Real Salt Lake drops another one at home, 3-2 to the LA Galaxy
Real Salt Lake had twice as many shots (20), twice as many shots on goal (8) and twice as many corner kicks (8) than the Galaxy.
SANDY, Utah — For the fourth time in eight home matches, Real Salt Lake’s fortress of America First Field was broken down Wednesday night.
Memo Rodríguez and Tyler Boyd scored just two minutes apart, and the LA Galaxy won their first league match on the road since October 2022 with a 3-2 victory over Real Salt Lake.
Danny Musovski and Pablo Ruiz each scored for RSL (4-7-4, 15 points), which led for less than eight minutes of game time.
“I think every time you don’t win at home, the pressure builds,” RSL manager Pablo Mastroeni said. “You go away from home, there’s no pressure on the team. The guys want it so bad … and when you want it that bad, your brain can be hijacked by your emotions.
“It’s about finding that balance between being emotionally present, while still being really clear to what the game state looks like.”
Real Salt Lake had twice as many shots (20), twice as many shots on goal (8) and twice as many corner kicks (8) than the Galaxy. But the visitors had plenty of chances, and made Salt Lake pay, snapping a two-game losing skid in the interstate rivalry series.
The club next plays Saturday at Austin FC before facing the same Galaxy squad in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals next Wednesday, June 7 at America First Field.
“Obviously, after you lose, the frustration is there,” RSL forward Damir Kreilach said. “Overall, we created very good chances, creating the second goal and then had 2-3 chances to put things away.
“Of course, we have another game in three games. That means a short memory.”
RSL controlled possession through the first half, but couldn’t capitalize with more than one attempt on goal.
Galaxy weren’t much better, but the home side provided a lifeline when Ismir Pekmic went to the monitor deep in first-half stoppage time to call a handball on RSL captain Kreilach.
Gastón Brugman converted the penalty in the top right corner to send the visitors into halftime with a 1-0 lead. But the advantage lasted just five more minutes.
That wasn’t the end of the goal scoring. Not by a long shot.
By the 51st minute, Musovski finished off a header in the box from Jefferson Savarino’s corner kick to equalize for Salt Lake — the fourth goal in nine games across all competitions for the Las Vegas native.
Ruiz doubled the tally with a left-footed wonder strike from just outside the penalty area, giving RSL its first lead of the match via free kick in the 67th minute.
Rodríguez pulled one back for the Galaxy to equalize in the 72nd minute, and Boyd pushed the visitors back in front from inside the box less than two minutes later.
It’s the first time Los Angeles — which just fired longtime team president Chris Klein — had scored multiple goals in four league matches, and the first away goal in MLS play since March 4.
“We wanted to press the game, to play quicker, and with that, we created even more chances,” Kreilach said. “We went down at halftime, but we showed a great reaction, played great football — and then unfortunately, they punished us two times in transition with two goals.”