Real Salt Lake vs LA Galaxy Preview
Picture credit: Rick Egan / The Salt Lake Tribune
I hardly have any time to write so here we go!
In about 30 minutes the LA Galaxy will kick off in Salt Lake City to face Real Salt Lake. We are currently scoreless in 180 minutes and without Julian Araujo for this match. Those are obviously two stats that I don’t really love to see. Though, with that said, RSL might be the right opponent for us!
They were the only team in all of MLS that we got two wins from two regular season matchups against last year. Both being slightly sloppy 2-1 victories, but victories, nonetheless. In addition, we only won four away games all of last season and RSL were one of them! In fact, RSL were the only playoff we beat away all of last year, so…yay?
Anyway, speaking of going to Rio Tinto. It is one of the only stadiums in all of MLS with in person attendance currently. Granted, far from full capacity, but there are people. This home field advantage, however has not been much of a blessing for Salt Lake. In home games since MLS is Back they have only recorded a single win from four games. We can’t let them get their second.
Since recording four consecutive victories we have cooled off. Our last two games were a 0-0 draw in San Jose and a 2-0 defeat at home to Colorado. Those are bad results to subpar teams. What is even more worrying is that the LA Galaxy have a tendency to play in streaks. For example, we started this year winless from our first five and then won our next four. We now sit winless in two and run a risk of extending that streak.
Not winning in two happens to teams, and on the surface it is not something to read too much into. However, with the shortened season every game matters even more and with our streakiness three, four, five games winless could cost us big time. We have to snap this streak ASAP!
We currently sit in 8th, the last team in the playoffs and they currently sit a single point behind us in 11th. We can go all the way up to 4th with a win! But, all the way down to 11th with a loss. That is how tight the table currently is.
Normally, for an away game to a team right around us, I would say a tie is all we need. Today though – we need a win. With the form we have fallen into and a the tightness of the table, a draw still won’t feel too good.
With that said, I think we can pull it off. I doubt it will be pretty, though I think we have just enough in us to get it done.
Predicted score: 1-0 LA
Scorer: Cuello
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