Revenge

While it wasn't a playoff game, or anywhere really close to that kind of importance, it was still satisfying to serve LA a cold glass of revenge on their home field. Ending their home undefeated streak was just a cheery on top.

 

Man of the Match: Sebastian Velasquez

 - I was really nervous when I saw this kid in the starting lineup. Just months ago this kid was playing in a junior college. Now he is playing on the same field as David Beckham, Robbie Keane, Landon Donovan, Kyle Beckerman, etc. You could tell early on that he was nervous. Can you blame him? But after some touches on the ball, a few completed passes, and a few tackles he got into the flow. Even more so, he started to show  his flair on the ball. Javi and Sabo coming on made the difference, but Velasquez was what sparked the ultimate RSL comeback. If this was any sort of indication on what he'll bring to the team, we all should be very excited and enjoy it while he stays (Europe will come calling).

Moment of the Match: RSL's Quick (own goal) Equalizer.

 - The 5 minutes following the first goal in a game are incredibly important, ask any coach. The team that registered the first goal can become relaxed or they can be injected with a burst of energy. Similarly, the team that was scored on can dip into a letdown or they can "turn the switch" and mount a comeback. In this game, we saw both LA relax a little and RSL push. Velasqeuz was the main man as he whipped in a dangerous ball. Sean Franklin of LA dealt with it in the worst possible way, placing it neatly into the back of his own net. Had LA been able to weather the storm for 5 more minutes rather than concede a goal, the result would have likely been much different.

Player and Team Evaluations:
Rimando: B+
 - A few shaky moments, but also some truly brilliant moments. That orange kit of his is hideous.

 Wingert: B
 - He had his hands full dealing with Beckham in occasional 1v1 situations. His switch on defending lead to the goal. Though that was likely more Grabavoy's fault than his.

Olave: B
 - A pretty solid night overall. However, his marking on the LA goal was absolutely pathetic.

Schuler: B-
 - Similar to Olave, his marking on the LA goal was bad. His touch seemed a bit off at times throughout the game, as well.

Beltran: B+
 - He made one of the biggest plays in the game and is getting zero credit for it. Robbie Keane, earlier in the second half, had found space in between the RSL back line and was inside the 18. He did a move to cut back to his right foot. The goal was there for the taking but Beltran got a foot in at the very last second. HUGE play if you look back at it.

Beckerman: B
 - The middle of the pitch was RSL's for long stretches, however, he made some pretty bad passes that were nearly turned into counters by LA. He cleaned it up in the second half and was a major part of why RSL was able to possess the ball for as long as they did.

Grabavoy: B-
 - A pretty solid yet quite night from Ned. Doing his thing, quietly, and without much notice from writers.

Gil: A-
 - Honestly, I thought Gil had possibly the best night of any RSL player but was just unlucky to not end up on the stat sheet for an assist or two. His pass in the first half that should have been finished by Paulo Junior (and then Velasquez) was something even Javi would have been jealous of. This kid just keeps improving.

Velasquez: B+
 - The best way to describe what we saw from Velasquez in this game was a cross of the energy of Will Johnson, the skill of Javier Morales, and the tenacity of Fabian Espindola. If he can play like that each and every game, we've not only found ourselves a true diamond in the rough, but a solid contender for Rookie of the Year.

Espindola: B-
 - Espy really struggled at times in this game. His work rate never failed, but his focus did at times. You could tell he was frustrated with his partner up top in PJ and just wasn't always on the same page as Gil and the midfield. Still, the guy was able to find the back of the net and was a rather constant threat down the left wing for RSL. If he can score on a bad night the league should really be worried.

Paulo Junior: C+
 - Of all the RSL players that touched the pitch, I thought he had the worst night. While he looked to have his composure on the ball and confidence in his legs back, he still lacked that burst of speed that made him so hard to mark when he first arrived at RSL. His finishing was very sub par, as well. Just not his night. However, it was a big improvement from what we saw from him at the end of last season.

Morales: B+
 - Came on and pretty much instantly the game swung in RSL's favor. The guy, even when injured, just has the ability to weave through defenders with and without the ball. his goal was the result of great passing, timing, and bravery to go into the tackle. Reports indicate that his knee is doing just fine and he shouldn't have another setback on his recovery.

Saborio: B
 - We were greatly missing his size and target abilities in this game. Had he been in from the start, RSL would have found the goal in the first half as they would have had a target to whip in crosses to. LA was giving RSL the wings all the way down to their own 18. With a guy like Sabo in there, it would have spelled disaster for them.

Alvarez: NA
 - He was on the field for hardly any time. The time he was on was chaotic as LA was throwing each and every player forward and had a complete disregard for shape and formation. Hard to give an assessment on Yordany when that was the case.

RSL Rating: B
 - There were areas that could have been approved upon as a team, however, for the first game of the new season, with that many injuries... damn. This team looks good. Lets just hope they can get healthy and stay that way. If they can, I'm not sure any team in this league honestly can say they are better than them.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

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