LA Galaxy Unacceptable Performance against Real Salt Lake Results in 6-2 Loss

By Michelle Huitink // @mchuitink

Saturday, Sept 1: 6-2 Loss

Starting XI

David Bingham; Dave Romney, Michael Ciani, Jorgen Skjelvik; Rolf Feltscher, Perry Kitchen, Servando Carrasco, Ashley Cole ©; Jonathan dos Santos; Zlatan Ibrahimović, Ola Kamara.

Bench

Justin Vom Steeg, Daniel Steres, Sebastian Lletget, Ema Boateng, Baggio Husidic, Giovani dos Santos, Romain Alessandrini, Bradford Jamieson IV.

The Los Angeles Galaxy traveled to Utah where Real Salt Lake have only lost once this season at Rio Tinto Stadium.

No one was expecting the LA Galaxy to score in the first thirty seconds of the match, the RSL players could only stand and watch as Ashley Cole crossed the ball right to Jonathan Dos Santos, who kicked it straight into the back right corner of the net.

Early in the match, a duck had provided an amusing distraction from the Galaxy’s struggle. After several minutes, it was finally chased off the field by staff. The duck was faster than everyone. The Galaxy moved too slow for Real Salt Lake.

The Galaxy scored again when Romain Alessandrini came off the bench in the 63rd minute, cutting RSL’s lead in half to make it 4-2. But, that seemed to be the best three minutes of play the Galaxy had. That was the only time they got it together.

The poor defense that’s been suffocating the team all season had conceded four goals and the bleeding didn’t stop, literally as Zlatan Ibrahimovic had somehow sustained a cut on his head in the first half.

Giovani Dos Santos also returned and was subbed on for Perry Kitchen with 20 minutes left in the game, the score was 4-2. Two more RSL goals came after that. The final score was 6-2.

So, who could be blamed for the result on this first of September? The back line as usual left David Bingham high and dry, this time Michael Ciani was back and in the worst kind of luck, scored an own goal in the 48th minute.

Coach Sigi Schmid at least made early subs for some spark of hope, the first being Sebastian Lletget in for Servando Carrasco. But, the starting lineup itself was questionable besides fitness reasons. Not that it mattered, we just don’t know which Galaxy team is going to show up, and we were hoping it was the defense that brought it on against LAFC the week prior.

Schmid and the entire front office are definitely at fault, and fans have been calling for them all to be fired, but they will most likely finish the rest of the season.

Ibrahimovic is just one goal away from his career 500, but no one wanted it to come on such a disastrous night. His closest call was in the 46th minute when he hit a shot off the crossbar.

The Galaxy are still on the road set to face Toronto FC on September 15th. In the meantime, it is international break. Rolf Feltscher, Lletget, and Jonathan Dos Santos have been called up for International duty.

LAG are back home on September 23rd where they have to face a surging Seattle Sounders team that are now in 5th place, and have 8 wins in a row, which is a new record.

The Galaxy slip down the table to 8th place. Playoff qualification is looking grim.

Featured image of LA Galaxy supporters’ view at RSL. Photo Credit: Jamie Bacon

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