LOS ANGELES — Tied atop the MLS Western Conference, the second match of the regular-season series between the Los Angeles Football Club and Real Salt Lake did little to separate the two.
After losing a wild, snow-filled match in Salt Lake City in its second game of the season, LAFC attempted to get one back against RSL and regroup from Saturday’s shellacking against Columbus.
Starting the potent trio of Denis Bouanga, Mateusz Bogusz and Cristian Olivera in the attack for the first time since June 1, LAFC came out as expected with bursts of energy and creative combinations before playing to a 1-1 tie that left both LAFC (13-5-5) and RSL (12-4-8) at 44 points, two points behind the Galaxy (13-5-7). Both teams hold at least a game in hand on the Galaxy (LAFC has played two fewer matches).
Fresh off a month-long stint with Uruguay, which finished third in the just completed Copa America, Olivera’s speed and relentless motor got LAFC on the board in the fifth minute.
A 60-yard ball over the top of Real Salt Lake’s defenders by Eduard Atuesta gave Olivera room to run onto it at the same moment when visiting goalkeeper Zac MacMath took an indecisive touch outside the box.
Olivera’s fifth league goal of the season might have been his most difficult finish of the bunch. As MacMath scrambled back to his net, the 22-year-old winger turned with his back to goal and cut back a medium trajectory chip shot that hopped in for an early lead.
LAFC maintained its energy through the opening 15 minutes until midfielder Timothy Tillman left with an injury to his left leg, prompting LAFC to drop Bogusz into the midfield as Kei Kamara was inserted into the middle of the attack.
From that point on, LAFC was slower, more predictable and less dangerous against an opponent that arrived at BMO Stadium without its two best scoring options.
Missing the league’s leading goal-scorer, former LAFC fan favorite Cristian “Chicho” Arango, along with winger Andrés Gómez, RSL trotted out a lineup with 19 combined goals this season.
Arango had 17 prior to MLS suspending the Colombian per the terms of the league’s anti-harassment policy.
A three-game ban of Arango, plus next week’s All-Star festivities in Columbus, forced RSL to find other ways to score.
In the 33rd minute, RSL caught the break it had to have.
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From 36 yards out, defender Brayan Vera’s first goal of the season took a slight deflection in the box off of LAFC midfielder Ilie Sanchez that caught goalkeeper Hugo Lloris who was prepared to stop a shot that was heading his direction.
It was another quiet contest for Lloris, who made two saves while MacMath stopped four, including a one-on-one moment against Bouanga in the 27th minute and a diving block on a dangerous strike by Bogusz before halftime.
The 1-1 score did not budge for the next 60-plus minutes as Salt Lake, sans Arango or Gómez, pressured the LAFC back line, amassing 18 shots to LAFC’s nine, five of which hit the target.
It was the second time this season that LAFC dropped points in a match after scoring first.
LAFC heads to Seattle on Saturday to play its last regular-season match prior to the beginning of the Leagues Cup tournament on July 26 against Club Tijuana at BMO Stadium.
More to come on this story.
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