Player Ratings, RSL v LA Galaxy: Central defenders, Rimando keep series safe, subs make impact

Nick Rimando - 8 Nick was put in a tough situation multiple times and he was very sound as far as positioning goes. I don't think anybody could have done anything with the goal from Franklin. Anything that was under Rimando's control he handled very well.

Nat Borchers - 8 Borchers made some very timely saves as did most of the backline. You saw against the Galaxy why Borchers is the leader of the defense.

Chris Schuler - 8 Outside of maybe one or two passes, Schuler added another dimension to the RSL defense. His long legs came in handy on a few occasions and he was able to keep RSL alive. He has looked very sharp since his return from injury.

Chris Wingert-  6 Wingert did pretty well to keep the Galaxy from coming in from the flanks. He also did well double-teaming Gonzalez. Not his best game ever, but not a bad one at all.

Tony Beltran - 5.5 Tony had a couple of dangerous giveaways and seemed to be caught with his side being wide open. I'm confident he will have a better game at Rio Tinto.

Kyle Beckerman - 5.5 Beckerman's giveaway was in a very bad spot and there was really no reason for it. Unfortunately, it lead to the lone Galaxy goal which leaves RSL in a surmountable but challenging deficit. I know Beckerman is capable of much more. That said, he did have a couple of fantastic saves and it is pretty safe to assume that he was a bit out of place in the formation that Kreis disposed.

Ned Grabavoy - 6 Ned brought some creativity in the first 60 minutes that was otherwise largely absent. He was one of the few threats for the first good portion of the game.

Javier Morales - 5.5 Morales uncharacteristically gave the ball away both when making passes and in one-on-one situations. You don't see that too often from a guy of his caliber. He has to do much better over the next 90 minutes.

Luis Gil - 6.5 Gil looked pretty good and created a couple of fairly dangerous chances for RSL. He probably could have asserted himself in the game a bit earlier, and had he kept his head down on one of his shots it might have gone in.

Yordany Alvarez - 5.5 Is it just me or does Alvarez go unnoticed when he is playing alongside Beckerman? I don't recall much of anything from Alvarez, but he didn't make any huge mistakes either.

Alvaro Saborio - 5.5 Sabo was in a situation in which he was the lone RSL player in the attack for a large portion of the game. He has been able to make something out of nothing in situations like that in regular season play, but he was visibly frustrated with nobody around him to provide some support. Hopefully that feeds his hunger in the return game.

Substitutes

Robbie Findley- 7 Robbie looked pretty good out there with the time he was given. He made some wise passes and RSL seemed to breath easier when he was in the game because he was able to spread out the field. That is and always has been the value he adds to this club.

Sebastian Velasquez - 7 Velasquez brought some desperately needed energy and life into the RSL attack from the moment he stepped on the field. Not bad for a guy that has seen spotty minutes over the past couple of months.

Devon Sandoval - 6.5 Sandoval seemed to play without fear in his first playoff minutes. He nearly scored and probably would have had the Galaxy defender not brought him down. Great showing from a guy in his first year of play.