Los Angeles FC's 3–1 victory over Real Salt Lake on 23 July defied the match's possession narrative, with the visitors dominating 71% of the ball and generating 2.71 xG from 28 shots, yet failing to convert their dominance into points. LAFC's clinical finishing proved decisive: Denis Bouanga and Son Heung-min each scored once, while a third goal secured the win despite the hosts managing only 29% possession and 1.16 xG from 12 shots. Real Salt Lake's DeAndre Yedlin grabbed their sole goal, but their 3–4–2–1 setup could not overcome LAFC's defensive resilience—goalkeeper Jon Kempin made six saves at an 83% save percentage, outperforming his expected performance by 0.31 goals. The hosts' compact 4–3–3 formation frustrated a Real Salt Lake side that struggled to convert their territorial advantage into clear-cut opportunities. The result underscores LAFC's threat on the counter-attack and Real Salt Lake's ongoing conversion struggles.