As LAFC's Steve Cherundolo fined $10K, questions arise over RSL's 3-0 win: should match have been played?
The Angeleno manager and former U.S. international who played in Germany was critical over RSL's 3-0 win over LAFC played in the middle of a snowstorm.
Was Real Salt Lake’s 3-0 win over LAFC played in such suboptimal conditions that the snowy wonderland should have been deemed “unsafe” for the players’ working conditions?
That was LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo’s argument after his visitors’ loss Saturday afternoon, calling the game — which was delayed twice by a high-wind warning and lighting (or “thundersnow,” more accurately) before being played while around four inches of snow piled up each team’s bench area — “impossible conditions.”
"An absolute joke that we had to play today,” Cherundolo said. “Not safe for the players. One of the worst professional sporting events I've ever seen in my life. I'm actually, I feel terrible for the players, we put them through this. Game could have been and should have been called many times beforehand. In my opinion, an absolute disgrace that we played today."
Major League Soccer responded Wednesday, fining the 45-year-old head coach and former U.S. international $10,000 for violating a “public criticism” of the league’s 2024 competition manual for “conduct that is detrimental to the public image and reputation of MLS and/or the club.”
“Such behavior is subject to discipline by the commissioner or his designee,” the clause continues.
Real Salt Lake won the game 3-0 thanks to two goals and an assist from Andrés Gómez, who earned MLS Team of the Matchday honors for his first-half brace before setting up Chicho Arango’s goal shortly before halftime.
But the hosts were out-shot 16-11 by LAFC, who equalled RSL with six shots on goal apiece. The hosts maintained 56.3% of possession despite nearly doubling LAFC in completed passes, 409 to 254 and giving up eight corner kicks to the Angelenos.
“Scoring two goals motivates me to work even harder,” Gómez said after the game in Spanish. “Through hard work, I can get even better and make even better decisions on the pitch.
“This was the first time I’ve played in a game with snow, but it motivated me. I was as happy as a kid, because I had barely ever seen snow. I just wanted to run through it.”
From LAFC’s reaction, which also included several players speaking out against the conditions and offering to file with the Players’ Association over the match, it would seem that only the Angelenos had to play in the snow.
Maybe that’s a result of RSL’s attitude training, or a roster that has been conditioned by the gray skies of winter in Utah’s capital city by training nearly every day of the preseason in an indoor practice facility.
Or maybe Salt Lake’s players, coaches and even fans weren’t thrilled by the match, either — and simply got over it.
“As the game wore on, it became less like a soccer match, obviously,” RSL manager Pablo Mastroeni said. “I don’t think they were desirable conditions for either team. From the start, if the game didn’t happen, I would have been OK with it. But once we started, I was just like, let’s get this thing over with. But I understand his sentiments.”
Real Salt Lake is back home Saturday to host Rocky Mountain rivals Colorado at America First Field (7:30 p.m. MST, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).
New deal for the Moon Boy
Diego Luna has signed a new contract with RSL that puts the recent U.S. senior international midfielder on a U-22 initiative contract through the 2028 season, as first reported by The Athletic’s Tom Bogert.
The deal, which has been confirmed by Salt City FC, also moves Gómez to a Young Designated Player slot on Salt Lake’s roster alongside forward Chicho Arango and newly signed attacking midfielder Matt Crooks.
The deal fills all three DP and U-22 initiative slots for RSL, though team sources tell Salt City FC that the mechanism is primarily being used to save allocation money; Crooks’ deal could be bought down if Real Salt Lake opts to sign a third DP-level player during the summer transfer window.
Luna, Nelson Palacio and Braian Ojeda occupy the team’s U-22 initiative slots.
Pablo Ruiz out for the season
Dynamic midfielder Pablo Ruiz will miss the remainder of the 2024 MLS season after the dynamic Argentine suffered a debilitating setback upon his return from a severe knee injury last year.
Ruiz will miss the rest of the season with an ACL injury after a six-month departure from the first team for surgery to repair a torn MCL in his right knee last summer.
“It hurts me to express myself since for me it is news that affects me emotionally and psychologically again, when everything was going more than fine because I returned to play later of six months,” Ruiz wrote on Instagram. “I want you to know that this is not the end, I will simply get back up stronger than ever to do what I love most, which is playing soccer. With the support of my family, my wife and son, I know that I will return to the field. of game. as quickly as possible, mainly for me, for my family and for all of you who are the ones who give me a lot of love every day, thank you very much ❤️.”