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SANDY — Real Salt Lake will host the Los Angeles Galaxy inside its fortress, Rio Tinto Stadium, for the second time this season on Saturday, and after the first meeting of the year is ready for whatever the defending MLS Cup champs have in store for this weekend.
“I don’t think there’s much we need to talk about this week in terms of our motivation because it’s L.A., we lost to them at home, we always get up for L.A., and we’ve got a lot to prove,” RSL defender Nat Borchers told ESPN 700 early this week. “This is a fantastic opportunity for us.”
During the first meeting of the season on April 27, and without former Galaxy midfielder David Beckham and current forward Landon Donovan, Los Angeles used two early goals to blank the Salt Lake roster on the pitch and left Rio Tinto with three points off a shutout win.
“I’m sure it will be reiterated (Friday) how important this game is and how there’s still a bad taste in our mouth from last game,” RSL defender Chris Wingert told ESPN 700 Thursday.
With that result in mind, Wingert says his teammates know what they need to do this weekend when the Galaxy take the pitch.
I don't think there's much we need to talk about this week in terms of our motivation because it's L.A., we lost to them at home, we always get up for L.A., and we've got a lot to prove. This is a fantastic opportunity for us.
–Nat Borchers
“We realize we just got off to a bad start in that game and it cost us and we can’t let that happen,” said Wingert. “We need to make sure that we focus on coming out with a lot of energy on Saturday and try to put them on their heels.”
The Salt Lake club, sitting at 7-5-3 with 24 points and in the second slot in the Western Conference, will enter the match on a two-game win streak and in the middle of a lengthy homestand.
RSL will also be without a few of its players Saturday due to international duty. RSL striker Alvaro Saborio departed Sunday to join the Costa Rican national team, while RSL defender Abdoulie Mansally met up with the Gambia national team and RSL midfielder Luis Gil left Thursday to join the U-20 U.S. Soccer National Team for World Cup prep.
The L.A. based club (6-5-2, 20 points) enters the weekend match off a bit of a losing streak and most recently a devastating 5-0 loss to the New England Revolution last Sunday on the road.
It's a situation RSL is taking into account for its matchup this weekend.
“It’s unfortunate for us because now we’ve got to play a team, like L.A., who’s been embarrassed on the road and they’re going to come into our place and want to get a result against us,” said Borchers.
Regardless of the Galaxy’s current situation, RSL's sideline boss says they’re ready for the L.A. based club and what it will bring to the pitch Saturday night.
“We know what the Galaxy is — they’re a very organized defensive team that is very, very good at the counter attacks so we’re going to have to be well prepared for them no matter who plays,” Kreis told ESPN 700 Wednesday.
Following Saturday’s match, the Claret and Cobalt will have a short turnaround before it will return to the pitch. RSL will shift its sights to U.S. Open Cup play as it hosts the Charleston Battery in a fourth-round match Wednesday, June 12.
Kira Terry is a sports writer covering Real Salt Lake for KSL.com. Follow her on Twitter, @kiraterry.
