Andrés Gómez contributed two goals and one assist, propelling Real Salt Lake to a 3-0 victory over Los Angeles FC amidst blizzard-like conditions in Sandy, Utah. Adding to the scoreline, Cristian Arango also scored as Real Salt Lake capitalized with three goals in the opening half.
referee draws a line in the snow to tell chicho arango to stand 10 yards back.
this is football heritage. pic.twitter.com/N2POGDi2G5
— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) March 2, 2024
The game encountered an initial delay of two hours due to severe wind and other adverse weather conditions. Upon kickoff, it was abruptly halted just three minutes into play due to lightning amidst the snowstorm, leading to an additional delay of nearly an hour.
LAFC manager Steve Cherundolo expressed his dismay at the challenging circumstances following the match, stating, “It was impossible conditions. I feel terrible for the players that we put them through this.”
Following the resumption of the match, snow blanketed most of the playing surface, persisting throughout the game with heavy snowfall. During halftime, efforts were made to clear the snow, focusing on making the center line, six-yard boxes, and 18-yard boxes visible by shoveling.
Despite the challenging conditions, Major League Soccer opted to proceed with the game rather than calling it off. However, by the midpoint of the second half, visibility became problematic, despite officials switching to an orange ball to enhance visibility in the snow.
As the snow continued to accumulate, replacement referee Aleksandar Zhelyazkov was compelled to carve lines onto the field to delineate the distance opposing players should maintain from the ball during free-kicks.
Cherundolo expressed his frustration, stating, “Having to play today was an absolute farce. It ranks among the worst professional sporting events I’ve ever witnessed in my life.
How much snow does it take to postpone a game? 😄 pic.twitter.com/S7ykepHLOF
— Matteo Bonetti (@Bonetti) March 3, 2024
The decision to proceed with the game was a mistake and should have been reconsidered. In my view, it’s a complete embarrassment that we were forced to play under these conditions.”
LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris was observed trembling noticeably during the match, his facial hair freezing and snow accumulating on his head.
Cherundolo remarked, “The situation was simply absurd, there’s no other way to describe it.”
