The LA Galaxy are coming to town and they are bringing somebody special.
Real Salt Lake will face the Galaxy on Tuesday night (10 pm ET, YouTube) with a semifinal berth in the US Open Cup on the line. RSL will have even more to worry about than usual, as the match could mark the competitive debut of the Galaxy's newest star, Steven Gerrard.
Gerrard, who signed with the Galaxy back on Jan. 7, is anticipated to play in the encounter at Rio Tinto Stadium. The longtime Liverpool legend went 45 minutes in a friendly against Liga MX side Club América on Saturday night, looked solid throughout, and is hoping for to earn more minutes on Tuesday.
RSL head coach Jeff Cassar said after practice on Monday that he was wary of the Englishman, but was confident that RSL could get a result if they stayed focused.
“It’s about making sure we’re organized defensively as a unit, making sure we don't give [Gerrard] time and space on the ball to pick out his passes that he wants,” Cassar said. “Because he’s an amazing passer of the ball. And, at the end of the day, awareness, knowing where he and [Robbie] Keane are at all times.”
Game-planning and executing are two completely different things, however, as this weekend’s match against the Colorado Rapids proved. RSL gave up three goals in the space of 10 minutes, and a lack of focus was particularly evident during the Rapids’ go-ahead goal as midfielder Luis Gil stood completely still while Charles Elondou recovered the ball that eventually wound up in the back of the net.
“We talked, we had a discussion,” Cassar said. “It’s about learning and moving forward and not repeating the same mistakes. To be fair, he wasn’t the only one that was sleeping on that play. Where one person maybe makes a mistake, somebody else has to cover for him. But on that play there was probably two or three mistakes and that cannot happen.”
The stakes are much higher now. When they face off against a streaking Galaxy team in the quarterfinals of a national tournament, especially with a world-class player like Gerrard in the midfield, Real Salt Lake will have their hands full.
- Get more Real Salt Lake news at RealSaltLake.com
RSL midfielder Luke Mulholland knows full well the type of impact that Gerrard can make. Mulholland grew up up idolizing Gerrard, and says that the Designated Player's game has certainly evolved over the years.
“As his career went on, he took more of a defensive midfield role so I’m assuming he’ll continue to play that role for LA," said Mulholland. "His passing and his awareness are unbelievable as well as being able to shoot from distance.”
Cassar knows that, ultimately, Gerrard will be playing under coach Bruce Arena, so RSL will need to prepare to face 11 well-drilled Galaxy players, not just the English star.
“I think [Gerrard] might play a little bit differently because obviously he’s not with Liverpool," said Cassar. "The Galaxy have a system of play. Now it’s fitting him into their system. We know their system, so we feel we’re well prepared.”
