Real Salt Lake silence LAFC in snow-filled match

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Real Salt Lake score 3 1st-half goals in heavy snow

Andres Gomez nets a brace and Cristian Arango adds a third goal in Real Salt Lake's win over LAFC.

Updated: Mar 2, 2024, 10:37 pm

Andres Gomez had two goals and one assist to lead Real Salt Lake to a 3-0 victory over Los Angeles FC in blizzard-like conditions on Saturday afternoon in Sandy, Utah.

Cristian Arango also scored as Real Salt Lake (1-1-1, 4 points) thrived in the first half with all three goals against LAFC (1-1-0, 3 points).

The match was initially delayed two hours due to heavy wind and other weather concerns. Once it began, it was stopped just 3:42 in due to lightning during a snowstorm and play was delayed for nearly another hour.

By the time the match resumed, snow was all over the turf and it continued to snow hard throughout the game. At halftime, field maintenance workers shoveled away snow to make the center line, both goal boxes and both 18-yard boxes visible.

By the midway point of the second half, visibility was a major problem. Helping matters was the pregame choice to play with an orange ball. But the heavy snow on the field repeatedly slowed the ball.

Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Zac MacMath made six saves for his 61st career MLS shutout. LAFC's Hugo Lloris had three stops.

LAFC held a 16-10 edge in shots. Both teams put six on target.

Gomez struck for the first time in the 18th minute when he booted a right-footed grounder to the left of Lloris.

In the 41st minute, Diego Luna had the ball close to the net and slid it back to Gomez, who ripped a right-footed shot past Lloris, who didn't even move as the ball went to his left.

Arango got on the board in the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time. Gomez delivered a cross toward the net and a sliding Arango used his right foot to knock the ball past Lloris to make it 3-0.

In the spirit of the day, Arango celebrated the goal against his former club by making a snow angel.

LAFC star Denis Bouanga had a chance in the 54th minute but his blast hit the left goalpost.

In the 71st minute, LAFC's Cristian Olivera ripped a right-footed shot that MacMath saved and the snow picked up even more late in the match, including eight stoppage-time minutes.

--Field Level Media