After a lengthy delay due to weather, Real Salt Lake hosted and annihilated LAFC 3-0 in the snow globe that was America’s First Field. The match had everything – everything, winter weather-related that is. Snow, wind gusts, lightening, and more snow. As the first half dragged on, one team fared better. The snow angels were looking down on Real Salt Lake. RSL claimed a 2-0 lead a brace from Andrés Goméz, before former LAFC scoring ace Chicho Arango added the third in first half stoppage time and celebrated with his own snow angel. “I don’t know how these guys were able to pass it from A to B. I couldn’t even walk in the snow, let alone pass the ball,” RSL head coach Pablo Mastroeni said afterwards. “It wasn’t easy for either team. So just a real credit to the players and the mindset to not allow circumstances beyond their control to affect them.”
The new look LAFC, unable to string together a single goal past a nimble Zac MacMath, and still battling the ghost of Carlos Vela, featured the debuts of David Martínez and Tomás Ángel. “I’m not sure there are any positives, other than that there were no injuries,” LAFC manager Steve Cherundolo fumed in the post-match commentary. “I just don’t understand why on earth we’d count a game like that, finish a game like that or even play a game like that,” Cherundolo deadpanned.
The Black and Gold now have a 14W-4L record against Real Salt Lake. Licking their wounds, LAFC returns home for their next match on Saturday, March 9 when they host Sporting Kansas City at BMO Stadium.
