The LA Galaxy struggled in their Western Conference semifinal first leg to create opportunities in difficult conditions, saw a Gyasi Zardes goal waved off by an offside flag and needed a huge performance from Jaime Penedo to hold off a dominant Real Salt Lake and snatch a 0-0 draw at Rio Tinto Stadium.
They can live with that.
“That's not a bad result away from home,” captain Robbie Keane said after the Galaxy’s opening match of the MLS Cup Playoffs, presented by AT&T. “It's a tough place to come, and certainly when you're nil-nil at halftime and the wind is with them, obviously it suits them better for the second half.
“We were going for the goal, but we defended well.”
The Galaxy challenged RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando only on occasion, most dangerously on a Keane shot in the fifth minute and the Irishman's attempt to connect with two runners in the goalmouth in the 72nd, but they put just one shot on frame and were outshot 16-3 overall and 11-1 after the break.
A 20-mile-per-hour wind, at LA's back for the first half and favoring the home team in the second half, played havoc with the ball, and RSL increasingly gained control of an often chaotic and hugely energetic clash, especially in the last half-hour. Penedo's six saves were vital, especially a one-on-one stop against Joao Plata in the 69th minute.
“A sloppy game,” Galaxy coach Bruce Arena told media in Sandy, Utah. “The altitude, the wind, the field conditions made for a difficult game, so to get out here 0-0, we lay it on the line next week. We have to win at home.”
LA requires a victory in the second leg next Sunday at StubHub Center, where they were 14-1-4 with 50 goals in the regular season (including both "away" games against Chivas USA). A draw with goals would favor RSL, owing to the new away goals policy for the postseason, but there's no lack of confidence LA can take care of business at home.
“Listen, if at any point, you had said we have to [win a] game at home to advance to the conference finals, we'd take it,” Landon Donovan told media. “It doesn't mean it's easy. It's going to be a task against that team that's so potent offensively, but we have a game at home, we expect to win, and that's the mentality.”
LA wasn't happy with the foul count -- they were whistled 24 times to just 11 for RSL -- nor that Zardes' would-be 37th minute goal was wiped away when replays indicated the offside call was questionable, but all in all, this was mission accomplished.
“[Officiating] is what it is,” Arena said. “It’s been like that all year. It’s not going to change in the playoffs.”
"Gyasi's goal counted -- even though they counted it offside, he was onside," defender Omar Gonzalez said. "...I know Salt Lake is not worrying about the referee, so we've got to not worry about the referee as well."
“The most important thing is we have to understand when we're playing these games that you don't lose,” Keane added. “It was a good team performance tonight, everyone defended well as a group. Of course, you want to score as many goals as you can, but if you're not going to do that, you have to defend properly for the team.”
