Galaxy/RSL running blog

Here we go - a depleted Galaxy team versus Salt Lake's finest.
Luis thinks former Galaxy player Clint Mathis can still do some damage. I'm thinking it might be Robbie Findley who hurts LA, but we'll see.

RSL: Nick Rimando, Chris Wingert, Nat Borchers, Jamison Olave, Ian Joy, Will Johnson, Kyle Beckerman, Javier Morales, Clint Mathis, Kenny Deuchar, Fabian Espindola

LA: Josh Wicks, Chris Klein, Sean Franklin, Troy Roberts, Mike Randolph, Eduardo Dominguez, Josh Tudela, Greg Vanney, Bryan Jordan, Edson Buddle, Alan Gordon.

Apparently, Vanney and Dominguez are playing in the midfield. Luis predicts a 6-1-3 formation.

Kickoff!
2 - The Galaxy are on the defensive immediately. Deuchar gets to a pass over the top, but the Galaxy are able to clear the cross.
3 - There's a blue balloon on the field - not anymore. Jamison Olave popped it neatly by stepping on it.
4 - Galaxy mount an actual attack. Buddle turns playmaker, with a nice pass to an overlapping Randolph. However, Randolph is shadowed by an RSL defender and can't get a decent cross off.
5 - Espindola on the run into the box, shoots - SAVE. Wicks gives up a rebound, though, but the ball gets cleared.
6 - NO GOAL! Offside. Beckerman nailed a shot from distance, but Espindola was obstructing the goalkeeper's view, I guess.
9 - GOAL! Bryan Jordan! Buddle did the hard work on that play. He got the ball off Olave, and he took the ball into the box immediately, stepping over the ball a couple of times, then juking Olave completely, catching up to the ball and sending a tough angle shot that beat Rimando but was going wide until Jordan, trailing the play, put the ball into an open net. 1-0 Galaxy.
Jordan celebrated by leaping the boards and going into the arms of the Galaxians.
13 - Vanney misses an outlet pass and RSL counters. The Galaxy recover, but Buddle tumbles just as Vanney sends him a long pass. No call.
14 - Morales falls trying to reach the ball at the arc. Galaxy break on goal, but the RSL defense recovers.
15 - Galaxy have a corner. Vanney takes it - not too bad, but it goes far post and the RSL defenders box out the Galaxy players well.
17 - RSL on the attack. Corner. Mathis takes it, getting catcalls from the Riot Squad as he sets up. Wicks catches.
18 - Morales in on goal, Wicks is beaten, but Morales is off balance. He kicks as he falls - outside side netting. Close.
19 The crowd is pretty lively, trying to encourages the rag-tag Galaxy players. FK to RSL. Dangerous. Morales sets up. He sends it into the box, Nat Borchers snaps a header - Wicks catches.
21 - GOAL! Movsisyan, who came in for Espindola. Klein and Franklin both got beaten to ball in the air by Deuchar, who flicked it to an open Yura. Wicks came out late and not really assertively - Movsisyan put it past him low. 1-1
25 - Tudela fouls Beckerman. The ball is pretty much in the Galaxy's half most of the time.
27 - Morales with some nifty play, but the Galaxy defenders force him into a throw instead of a corner or cross.
29 - The crowd wants to cheer, but there's not much to applaud as the Galaxy defend nearly exclusively. Well, of course. They have a midfield of defenders.
30 - RSL FK - it's sent in front of the arc, but the shot is blocked. Galaxy clear. Hey, they passed the halfway line!
32 - Vanney sends a long pass to Jordon, who attacks the box and runs into his defender. He's done that a couple of times now.
33 - Gordon is down after a crash with Beckerman. Kennedy doesn't call it, and the crowd boos RSL as they continue to play. Shot over the bar finally stops play.
34 - Buddle on the attack, lays a ball back for Vanney, who shoots, beats Rimando - wide. Pretty close, though.
35 - Wicks is out of his box to clear a ball - right back to RSL.
37 - Jordan breaks for a ball in the box, trying to get around his defender to get the ball. He gets bumped hard and goes flying. That didn't look like there was any attempt to play the ball, but Kennedy isn't calling it. Crowd is pissed.
40 - Randolph steps in front of a cross, taking the ball off his chest for Wicks to scoop up.
41 - The Galaxy are getting out of their own half more now, but their set up passes are missing.
42 - By the way, in case you're wondering where Pete Vagenas is - he was a late scratch. Leg injury. And Rimando is out - punching a ball away before Buddle can get to it.
43 - The Galaxy are basically in a 4-4-2, by the way. Gordon is playing back a bit.
45 - Wow, a whole bunch of reinforcement arrived for the Galaxy just now. Their youth team is out here for some halftime thing. For a second, though, it looked like the cavalry had arrived for beleaguered LA.
Halftime - Well, the Galaxy don't look completely overmatched. But they are missing four starters - and that's without counting the injured players. RSL is only missing one guy for international duty. Guess who?
48 - Galaxy still having trouble getting decent midfield play going. Well, there is really only one midfielder out there.
51 - Duecher with the cross, but the Galaxy put the ball out for a throw.
52 - Will Johnson with a shot from distance - Wicks catches.
53 - GOAL! WillJo ghosts by the referee - getting a pass that surprises the Galaxy defense. He works a give and go with Yura, and beats Wicks going far post, banging it in off the post. 2-1 RSL.
55 - That really took the energy out of the crowd.
56 - Brandon MacDonald is in for Dominguez.
57 - Galaxy FK leads to a Gordon header - over the goal.
60 - Beckerman with a low shot - Wicks catches.
62- Franklin gets a yellow for a high tackle. The FK is into the box, but as the players go up for it, the header isn't clean and ball is out for a goal kick.
64 - RSL's midfield is just having fun with the Galaxy now. With Beckerman, Mathis and especially Morales, they've got guys who can control the ball at will. They're running the LA players ragged. As they should.
65 - Jordan earns the Galaxy a corner. Vanney takes it and Franklin heads it back in front of the goal, where Rimano catches it.
68 - Vanney shoots wide from distance.
69 - GOAL! The Galaxy are still fighting. A long pass out wide finds Tudela, who hits a cross that misses Gordon, but finds Jordan, who attacks the goal. His shot deflects out to Buddle, who takes a touch and shoots into goal. 2-2.
71 - RSL come right back with a shot that deflects for a corner. That leads to a header - wide.
72 - Jordon crosses - Gordon fouled trying to head the ball. GK.
73 - Duechar offside.
74 - Jordan dribbles too long and ultimately loses the ball. RSL attack - Roberts clears a cross out of the box.
75 - Tackles are flying fast and furiously. Robbie Findley comes into the game for Duechar. Speed kills. Didn't I say I was looking for Robbie to hurt his old team?
77 - Roberts cuts off a pass for Findley, who blocks the clear out of bounds. The crowd is livid when Kennedy calls the ball for RSL.
78 - RSL attacking with impunity and intensity now - they're in the box - ooooh, so close - out for corner.
79 - Cleared, but RSl claim it quickly. and set up another attack.
81 - The game is announced as a sell out - 27,000. Mike Munoz subs in for Josh Tudela. Seacrest and Patty cheer.
82 - MacDonald picks a ball off Morales - not an easy thing to do. Foul is called on Javi.
84 - Both teams look tired, but since RSL still has better connection in midfield, they look crisper.
85 - Gordon called for a foul fighting for a header.
86 - Beckerman with a shot as RSL hits the Galaxy box in numbers - wide.
88 - MacDonald tries a give and go with Gordon, but Gordon hits his pass behind MacDonald.
90 - Buddle is fouled, but it's far from goal. The FK turns into a pass from Klein to Jordon, who still has speed left. He goes to goal and gets fouled on the corner of the box. FK
90+ FK gets headed out - shot on goal by Klein gets blocked back.
Izzy Sesay subs in for Gordon.
MacDonald with a shot from distance - Rimando dives and misses, but the ball goes wide. Izzy races for a long ball, defender puts the ball out and Izzy into the air.
Final whistle.
Well, the Galaxy finish with a rather valiant draw, all things considered. Their winless streak continues, though.