SANDY, UT— LA Galaxy Insider Adam Serrano provides his Three Things We Learned from the Galaxy’s 3-3 draw with Real Salt Lake.
GALAXY FAIL TOUGH ROAD TEST IN UTAH
The LA Galaxy received one of their toughest tests of their season in a match against Real Salt Lake that had a playoff-like atmosphere but in the end they could not cut the mustard.
We saw a summation of the Galaxy’s 2016 season in the thrilling draw in Sandy, Utah. At times, LA seemed near unstoppable but in the end, the Galaxy dropped points thanks in part to a series of individual mistakes.
LA were mere seconds away from taking all three points, but after Chris Penso failed to call a late foul on Giovani dos Santos, Salt Lake equalized and denied the Galaxy their win. As the team seeks to solidify their positioning in a tight Western Conference heading down the stretch run, the Galaxy will need to start turning these draws into wins on a more consistent basis.
GIOVANI DOS SANTOS PUTS IN A NEAR-PERFECT GAME
The LA Galaxy needed Giovani dos Santos to carry an injury-riddled team on his back during a tough run of matches, and he delivered big time on Wednesday night.
Dos Santos played one of his best games in a Galaxy shirt, scoring twice and tallying an assist while also putting in a strong performance defensively to earn the Galaxy a point on the road. For a player who has been labeled as inconsistent by some, Dos Santos’ performance shows that the Mexican striker is one of the best players in MLS when he’s on his game.
With Steven Gerrard and Robbie Keane still on the shelf, the Galaxy will need even more Man of the Match performances from Dos Santos.
BRIAN ROWE HAS A NIGHT TO FORGET
Brian Rowe will need short-term memory after Wednesday’s 3-3 draw with Real Salt Lake.
Rowe was put in a strong showing until early in the second half when he failed to scoop up a loose ball in the penalty area, allowing Joao Plata to win, a penalty. The goal sparked a crazy 40-minute period that ultimately ended with Salt Lake equalizing in the final moments on a Juan Martinez shot from distance that Rowe was unable to stop.
Rowe’s talent is plain to see, but he’ll want to move on from his showing against Salt Lake as quickly as possible ahead of this weekend’s match with Orlando City SC.
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog atLAGalaxy.com/Insiderand contact him atLAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com.
