Los Angeles Giltinis: 2021 Major League Rugby Champions

In front of 7,000 fans at the LA Memorial Coliseum, the LA Giltinis won the Major League Rugby Shield in their inaugural season with a 31-17 win over Rugby ATL.

Following a tight start on Sunday afternoon, both of Rugby ATL and the LA Giltinis registered a penalty each, but it was after the water break that the home team took control of the game.

Quickfire tries for hulking wing John Ryberg allowed for his team to take a 12-point lead. The first score came after the 29-year-old drifted off his wing, connecting with Matt Giteau in the midfield to score his first, the second the result of running a good supporting line for Adam Ashley-Cooper.

At the break there would be just five points in the game, ATL rallying to plant themselves on their hosts’ 5m line. Using their lineout, Atlanta hooker Marko Janse van Rensburg latched onto the ball after having thrown it in from the touchline and was driven over from the driving maul.

After the break, LA marched down the field with dominant carry after dominant carry, eventually winning a penalty that Matt Giteau struck over with 36 minutes still to play.

LA’s third try came through DTH van der Merwe, space created out wide as ATL brought in bodies to defend a Giltinis maul, the subsequent strong carries from the hosts disorganizing their visitors before the ball found the 35-year-old who dotted down in the corner, Giteau adding another two points with the conversion.

It was after the hour mark that the players efforts could be clearly seen, each group of players getting running repairs, the allure of the Shield well worth the pain.

With the clock ticking over the 70-minute mark, Giteau struck yet another penalty to keep his team in the ascendency after more good work at the ruck. Leaving the field not long after, the legendary Australia international embraced his former international teammate Ashley-Cooper, the last act the two will have on the rugby field together.

Luke Burton assumed kicking responsibilities soon after Giteau has left the field, settling his nerves with a penalty. A Rowan Gouws break contributed gave good field position to ATL, who eventually scored through substitute back-row Ross Deacon.

USA international Luke Carty struck the ball into the stands with the clock in the red, ending the game and confirming that the LA Giltinis were first-time MLR champions.

LA GILTINIS 31

Tries: John Ryberg (20 min, 22), DTH van der Merwe (53)

Conversion: Matt Giteau (20, 53)

Penalty goal: Matt Giteau (18, 44, 70), Luke Burton (75)

beat

RUGBY ATL 17

Try: Marko Janse van Rensburg (35), Ross Deacon (77)

Conversion: Kurt Coleman (35)

Penalty goal: Kurt Coleman (15, 77)

Half-time: 15-10 Giltinis

Venue: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

United States: 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup Champions

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – The United States are champions of the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup after downing Mexico 1-0 in extra time in the Final on Sunday night at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Miles Robinson scored the decisive goal deep into extra time to earn the U.S. a seventh Gold Cup title.

There was an electricity in the building from the very start and it took a diving save from U.S. GK Matt Turner to keep Mexico FW Rogelio Funes Mori from finding an early goal in the 11’ via a header off a corner kick.

The best chance for the U.S. in the first 45 minutes came in the 26’ when Sebastian Lletget recovered a Mexico giveaway and fed Paul Arriola, whose shot glanced off the post.

Funes Mori continued to be a pest for the U.S. defense and Turner was called on another two times to deny the Monterrey man in the 31’ and 38’.

Mexico came out flying to start the second half and had a trio of chances in the first seven minutes after the re-start through Hector Herrera and twice from Orbelin Pineda, but were unable to find the target.

The U.S. started to carve out some chances of their own, including a loose ball in front of the Mexico goal for Arriola that was blocked by Mexico GK Alfredo Talavera in the 74’.

The intensity grew as every minute passed, but no winner could be found, so on to extra time it went.

Just when it looked like the teams would have to decide matters in penalties, Robinson would strike for the title-winning goal by smacking in a header off a free kick in the 118’ to give the U.S. the 1-0 victory.

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Almoez Ali of Qatar earned the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup Top Scorer Award presented by Qatar Airways after finishing as the top scorer in the 2021 Gold Cup with four goals in five games.

Qatar was the guest nation of this year’s Gold Cup and didn’t disappoint, scoring 12 goals in five matches. Ali was a big part of that with his quartet of goals.

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Jamaica FW Bobby Reid has been named the winner of the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup Goal of the Tournament presented by Toyota.

Reid’s fantastic strike came in the 26’ of Jamaica’s 2-0 win over Suriname in the opening match of Group C at Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Florida.

With Jamaica holding a 1-0 lead and on the attack, a long ball was played forward, only for a Suriname defender to head the ball away in hopes of clearing danger.

Instead, it fell perfectly for Reid, who latched onto the ball and hammered a right-footed volley that went screaming past Suriname GK Warner Hahn and into net for the goal.

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – El Salvador DF Bryan Tamacas has won the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup Fighting Spirit Award presented by Modelo for the fighting spirit shown in El Salvador’s quarterfinal match with Qatar.

Down 3-0 in the second half, El Salvador mounted a memorable comeback attempt beginning with a Joaquin Rivas goal in the 63’ to make it 3-1.

That was then followed by a play in the 66’ from Tamacas that brought the fans inside State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona to their feet.

A Qatar defender with the ball looked set to avoid any type of danger from the Salvadoran attack, but Tamacas never gave up on the play and won possession with a perfectly timed tackle, enabling him to feed Rivas for the second El Salvador goal of the night.

While El Salvador’s attempted comeback fell just short in a 3-2 final, the competitive spirit shown by Tamacas will be one of the lasting images of the 2021 Gold Cup.

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Hector Herrera was Mexico’s midfield engine, powering the team to the 2021 Gold Cup Final. As a result of his excellent performances, he has earned the Scotiabank Best Player Award.

The midfielder appeared in all six matches for his side, scoring one goal and providing two assists. It was his winner against Canada that saw El Tricolor make it to the 2021 Final.

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Matt Turner of the United States was named the winner of the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup Best Goalkeeper Award presented by Allstate.

The 27-year-old appeared in all six matches for his side and was dominant for the Stars and Stripes, notching an unbelievable 26 saves, allowing just one goal, and racking up five clean sheets. 

The U.S. wouldn’t have lifted the Gold Cup without his performances. Turner is a star goalkeeper for the New England Revolution in Major League Soccer. 

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – United States has earned the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup Fair Play Award presented by Scotiabank.

Stars and Stripes captain Paul Arriola accepted the award on the team’s behalf, a reward given to the most disciplined team in the tournament.