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CARSON, Calif. — Real Salt Lake went into the StubHub Center with the momentum of a 0-0 draw in the opening leg of the Western Conference semifinals and a 414-minute shutout streak as it looked to end Landon Donovan’s storybook Major League Soccer career Sunday night.
But the story continues, thanks to a three-goal, one-assist outing by Donovan that sent the Galaxy into the Western Conference finals and searching for its fifth MLS Cup title in club history.
But the hat trick alone doesn’t describe the play of MLS’s all-time leading scorer and assist-maker, a player who refused to be pushed into retirement on Sunday night.
“Landon battered me; he was on another level,” said RSL defender Tony Beltran, who spent the night trying to contain Donovan. “He’s an incredible player. He had so much desire tonight. He was class, and he’s going to finish his chances. He can punish you. That’s what he did.”
RSL (15-9-12) allowed the most goals in a playoff game in club history after Marcelo Sarvas scored the Galaxy’s fourth goal four minutes after the hour mark. The previous club worst was a 3-1 loss to L.A. in the 2011 Western Conference final.
Donovan opened the scoring in the 10th minute for the Galaxy (18-7-11), heading home a cross by A.J. DeLaGarza that screamed past RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando. He added an assist 10 minutes later, finding Robbie Keane behind the defense for the 2-0 halftime lead.
Amazingly, the Galaxy looked to go for more in the opening 45 minutes. L.A. outshot RSL 9-2, including two near-range shots by Gyasi Zardes in the opening five minutes.
“We weren’t good with the ball,” RSL coach Jeff Cassar said. “Any time you aren’t good with the ball, they are going to make you pay. The movement was fantastic; Landon was everywhere. They were a little stagnant at our place. We weren’t ready for that; I’m not sure why.”
Donovan added two second-half goals to complete the hat trick, burying a ball on a brilliant run in the 54th minute before slamming one home emphatically in the 72nd minute, about 10 minutes before he would exit the pitch to a rousing applause in front of an announced crowd of 27,000 fans.
The win was less about RSL’s loss and more about L.A.’s win, according to midfield veteran Ned Grabavoy, who has played with and against Donovan in his 12-year MLS career that includes three seasons with the Galaxy.
“From minute 1 to minute 90, they beat us in every single aspect of the game,” Grabavoy said. “They didn’t just beat us; they outclassed us. It’s tough to explain, tough to deal with, but you have to give credit to them, too.”
The fire wasn’t just contained to Donovan, either. Keane finished with a goal and three assists, including the final pass on the last two goals that slammed the door on RSL’s season. Forward Gyasi Zardes blasted four shots, with three of them in the opening five minutes of each half.
From minute 1 to minute 90, they beat us in every single aspect of the game. They didn't just beat us; they outclassed us. It's tough to explain, tough to deal with, but you have to give credit to them, too.
–RSL midfielder Ned Grabavoy
“When you get a really, really good team on a night against a team that is as bad in every aspect of the game as we were, that’s what happens,” Grabavoy continued. “We were losing balls, simple possession up top and everywhere. They’re off to the races, running at guys all night, making our back line uncomfortable.
“It’s tough to swallow. It’s painful, and it hurts.”
Keane nearly had a brace with a chip in the 80th minute, but Rimando kept an eye on the ball, leaped high in the air and poked it over the crossbar for a corner kick.
The Galaxy kept pressing forward until the closing minutes, and Sarvas nearly scored two minutes from the end of regulation with a shot on frame that Rimando punched out for a corner kick.
L.A. moves on to face the winner of Monday night’s Seattle-Dallas semifinal in the first leg of the Western Conference finals on Nov. 22.
“It was a number of things we didn’t do in the back, so they were able to come at us a lot and be a lot more dangerous,” Beltran said. “Credit to them; they did a good job of coming off the ball and coming at us. It was difficult to play, and they were just better than us.”
Contributing: Rod Zundel
