Two goals in the opening 13 minutes proved enough for Real Salt Lake to beat Los Angeles Galaxy 2-1 at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday, with Solans and Chadwick Zachary Booth doing the early damage before an own goal from L. De Fougerolles trimmed the deficit. The final score was settled well before half-time, leaving the Galaxy to chase a game they never really threatened to turn around. RSL, who sit ninth in the Western Conference on 45 points, have now won four of their last five matches.
Key Moments
- 10′, Solans opens the scoring, converting a move fed through by Caliskan to give Real Salt Lake an early lead.
- 13′, Chadwick Zachary Booth doubles the advantage just three minutes later, finishing without an assist recorded to put RSL firmly in control.
- 16′, Henry picks up a yellow card for a foul, adding a disciplinary note to what had otherwise been a dominant RSL opening.
- 40′, L. De Fougerolles turns the ball into his own net to give the Galaxy a lifeline heading into the break, making it 2-1.
- 55′, L. De Fougerolles is booked for persistent infringement, compounding a difficult afternoon for the RSL defender.
- 58′, RSL double up their substitutions, bringing on Yedlin for Chadwick Zachary Booth and Glad for Henry as Mastroeni manages his backline.
- 83′, LA Galaxy send on Furuhashi and Calegari in a late attempt to find an equalizer, but the visitors fail to test Rafael Cabral.
Tactical Breakdown
Real Salt Lake were the more dangerous team despite finishing the match with just 41% possession. Their xG of 2.92 against the Galaxy’s 0.96 tells the clearest story of the night: RSL generated genuine chances while their opponents rarely threatened the goal. Pablo Mastroeni’s side attempted 20 shots, nine of which were on target, and found space inside the box repeatedly, registering 16 shots from inside the penalty area alone.
The match was decided inside a frantic three-minute spell between the 10th and 13th minutes, and RSL spent much of the rest of the night managing the lead rather than chasing a third. Mastroeni moved quickly at the hour mark, withdrawing both Chadwick Zachary Booth and Henry before the 60th minute, bringing defensive cover through Glad and Yedlin as the team shifted its priority to protecting the two-goal margin.
Los Angeles Galaxy’s 59% possession was largely sterile. They managed zero shots on target across 90 minutes, and Marcinkowski was the busier goalkeeper by some distance, making six saves. Lozano and Sergi Roberto were replaced before the hour and the 83rd minute respectively, but their departures changed little. The Galaxy never found a second goal, and their xG of 0.96 reflected a team that struggled to create in the areas that mattered.
Player Ratings
Match Context
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Standings
Head To Head
Verdict
Real Salt Lake finish the regular season ninth in the Western Conference on 45 points, one ahead of the Galaxy in 11th. Los Angeles Galaxy end on 44 points, sitting outside the playoff positions. RSL have now won four of their last five matches, arriving at the postseason in decent form under Pablo Mastroeni.
Los Angeles Galaxy
Real Salt Lake
S. Solans