SANDY, Utah— LA Galaxy Insider Adam Serrano’s Three Points to the LA Galaxy’s 3-1 defeat to Real Salt Lake. The Galaxy are now on a three-game losing streak in all competitions and have lost four of their last five games.
GALAXY DEFENSE BREAKS IN SECOND HALF DELUGE
The LA Galaxy may have equalized the match late in the first half on a Landon Donovan goal in first half stoppage time, but once the second half began, it was all Real Salt Lake.
After dominating possession throughout the second half, RSL broke through in the 81st minute when forward Olmes Garcia powered a header past LA goalkeeper Brian Rowe. As the Galaxy pressed forward in search of the equalizer, Garcia found his second in stoppage time to seal a 3-1 victory.
With the result, the Galaxy remain winless when conceding the first goal at 0-6-0 in MLS play and 0-8-0 in all competitions this season. LA have also now conceded six times in the final 10 minutes over their past three league games.
WHO STARTS IN GOAL WHEN THE GALAXY RETURN TO ACTION?
Brian Rowe was unable to duplicate the heroics of his last trip to Rio Tinto Stadium, but who will be between the pipes when the Galaxy return to action on June 19 against the Portland Timbers?
Carlo Cudicini did not make the trip to Salt Lake City as Bruce Arena opted to give Rowe the start. With the Galaxy heading into a congested summer schedule with multiple competitions, it’s likely that Rowe was given minutes to keep him fresh while offering some rest to Cudicini. In his return to Rio Tinto, Rowe made two saves, but conceded three as LA fell to RSL for their second straight defeat in league play
Cudicini has been much maligned after conceding five against the New England Revolution earlier in the month, but will likely have every chance to start when LA return to action against the Timbers. But with two weeks and a Reserve League match between their next league game, Arena will have time to decide who he wants between the pipes.
LA HEAD INTO A WEEK OFF ON LOSING STREAK
The LA Galaxy will enjoy their first week off from MLS regular season play in more than two months this week, but they’ll head into their lone respite on a two-game MLS losing streak, which can be stretched to three when accounting for the U.S. Open Cup defeat to the Carolina RailHawks.
LA’s loss to RSL was their seventh game in less than a month, a stretch that has included just one match at home—a 4-0 victory over Seattle Sounders FC on May 26—and a pair of cross-country trips. Although LA are heading into the break on a slide, it could be beneficial as the club looks to recharge their batteries heading into a congested summer schedule.
The week off—plus the Reserve League game against the Los Angeles Blues on Saturday—will allow head coach Bruce Arena to reevaluate his lineup for their match against the Portland Timbers on June 19. Barring a successful appeal with the Disciplinary Committee, Arena will have one of his lineup decisions for the Portland game already made for him as midfielder Marcelo Sarvas picked up his fifth caution of the season and will be suspended for that game as a result.
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog at LAGalaxy.com/insider and contact him at LAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com
