Twelve matches, no wins between them
Real Salt Lake have not won a league match since the World Cup break ended. Neither have LAFC. They meet on Saturday night in Utah.
RSL sit 10th in the West on 8-9-4 and 28 points, just outside a playoff place, and have gone 0-5-2 in that stretch. LAFC are third on 10-7-6 and 36 points, which sounds healthier until you look at the last five matches: 0-2-3.
Salt Lake lost 1-0 at Colorado on Aug. 29, beaten by a Reggie Cannon goal in the 58th minute. LAFC drew 0-0 at D.C. United the same day. Hugo Lloris made three saves for his 11th clean sheet of the season. His team took 17 shots and put one of them on target.
Two squads rebuilt in a week
Neither club sat still. RSL sent midfielder Pablo Ruiz to the LA Galaxy, signed 19-year-old Serbian winger Dusan Zagar and took Taylor Booth on loan from FC Twente.
Zagar is the one who has to matter quickly. Salt Lake have scored eight goals in MLS play since the break. The teenager brings three goals in 42 games for FK IMT Belgrade, which is a modest return for a player being asked to unblock an attack.
“We believe that our developmental track record with Andres Gomez and Zavier Gozo, amongst others, made us an attractive option,” RSL chief soccer officer Kurt Schmid said.
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LAFC bet on a 20-year-old
LAFC moved too. In came Brazilian forward Thayllon Roberth and Finnish midfielder Leo Walta, both on loan. Out went forward David Martinez to FC Midtjylland.
Roberth is 20 and arrives with seven goals and five assists from 46 matches over two seasons in Brazil’s Serie B.
“His performances in Brazil have demonstrated both his ability to impact games now and the considerable potential he has to develop,” LAFC president of soccer operations John Thorrington said.
The July meeting still stands
The two met on July 22 in Los Angeles and LAFC won 3-1, with Son Heung-min and Denis Bouanga both scoring inside the first half. That was a different LAFC, one that had not yet gone five without a win.
Salt Lake are the ones with the tighter margin. Sitting a place below the line with a seven-match winless run, they need the three points more than the visitors do.
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