CARSON, Calif. - Real Salt Lake could not overcome a halftime deficit and lost 3-2 to the Los Angeles Galaxy at The Home Depot Center on Sunday.
In his first start of the season, Chris Brown scored two goals but the club could not get a third as RSL dropped their second consecutive match and remain winless on the season with an 0-4-7 record.
The loss also set back the club in the Western Conference table as the Galaxy and RSL were even on six points before the match.
Real Salt Lake did not have coach Jason Kreis on the bench. Near the end of Thursday's loss to FC Dallas, Kreis was ejected for arguing with the referees. Assistant coach Jeff Cassar was in charge of the match for Real.
RSL made three changes to the Thursday's starting lineup: Brown, Andy Williams and Ritchie Kotschau replaced Freddy Adu, Willis Forko and Jack Stewart in the first team.
The beginning of the match, though, was much like the end of Thursday's game. Just three minutes in, defender Daniel Torres sent a feeble pass towards goal. Galaxy striker Nate Jaqua pounced on the ball as it rolled softly toward the penalty area, charged in on goal alone and pushed the ball past goalkeeper Nick Rimando.
Torres raced back and cleared the ball off the line, but the ball caromed off the inside of the post and back to Jaqua, who tucked the ball into the back of the net for his first goal of the season.
Just three minutes later, Brown equalized. With the Galaxy still trying to find their shape, Brown dribbled through three Galaxy defenders in tight space at the top of the area and ripped a 15-yard shot past Galaxy goalkeeper Joe Cannon.
Klein had a chance to give RSL the lead in the 20th minute when he broke in alone on goal but his 12-yard attempt was feeble.
Instead, it was the Galaxy who took the lead. In the 24th minute, Abel Xavier hit a long ball from the back to the Edson Buddle's path. Buddle beat Kotschau down the left side and slipped a shot into the corner of the net from near the top of the penalty area.
The goal marked the first time in six games that RSL had yielded two first-half goals.
Jean-Martial Kipre and Atiba Harris knocked heads in the 45th minute when both leapt in the air to try and head a ball away from the middle of the field. Kipre was on the ground for several moments clutching his head and was tended to briefly by team trainers before rejoining the match.
Adu replaced Torres in the 60th minute as Cassar chose to sacrifice a defender in order to put an attacking player on the field.
Jones gave the Galaxy a two-goal lead in the 66th minute. Galaxy defender Kyle Veris snared the ball near the center circle, carried it forward and laid the ball off to Kyle Martino. RSL's Harris and Kipre tried in vain to stop Martino, who dribbled down the left side of the penalty area and crossed to Jones on the far post. Jones side-footed a shot past a helpless Rimando.
Klein had a chance to slice into the Galaxy's lead three minutes later. Adu sent Klein a through ball and Klein raced onto it near the corner of the area but his shot was well high of the crossbar.
Brown eventually scored and pulled RSL to within a goal in the 73rd minute. Adu sent a corner kick to the far post and Brown timed the cross with precision. He rose for the cross and powered a header into the back of the net for his third goal of the season.
RSL were again dangerous on a set piece minutes later. On a free kick, Adu laid off the ball to Klein who got a shot through the wall but not past Cannon.
For most of the final quarter hour, RSL dominated the possession but could not get the ball in a dangerous position.
Luis Bueno is a contributor to MLSnet.com This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
