CARSON, Calif. – A goal would go a long way for Real Salt Lake in the second leg of their Western Conference semifinal, now that the away-goals rule is in effect for the first time in MLS history.
The LA Galaxy know this, but they just don't believe it's going to impact how the teams' showdown at StubHub Center will be played on Sunday (7:30 pm ET; ESPN2).
Which team will win leg 2?
They expect RSL to play as they always do, seeking possession, looking to attack, but not about to take great risk in so important an encounter. Pretty much the same thing LA want to do.
“My guess is [they'll be] fairly conservative,” Landon Donovan said during his weekly media session following Thursday morning's training session at StubHub. “They had long stretches of the first half [in last weekend's first leg at Rio Tinto Stadium] where they had 11 guys in their own end of the field, which you don't typically see from them, especially at home. So my guess is fairly conservative, but it's in their DNA to have the ball, attack, and play that way.
“So maybe they'll be a little more conservative, but as the game goes on, [attacking soccer is] the way they play, that's when they're best. So I would expect they'll open up a little bit.”
Galaxy captain Robbie Keane noted that there's no reason for RSL to press, that it doesn't matter “whether [a goal] comes in the first 10 minutes or the last 10 minutes. I think they'll try to have a lot of protection and then try to get the goal.”
RSL played conservatively with 40-mph winds blowing in their faces in the first leg, then surged forward after the break, coming close to scoring on several occasions. LA absorbed all of it and escaped with a scoreless draw.
That leaves LA needing a win to advance – or a penalty-kicks triumph after another scoreless battle – and leaves RSL needing only a draw with goals to reach back-to-back Western Conference Championships.
“I don't know why everyone is worried about 0-0 over there [at RSL],” midfielder Marcelo Sarvas said. “I think we did a very good job. Maybe we didn't play what we know and what we are able to do, but 0-0 there, it's a great job, and now we are home, it's our home field, we're going for the goal, we're going for to win this game.”
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The Galaxy expect a very different kind of encounter on their home field, where they were a league-best 12-1-4 and posted 44 goals during the regular season. A win and they're through, and they've made the point this week that they can't ask for more than that.
“We should be used to [these kind of important games], when you look at the players that we have, the experience that we have, the amount of games that we've played and big-situation games we've played in in the past ...,” Keane said. “When our backs are against the wall, we usually come up good, so this is one of those situations again. We know exactly what we have to do.
“We have to make sure we don't concede and [we need to] score goals. I think, certainly, going from this week, the training sessions this week, the buzziness around the place and the atmosphere and intensity in training has been very, very good. If we can bring that to Sunday's game, I think we'll be good.”
