LA Galaxy Clinch 2022 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs Berth with 1-1 Draw Against Real Salt Lake at Dignity Health Sports Park on Saturday Night
October 2, 2022 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – LA Galaxy News Release
LOS ANGELES – The LA Galaxy clinched a berth in the 2022 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs following a come-from-behind 1-1 draw against Real Salt Lake in front of a sell-out crowd of 26,674 fans at Dignity Health Sports Park on Saturday night.
2022 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs Clinched
Following the draw against Real Salt Lake, the LA Galaxy (13-12-8, 47 points) moved up to fourth place in the Western Conference standings, three points behind third-place FC Dallas (13-9-11, 50 points). The Galaxy have qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs for the 20th time in the club’s 27 years in MLS. Since the start of the 2009 season, the Galaxy have hosted 18 playoff matches in Carson, including MLS Cup 2011, 2012 and 2014. In those 18 home playoff matches at Dignity Health Sports Park, the Galaxy are 15-2-1, while holding a 45-23-7 record in 75 all-time playoff matches.
LA Galaxy Run Of Form
In their last 10 matches played dating back to Aug. 13, the LA Galaxy hold a record of 4-1-5, outscoring the opposition 23-18 during that span. Since Aug. 13, the Galaxy’s 4-1-5 record (17 points) ranks as the best in the Western Conference and ranks third in the league behind only the Philadelphia Union (6-2-1, 19 points) and CF Montreal (7-1-1, 22 points). In the Galaxy’s last six matches played at home dating back to July 24, LA held an unbeaten record of 3-0-3.
LA Galaxy Against Real Salt Lake
Saturday’s match marked the 45th all-time meeting across all competitions between the Galaxy and Real Salt Lake, with LA leading the all-time series 23-19-13. Against RSL, the Galaxy hold a 19-17-11 record in league play, a 4-1-2 record in the MLS Cup Playoffs and a 0-1-10 record Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The Galaxy are unbeaten in their last six matches played at home (4-0-2) against Real Salt Lake, dating back to Sept. 30, 2017.
Goal-Scoring Plays
RSL – Sergio Cordova (Aaron Herrera, Andrew Brody), 25th minute: Aaron Herrera’s cross from the right side of the penalty area found Sergio Cordova, who converted his header from close range.
LA – Douglas Costa (Penalty Kick), 68th minute: After Chicharito was fouled inside the box, Douglas Costa’s ensuing penalty-kick attempt was smashed into the top right corner.
Postgame Notes
Following the draw against Real Salt Lake, the LA Galaxy (13-12-8, 47 points) moved up to fourth place in the Western Conference standings, one point behind third-place FC Dallas (13-9-11, 50 points) and qualified for the 2022 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
The playoff berth marked the Galaxy’s 20th playoff berth in the 27 years of the club’s history.
Saturday’s match marked the 45th all-time meeting across all competitions between the Galaxy and Real Salt Lake, with LA leading the all-time series 23-19-13. Against RSL, the Galaxy hold a 19-17-11 record in league play, a 4-1-2 record in the MLS Cup Playoffs and a 0-1-10 record Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
The Galaxy are unbeaten in their last six matches played at home (4-0-2) against Real Salt Lake, dating back to Sept. 30, 2017.
In 17 games played at home in league play this season, the Galaxy held a 8-5-4 record and averaged 22,841 fans per game at Dignity Health Sports Park.
Across all competitions at Dignity Health Sports Park during the 2022 campaign, LA held a 10-6-4 record.
In their last 10 matches played dating back to Aug. 13, the Galaxy hold a record of 4-1-5, outscoring the opposition 23-18 during that span.
Douglas Costa notched his fourth goal of the 2022 campaign.
Riqui Puig finished the match with a game-high 10 duels won, five dribbles completed, three chances created and four interceptions.
Julián Araujo appeared in his 99th MLS regular-season appearance for the LA Galaxy, a team-high eight possessions won.
Jonathan Bond finished the match with four saves.
Martín Cáceres ended the match with 82 completed passes (100% pass accuracy).
Next Game
Up next, the LA Galaxy travel to face Houston Dynamo FC at PNC Stadium in 2022 MLS Regular Season finale on Sunday, Oct. 1. The match on Oct. 9 kicks off at 2:00 p.m. PT and features a regional television broadcast on Spectrum SportsNet and a stream on LAGalaxy.com.
LA GALAXY POSTGAME QUOTES
LA GALAXY HEAD COACH GREG VANNEY
On the first step into playoffs, clinching the 2022 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs:
“Obviously, I’m proud of these guys. It’s been a couple years now that we’ve been battling together. Trying to put a group together. Fill in our holes. Grow in terms of our confidence. And just belief. Winning the games, or getting results in games that we need to, has been a big thing for us. We’ve had opportunities over the stretch to win games and take a big step forward, and sometimes we dropped those. But in this last little stretch of games, we’ve been winning when we need to win. Tonight we got a result that we needed to get to get ourselves across the line. And, that’s big. It’s a mental thing. You know? And as I just said to the guys, we all signed up here to change trajectory of this club. Because it’s the best club in MLS. But it’s been struggling for a number of years. And, all of us signing up here with the responsibility to turn this club back into the greatest club in the league. And, so, we took one step towards that tonight. It’s a small step to get ourselves in the playoffs. Now it’s to go to Houston, and play like Houston is a playoff game so that we can be ready. There’s no letting off in Houston, we’ve got to go and play with the right intensity and speed, because we’re going to be in it before we know it. But, just really proud of the group to battle. Even to come from behind in this situation. Maybe it was a little frustrating for the guys. Missing another penalty kick, that’s been a struggle for us this year. Then giving up a goal, but then fighting our way back into it.”
On the squad being a group that struggles with emotions, and how the group has been handling the emotions of the last 10 games:
“Better. It’s a group that can get frustrated easily. I saw that a little bit towards the tail end of the first half, when we started to find ourselves down a little bit. We started to get a little bit overzealous. We started pushing too much. Then the game gets opened up. We expose ourselves a little bit at times. So, sometimes, a little bit more patience. A little bit more playing the long game, as we say, instead of just rushing to get ourselves back in it and opening ourselves up. But at times we, and I’ve said this during the course of the year, we ride our results heavy. When we win, we’re really high. And when we lose, we get a little bit too low. We’re starting to find a little bit more stability in each of these results. The guys were disappointed that they didn’t win tonight, because it was at home in front of the crowd, and fan appreciation. So, it was a muted celebration, I would say, in the locker room. But, I know they, the guys who have been around for a while know how difficult it is just to get across that line. And now you start your momentum towards the next thing.”
On going into the game on the road against Houston for Decision Day to clinch a home playoff berth, and how they’re approaching it for the narrative:
“I just said to the guys, congratulations, but we have to go to Houston like it’s a playoff game. Because sometimes I think in this league, there is a tendency for teams to make it to the playoffs, and then the foot comes off the gas a little bit. There’s a little bit of a relaxation. I saw it firsthand from our team in Toronto back in 2016 when it was the first time in club history, and we got into the finals, and we were terrible the next three games and we’re out. Just like that, right? So, we have to keep the mentality as the next game is just as important. Because we’re playing for a home game, I think guys will be very focused and attentive to details. And we’ll go out with the right intensity and mentality, because we do have an opportunity to host and that would bring a playoff game back the stadium and our fans. I don’t see any problem with that. And, then, before you know it, playoff game one will be here and the intensity will be ratcheted up again. So there’s no time for relaxation. We just keep going.”
On missing the first penalty kick and that frustration, then the clear penalty kick from the foul on Chicharito:
“That’s what I was told from our guys that follow the replays up in the booth and tell us what’s going on. We thought that was as well. I don’t know. At this point, we scored the one at the end that we needed to score to at least get us across the line. I don’t even know what to say about it anymore. But, Douglas [Costa] stepped up in a critical moment and buried it. And that gave us a little bit of momentum, even though there was a number of chances for us to get the second of third. We obviously didn’t get those, which then lead to an interesting finish for us, which, Bondy [Jonathan Bond] pulled it out for us. A big safe at the end.”
LA GALAXY GOALKEEPER JONATHAN BOND
On his thoughts after the draw:
“I was really happy. Like you said, I made a couple of important saves, which is always satisfying. It was an awkward game. We knew that a draw was enough, so we didn’t want to over commit and try and win the game and then lose it doing that. It was an emotional night as well. Full stadium and to go 1-0 down when we probably didn’t deserve to… I thought we actually started the game pretty well. It was obviously good that we kept our heads and came back from it.”
On qualifying for the playoffs:
“It was an encouraging kind of reaction because everyone wasn’t kind of hugging and celebrating and going crazy in the locker room. We know we’ve got another level or levels to go and to hit. We wanted to win because we’re obviously not only just looking to make the playoffs, but we felt like we could have maybe pushed for third or fourth based on the results that happened earlier in the day. But at the end of the day when the game went like it did where suddenly we find ourselves behind that stuff matters a little bit less and then we need to make sure we get over the line, which we did.”
On how it feels to qualify for the playoffs with the Galaxy after missing out last season:
“It does feel good. Obviously, this is my second season and Greg [Vanney] mentioned a and a few of the other boys that have been here for a while that it has really been difficult hurdle to overcome in the last eight or nine years… We don’t want to overlook what we achieved, but at the same time that isn’t what this club is used to. This club is used to going to the final and winning the trophy and we’re very aware of that. You can go back to last season. We spent every minute of every game in the playoff places. Not only in sixth or seventh. We were out there in third and fourth. To get bumped out by a 97th minute goal in another game by this team [Real Salt Lake]… Hopefully, we put that right to an extent. To be fair, they could have scored in the in the 90th or 95th minute, but they didn’t and we held on.”
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