11214_isi_penedojaime_mlsdb03082014172 David Bernal/isiphotos.com
MLS Playoffs

Real Salt Lake and L.A. Galaxy Battle to a 0-0 Draw

Nobody scored, but no one in the audience was bored either. Real Salt Lake and Los Angeles could not break through, setting up a huge showdown at the StubHub Center next Sunday.
BY Blake Thomsen Posted
November 02, 2014
9:22 AM
SATURDAY'S FIRST MLS PLAYOFF game, between the Columbus Crew and New England Revolution, delivered six goals. The league’s second matchup delivered nothing of the sort. That does not at all mean that it wasn’t entertaining, though.

If it wasn’t obvious before, Saturday night’s matchup between Real Salt Lake and the L.A. Galaxy at the Rio Tinto Stadium made it abundantly clear that these teams do not like each other very much. In a game that referee Silviu Petrescu somewhat lost control of, the hard fouls came thick and fast. The home team created the better of the chances in a cold, windy night in Salt Lake, but it couldn’t make a breakthrough thanks to an inspired performance from L.A. goalkeeper Jaime Penedo. Meanwhile, the Galaxy was uncharacteristically wasteful on the counterattack, failing to convert a few very presentable opportunities.

The end result? A 0-0 draw, a result that gives both teams plenty of hope heading into the return leg at L.A.’s StubHub Center next Sunday.

The swirling wind impacted play from start to finish, but there were still a fair few scoring chances, especially for the home side. Despite Salt Lake’s general dominance of the run of play, it was L.A. striker Robbie Keane who picked up the game’s first big chance. His nifty touch set up a shooting opportunity in the 5th minute, and the Irishman connected well but shot straight at Nick Rimando.

Minutes later, Salt Lake nearly scored on a corner—it was the first of many scares for a Galaxy defense that bent all night but refused to break.

In the 23rd minute, U.S. youth international Luis Gil set off on a brilliant run down the left wing, but his teasing cross was cut out by customarily excellent defending from L.A. stalwart A.J. DeLaGarza. Shortly after that, Real’s Joao Plata was through on goal, seemingly onside, but the assistant referee incorrectly flagged the play dead.

Los Angeles had its own offside call to complain about 15 minutes later, and it was an even bigger claim. In a breathtaking sequence, Salt Lake nearly scored on one end, only to be denied by further superb defending from DeLaGarza. From the clearance, the Galaxy launched a lightning counterattack that ended in a gorgeous through ball from Landon Donovan to Gyasi Zardes, which the young forward finished with aplomb. The play unfolded without either team knowing that the offside flag was raised, but the assistant referee's incorrect call denied the Galaxy what would have been a crucial away goal.

The second half was the Penedo Show from the opening minute. Real came out of the locker room on fire, and within 45 seconds Plata was through on goal again, this time with the offside flag down. However, Penedo was equal to the young Ecuadorian’s attempted dink, blocking the shot and parrying it to safety.

Eight minutes later, L.A. would get its only true chance of the half. An absolute jailbreak from a Real set piece left a stunning four-on-two break for the Galaxy, led by MVP candidate Keane. But the striker failed miserably, holding onto the ball for too long before playing a tame cross right at Rimando, who gratefully held on. From that point forward, the Salt Lake onslaught began in earnest.

In the 69th minute, Penedo somehow got a hand to a deflected effort from the lively Plata. At that point, it must have started to feel like “one of those nights” for Salt Lake. And those feelings only magnified six minutes later, when Javier Morales’s audacious Olímpico bid (a direct shot from a corner kick) was clawed away at the near post by Penedo.

The Salt Lake pressure never ceased over the course of the game, and it looked like last year’s MLS Cup finalists had the win in the 90th minute. Morales curled an effort towards a hugely unsighted Penedo, but the Panamanian was up to the task yet again, getting a strong hand to Morales’s shot and saving the Galaxy once more. That was Real’s last good chance of the game, and the home side was forced to settle for a frustrating draw.

The two teams now head to L.A. with everything to play for. The Galaxy has been forcefully dominant at home, losing only once all year. But that loss came to this Salt Lake team, so there’s no saying what might happen when they meet with even more at stake. Further, with MLS’s new away goals rule in the playoffs, Salt Lake can advance with a draw of any score except 0-0.

All told, the series is very finely balanced as it heads back to warmer climes. It’s probably safe to expect a fair few goals at the StubHub Center, especially if the goalkeepers (and hyperactive offside flags) are a little less prominent.

What did you think about Saturday’s game? Which team has a better chance of advancing? Let us know in the comments section below.

Blake Thomsen is a frequent ASN contributor. Follow him on Twitter.

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