Real Salt Lake Real vs La Galaxy La Picks and Predictions June 22nd 2024

Sizzling Real Salt Lake Face Test in LA Galaxy

Real Salt Lake (RSL) could face the toughest challenge yet to their historic unbeaten run when they host the LA Galaxy in a clash of Western Conference contenders on Saturday night.

“There’s no time to really be excited about anything. In terms of the streak, I think it’s really about being really process-oriented and thinking about the kind of team we want to be.”

– Pablo Mastroeni

Real Salt Lake’s Unbeaten Streak

West-leading Salt Lake (10-2-7, 37 points) extended its club-record single-season unbeaten streak to 15 games in their 4-3 win at Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday. This impressive streak has placed them at the top of the Western Conference, showcasing their resilience and consistency throughout the season.

Key Performances and Team Strategy

Manager Pablo Mastroeni elected to rotate his lineup, bringing MLS leading scorer Cristian Arango (16 goals) off the bench at halftime. This strategic move paid off as the Claret-and-Cobalt scored four or more goals for the fourth time this season. Andres Gomez had two goals, becoming RSL’s second double-digit scorer with 10, while Arango contributed an assist.

Mastroeni emphasizes a process-oriented approach: “In terms of the streak, I think it’s really about being really process-oriented and thinking about the kind of team we want to be, what that looks like in the future and then working toward that vision every single day.”

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Historic Achievement in Sight

With another win or draw, Salt Lake can move alone into second place on the all-time list of MLS unbeaten runs in a single season, trailing only the 2010 FC Dallas team, which went 19 games without defeat. However, Mastroeni and his players remain focused on their immediate goals rather than the potential record.

LA Galaxy’s Form and Key Players

The Galaxy (9-3-7, 34 points) are currently third in the Western Conference, just behind RSL and second-place LAFC based on total wins. They earned a 2-0 home win over New York City FC on Wednesday night, showcasing their defensive solidity and offensive prowess.

Notable Performances

Attacking midfielder Riqui Puig missed a second consecutive match, but Dejan Joveljic stepped up, scoring his team-leading 11th goal late in the first half. Diego Fagundez doubled the Galaxy’s advantage early in the second half. The Galaxy recorded only their fourth clean sheet of the season, and just their second in a victory.

Galaxy coach Greg Vanney praised his team’s collective effort: “I thought we stayed collective for the most part — stayed together. We were in good positions to help each other. They’re going to have their moments and they’re going to try to put balls in the box and put some numbers forward. I thought we managed most of them pretty well.”

Tactical Considerations

RSL’s potent offense, led by Cristian Arango and Andres Gomez, will test the Galaxy’s defense, which has shown improvement but remains inconsistent. The Galaxy’s ability to stay organized and compact defensively will be crucial in countering RSL’s attacking threats.

Conclusion

As Genuine Salt Lake plans to confront the LA System, the match vows to be a critical test for the two groups. RSL means to expand their unbeaten streak and cement their situation at the highest point of the Western Meeting, while the Cosmic system hope to expand on their new achievement and move higher in the standings.

“I thought we stayed collective for the most part — stayed together. We were in good positions to help each other.”

– Greg Vanney