM | Updated: Jun 5, 2024, 10:13 am
(Photo courtesy of Real Salt Lake)
(Photo courtesy of Real Salt Lake)
LOS ANGELES – A Chicho Arango brace wasn’t enough as Real Salt Lake picked up just a point in a 2-2 draw with the LA Galaxy in Dignity Health Sports Park on Saturday.
Arango gave RSL a 2-0 lead at the half with goals in the 20th and 40th minutes. The Galaxy pulled back on in the 54th minute and looked for an equalizer for the entire second half.
40 minutes later and with less than a minute left in stoppage time, Miguel Berry beat RSL goalkeeper Zac MacMath to the ball and put it in the back of the net to force the draw.
We head home with +1 #LAvRSL | @SelectHealth pic.twitter.com/evYYO9n3cr
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) May 12, 2024
RSL Stunned By Last-Minute Galaxy Goal
First Half
LA dominated possession in the opening minutes but Real Salt Lake played suffocating defense and didn’t allow the Galaxy to get open in their attacking third.
In the 6th minute, the pressure from LA created the first good look at goal in the match. Joseph Paintsil had his attempt blocked and Miki Yamane‘s shot sailed over the goal off the rebound.
In the 12th minute, the Galaxy’s aggressiveness nearly worked against them. RSL put together a counterattack with Arango leading the charge but LA goalkeeper John McCarthy was able to come out and get his hands on the ball.
The early fireworks continued as the Galaxy came back down the pitch. Paintsil got another shot on goal and forced a MacMath save. Two minutes later, Dejan Joveljic loaded up and sent a heater toward the right post but Matt Crooks was able to get the deflection.
The Galaxy wasn’t done there though. They got another great look following a corner but MacMath made another great save.
Even though it felt like all of the momentum was on the home club’s side, all it takes is one attack. Especially when you get the ball to Arango.
In the 20th minute, Alexandros Katranis gave Arango a great cross in the center of the box. The MLS MVP candidate rose up above the defenders and redirected the pass into the right side of goal.
RELATED: RSL Takes Early Lead With Highlight Header From Chicho Arango
CHICHO! Quality from a well placed header makes it 1-0 for @realsaltlake on the road vs. @LAGalaxy #RSL | @kslsports pic.twitter.com/UR32vgYVgo
— RSL Show on KSL 🎙️⚡️ (@rslshow) May 12, 2024
Los Angeles continued with its foot on the gas as they looked for a first-half equalizer. They attempted three more shots in the seven minutes following Arango’s goal.
Real Salt Lake looked oddly comfortable as they endured the offensive onslaught from LA. As they denied attempt after attempt, the Galaxy grew frustrated.
This resulted in more opportunities for RSL later in the half. In the 28th and 30th minutes, Arango and Andres Gomez put shots on target. Arango missed to the right and Gomez forced a save in the center of goal.
After the 37th minute, the Galaxy got a taste of their own medicine as Real attempted four shots in four minutes. It wasn’t until the final shot that RSL struck gold.
Once again, Arango put himself in scoring position and trusted his teammates to find him. Gomez did just that and Arango put the ball in the dead center of the net for a first-half brace.
RELATED: Chicho Arango Records First-Half Brace Against Galaxy In Los Angeles
DOBLETE DE CHICHO! That’s a brace and his 11th goal of the season.
2-0 lead over @LAGalaxy #RSL@realsaltlake | @kslsports pic.twitter.com/8eKXAIzqVr
— RSL Show on KSL 🎙️⚡️ (@rslshow) May 12, 2024
Real took two more shots in the 42nd minute but both attempts were blocked.
Five minutes of stoppage time was added to the first half.
The extra time was more or less uneventful as Real took a 2-0 lead into the break.
Good stuff y’all #LAvRSL | @SeatGeek pic.twitter.com/kMsHAXqcUl
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) May 12, 2024
Second Half
It didn’t take long for LA to make it interesting after halftime.
After testing RSL for the first time in the 52nd minute, the Galaxy got another chance in the 54th minute and didn’t waste it.
Ricard Puig found Gabriel Pec on the left side of the box. Pec sent one right at MacMath on the left side of goal and it deflected off of him into the back of the net.
Pec pulls one back for @LAGalaxy 💪 pic.twitter.com/4cSDdjcMPp
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 12, 2024
The second half played out much slower than the first as neither side was able to keep the ball in their attacking third.
This didnt stop LA from applying pressure when they could. Joveljic took a shot at an equalizer in the 64th minute but was blocked.
Five minutes later, Gastón Brugman forced MacMath to make his fifth save of the match with a left-footed shot from the center of the box.
Gomez nearly gave RSL some breathing room in the 70th minute as he took a shot for the bottom right corner off a pass from Arango. McCarthy reeled in his second save of the night to keep the score at 2-1.
The Galaxy missed high on their next two shot attempts.
As the 80th minute passed, the Galaxy and the Los Angeles fans both picked up the energy. Following two substitutions in the 81st minute, the Galaxy had a shot blocked leading to a corner kick.
LA was unable to break through but they had the home fans behind them as they knocked on the door of an equalizer.
The Galaxy did a great job of playing with purpose but not rushed. They kept possession for the majority of the final ten minutes by slowing things down and not taking unadvised shots.
Four minutes of stoppage time was added to the second half.
With less than a minute left in the game, RSL was stunned by a Galaxy goal.
Puig put an excellent cross in the middle of the box and Berry beat MacMath to the spot and slid in for a goal and an even scoreline.
MIGUEL BERRY STOPPAGE TIME EQUALIZER 🤯 pic.twitter.com/mTafef1Exm
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 12, 2024
After setting for a point in Los Angeles, Real Salt Lake will return home for a match against Seattle on Wednesday, May 15.
How To Watch Real Salt Lake
All Major League Soccer games are broadcasted on Apple TV with MLS Season Pass.
All Real Salt Lake English-language radio coverage for the 2024 season and beyond will be carried on various KSL radio signals. KSL Sports Zone (97.5 FM/1280 AM) and KSL Newsradio (102.7 FM / 1160 AM) are both stations under the Bonneville International umbrella.
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Chandler Holt is a co-host for the Jazz Notes podcast and a Digital Sports Producer for KSLSports.com, specializing in all things basketball and football. Follow Chandler on Twitter @ChandlerHoltKSL or on Threads @chandlerho1t.
