CARSON, Calif. – LA Galaxy Insider Adam Serrano provides his Three Points to the team’s 1-0 victory over Real Salt Lake.
PENALTY KICK GOAL GIVES THE GALAXY THE WIN
Juninho made amends for missing a penalty against Real Salt earlier in the season with a goal from the spot in LA’s 1-0 victory over RSL on Wednesday.
Ignacio Maganto won a penalty after Jamison Olave handled the ball inside the penalty area. From there, the Brazilian stepped up and buried his spot kick past Rimando, ending a streak of Rimando saves against the Galaxy. The goal was Juninho’s first regular season goal since his free kick screamer against Seattle Sounders FC back in 2013.
Although the Galaxy struggled offensively until a late flurry in the second half, Juninho’s goal was all the hosts needed to secure their second straight victory.
MAGANTO IMPRESSES ONCE AGAIN
Ignacio Maganto showed once more that he is looks right at home in Major League Soccer with yet another strong performance in just his fourth start of the season.
Starting along the left flank in place in Stefan Ishizaki, who missed the match with an illness, Maganto put forth another confident performance while matched up against Salt Lake’s experienced outside back Tony Beltran. A constant threat in the attack due to his passing and pace, Maganto nearly notched his first career goal in the 23th minute when unleashed a shot that sailed just wide of Rimando’s net. However, his most important impact came in the sixth minute when he won that penalty kick that eventually won the Galaxy the match.
As the match wore on, the youngster’s impact lessened but his pep and creativity during his appearance showed that he could be a bright prospect for the Galaxy in the future.
ROBBIE KEANE GOES 45 MINUTES AS HE RETURNS TO FULL FITNESS
Robbie Keane made a step forward in his recovery from a groin strain by going 45 minutes in the LA Galaxy’s 1-0 victory over Real Salt Lake.
In his longest shift since his injury, Keane replaced Jose Villarreal at the start of the second half. During his appearance, Keane’s touch wasn’t quite to his usual high standards as he was lost the ball on a few occasions. However, late in the match, we saw some of Keane’s brilliance as he nearly turned a one-on-one with a defender into a dangerous chance that resulted in a Nick Rimando save.
With just four days until the Galaxy’s next match against the New England Revolution, Bruce Arena will likely monitor the Irishman as he considers giving him his first start in nearly two months.
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog at LAGalaxy.com/Insider and contact him at LAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com.
