Real Salt Lake drops 3-1 result at home to LAFC

Real Salt Lake, despite several great looks at goal, couldn’t get it done as they dropped a 3-1 results to LAFC tonight, the visitors getting their revenge from the loss they suffered last time they were here. Missing Albert Rusnak to international duty, RSL struggled to find their stride in attack, and once again defensive breakdowns cost them a full three points.

LAFC got things started in the 23rd minute when Bradley Wright-Phillips was in the right place at the right time. Cifuentes was sprung free past the Aaron Herrera when RSL’s defensive line was playing relatively high. Cifuentes dribbled to near post and then sent the ball across goal to a wide-open Diego Rossi. Rossi, maybe one foot away from the goal, tapped the ball but misfired and it bounced off the post back into play. Unfortunately, the ball fell directly to BWP who knocked it in easily past Andrew Putna for his 8th goal on the season.

Rossi would make up for his mistake just a few minutes later when a long ball from behind midfield by Cifuentes sent him streaking toward goal. Erik Holt was able to cover him, but Rossi took Holt one-on-one and easily dribbled around him, and sent a left-footed shot in past Putna to double the visitors’ lead to 2-0.

Though RSL came out and had a couple of decent chances early in the second half, including a point-blank header miss from Sam Johnson, it was LAFC who would strike again. Brian Rodriguez got his second goal of the season when he knocked another one in for LAFC in the 58th minute when he sent the ball in near post flying above Putna to increase their lead to 3-0.

Marcelo Silva grabbed RSL’s first goal of the night when he headed in a corner kick sent in by Pablo Ruiz. Ruiz found Silva in the middle of the box, and Silva was able to rise up and send a good ball in to Sisniega’s right. Sisniega actually got a hand to it, and pushed the ball into the back of Eduard Atuesta’s leg, which then bounced off and back into the net. The score now 3-1, the goal would be credited to LAFC as an own goal.

Lineups

Real Salt Lake
Putna; Herrera, Silva, Holt, Toia; Ruiz, Kreilach; Chang (75’ Ramirez), Baird, Meram (HT Johnson); Martinez

Los Angeles FC
Sisniega; Blessing, Segura, Harvey, Palacios; Cifuentes (86’ Ginella), Atuesta, Kaye; Rodriguez, Wright-Phillips (65’ Musovski), Rossi

Discipline

60’ RSL - Pablo Ruiz (yellow)
71’ RSL - Sam Johnson (yellow)
80’ RSL - Donny Toia

Scoring

22’ LAFC - Bradly Wright-Phillips
27’ LAFC - Diego Rossi (Jose Cifuentes)
58’ LAFC - Brian Rodriguez (Bradly Wright-Phillips)
64’ RSL - Eduard Atuesta (OG)