RSL avoids blowout, falls 2-0 on road at LAFC

SANDY — Real Salt Lake was able to avoid a similar 4-1 loss it experienced at the hands of LAFC last month in Sandy, but still came up short in a 2-0 loss to the star-studded squad from Hollywood Sunday in Los Angeles.

"We knew it was gonna be a tough one," RSL head coach Pablo Mastroeni said. "We did a good job keeping it 0-0 at the half, had some good looks on goal in the second half, but just didn't score. They put on a lot of pressure, and we couldn't withstand it."

A pair of sure-fire chances came for LAFC in the 36th and 38th minutes, but RSL was able to escape both to keep the shutout through the first 40 minutes of play. The first was a goal by Chicho Arango that was immediately called offside, and the other was a shot from Ryan Hollingshead that Aaron Herrera was forced to clear off the goal line with Zac MacMath off his line.

RSL was able to "keep the zero," as Mastroeni has encouraged all season, and go into the halftime break tied with Western Conference-leading LAFC 0-0.

"It's 0-0 and we didn't play our best," defender Herrera said going into the locker room.

The clean sheet didn't last long in the second half, however, as Hollingshead slotted home a rebound off a miscommunication between MacMath and Marcelo Silva to put LAFC up 1-0 in the 49th minute.

RSL fired back with some chances of its own less than 10 minutes later when Rubio Rubin got clear of the defenders on the right side of the goal and fired a shot that went straight to the keeper.

Rubin got another chance just minutes later after Justin Meram came into the game and almost immediately got the ball into the box. Jefferson Savarino got the ball and was able to slide it to Rubin, whose shot ended up going just wide. Rubin is still looking for his first goal of the year after scoring eight last season.

Arango, who had two goals last time against RSL, found his inevitable score in the 68th minute to extinguish any sparks of an offensive flame for RSL. LAFC captain and MLS All-Star Carlos Vela found Arango cutting into the box, and the striker did the rest as he calmly slotted it home for his 15th goal of the season.

Paraguayan Braian Ojeda, 22, made his RSL debut immediately after the goal in the 69th minute, coming on for Scott Caldwell in the midfield.

MacMath conceded a penalty in the 90th minute but was able to come up with the save on Vela's attempt to prevent a three-goal loss.

RSL returns home Saturday to take on D.C. United — led by Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney as head coach — at Rio Tinto Stadium at 7:30 p.m. MDT.

"(There are) some tough games coming up, but we gotta find a way," Mastroeni said.

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