Ryan Hollingshead and Cristian Arango scored second-half goals and Los Angeles FC halted its season-worst three-game slide with a solid 2-0 victory over visiting Real Salt Lake on Sunday night.
Carlos Vela had an assist and provided a spark after starting the game on the bench for Los Angeles FC (19-7-3, 60 points). Arango has scored five goals in three career matches against Real Salt Lake.
Maxime Crepeau made five saves for his ninth shutout of the season for LAFC, who moved into a tie for the Supporters’ Shield (most regular-season points) with the Philadelphia Union.
LAFC beat Real Salt Lake for the sixth straight time and improved to 10-2-0 all-time in the series, including playoff matches.
Salt Lake (11-9-9, 42 points) had a four-match unbeaten streak (2-0-2) halted. The stretch began after RSL lost 4-1 to visiting LAFC on Aug. 6.
Salt Lake is tied with the Portland Timbers for the sixth-most points in the Western Conference.
Zac MacMath made four saves for Salt Lake, which was outshot 20-8. LAFC put seven shots on target to RSL’s five.
LAFC scored in the 49th minute after MacMath came out a few feet to break up a cross. The loose ball went toward Hollingshead, who sent a left-footed blast into the net for his fifth goal of the season.
Vela entered the match in the 58th. Just three minutes later, he sent a rocket left-footer just over the top of the net.
In the 62nd minute, Rubio Rubin had a chance for Salt Lake, but LAFC’s Diego Palacios deflected the right-footed shot, and it went wide right of the net.
Arango made it 2-0 in the 68th minute with Vela delivering a pass. Arango deked MacMath to the ground and easily sent a right-footer into the net for his 15th goal of the season.
Salt Lake nearly cut its deficit in half in the 73rd minute, but Crepeau stopped Anderson Julio’s close-range header.
Vela took a penalty kick in the first minute of second-half stoppage time, but MacMath guessed correctly by moving to his left to stop Vela’s left-footed blast.
LAFC had an 8-1 edge in shots in the first half.
LAFC’s Jesus Murillo had a solid chance in the 28th minute, but his header was stopped by MacMath.
–Field Level Media
