RSL shuffles midfield on fly in Cup win
Mathis, Grabavoy play key roles in win after entering as substitutes
Whether it was a virus or food poisoning, Johnson wasn't sure. What Johnson did know was that he couldn't keep food or fluids down and hadn't had a full meal since lunch on Saturday. After spending most of Sunday morning in the hospital, Johnson decided he had enough energy in him during the afternoon to give his team 45 minutes.
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"It was tough," Johnson said, "The doctors did a good job. I was in the hospital this morning and I've been up since about 5 a.m."
Real Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis knew he might have to take Johnson off the field at some point, burning one of his three substitutes by mandate rather than discretion. He wasn't planning to need another to withdraw playmaker Javier Morales.
Morales suffered a left knee sprain in the 16th minute after Los Angeles midfielder David Beckham tackled him at the halfway line. After a few minutes of hobbling around the field, Morales had to come off. For the rest of the first half, RSL fell off too.
"It took a little bit (for us to adjust)," Kreis said. "Javier's been a very, very important player for us. In all of our good moments at Real Salt Lake, he's been a central figure. He's been somebody that we like to get the ball to. He's our playmaker for a reason. So it was difficult when he went down, and it did take a little bit. But in the end, I think the guys adjusted well."
Those adjustments took hold at the start of the second half. Clint Mathis entered the match for Morales after 22 minutes and spent the rest of the first half settling into the pace of the game. Ned Grabavoy hopped off the bench to join him in midfield at the start of the second half after Johnson said he ended up "running out of gas after 35 minutes."
While RSL's plan might not have included having Grabavoy and Mathis on the field at the start of the second half, the reality showed that the change in plans didn't matter because the revamped midfield found its stride after the interval.
Grabavoy, displaying a commitment to defensive work cultivated during his time with RSL, covered most of the ground Johnson did in the first half on the left side with captain Kyle Beckerman winning ball after ball in central midfield. Mathis played in Morales' spot behind the strikers but often dropped deep to link the play and provide the composure in possession Morales usually brings to the table. Andy Williams completed the midfield diamond with a tireless effort on the right side.
With space opening up as Los Angeles failed to maintain its compact first-half shape, RSL started to find its cadence on the ball and pose the Galaxy back four some problems.
"When we made the extra pass in the midfield, we were able to really create a lot and get into their half and get pretty deep and behind some of their players," Beckerman said.
Despite the absence of two key pillars in the midfield, the RSL midfield bossed the play during the second half and sparked a revival that eventually ended with a MLS Cup triumph. For Kreis, the emergence of two reserves at an integral moment showed the depth and character of his team.
"The guys that came in did a phenomenal job," Kreis said. "Ned Grabavoy and Clint Mathis, these guys played fantastically for us and were a big part of winning this game. I think that's one of the most gratifying things for me is that there are so many players now over the course of the season that have contributed to this championship."
Kyle McCarthy is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
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