Landon Donovan scored on a penalty kick and Mike Magee scored an even later equalizer as the LA Galaxy claimed their third draw in three road games this season, a 2-2 draw with Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium. The game featured three goals during a wild four minutes of second-half stoppage time.
Robbie Findley put RSL into the lead in the 34th minute. It was the third time in MLS history three goals were scored in added time, and the second time two penalties came after the 90th minute ticked over, the last occurring in 2000.
At the outset, Los Angeles wasted no time asserting itself as Donovan took a hard shot that missed wide only 20 seconds into the match. But that was the only opportunity for either team early in the match as the two squads cautiously felt each other out for the first quarter-hour.
In the 18th minute, a turnover in the midfield by RSL midfielder Clint Mathis almost gave the Galaxy the lead, but Chris Klein's shot from 20 yards was blocked by Chris Wingert.
In the 27th minute, Salt Lake nearly took the lead off a corner kick. Mathis' corner found the head of Robbie Russell who had beat LA goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts, but Stefani Miglioranzi was well positioned and made a goal-saving clearance off the line with his head.
Only two minutes later, Omar Gonzalez made a brilliant run through the Salt Lake defense and found himself with a dangerous crossing opporunity, but RSL's Chris Seitz was there to smother it. And shortly after that, Edson Buddle had a golden chance from close range, but again Seitz was up to the task.
The game continued its fast pace through the half-hour mark as both teams traded attacks. But poor finishing and key saves from both goalkeepers preserved the scoreline.
Finally, in the 34th minute, Real capitalized on one of their six first-half corners. Mathis played a corner to the near post where Findley made a diving header -- making contact with the ball only inches off the ground -- and tucked it neatly inside the far post.
In the 43rd minute, Klein came close to evening the match. He took a hard shot off his right foot that was deflected by Nat Borchers, and the deflection nearly found its way past Seitz in the near corner. On the ensuing corner kick, the ball fell to Buddle 10 yards from goal, but his hard drive was inches too high.
RSL came close to doubling the advantage just minutes into the second half. In the 47th minute, Chris Wingert's curling cross found Findley at the top of the goal area. Findley slid and managed to redirect the cross toward LA's goal, but it just missed the near post.
Wingert continued to be dangerous up the Galaxy's right flank. He nearly scored in the 55th minute but Ricketts got down well to save his shot.
LA continued to press for the equalizer, but Real's patchwork defense was up to the task, denying several promising buildups from the visitors. In the 75th minute, Wingert cleared a dangerous free kick right to Miglioranzi, but his long-range blast went just high.
Salt Lake hunkered down on the defensive end for the final 10 minutes as LA put together its last few chances at getting an equalizer. It was rewarded in the first minute of stoppage time as Johnson handled the ball inside the area. Donovan stepped up to take the penalty kick, and while Seitz guessed correctly and got a hand on the shot, it was not enough to keep it out of the goal.
But the game had more surprises in store. In the second minute of added time, Fabian Espindola, in his first game back in Salt Lake, was taken down by Sean Franklin inside the penalty area. Will Johnson's well placed penalty left Ricketts with no chance.
But LA came back once again. Now four minutes after the 90-minute mark had been reached, a deflected shot from the top of the area made its way to Mike Magee at the left-hand post. Magee beat Seitz on the near post to earn the draw for LA.
RSL had the chance to take the lead for the third time in the closing seconds, but Russell's header went just wide.
Jeremy Horton is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
