After going down 2-0 before the hour mark, it would have been easy for Real Salt Lake to concede defeat yet one more time against Chivas USA. Instead, RSL battled back and cut Chivas USA's lead in half two minutes later before ultimately falling 3-1.
The score, however, was not indicative of RSL's performance.
"I would absolutely say the result is misleading," said RSL coach Jason Kreis. "We were the better team for 30 minutes until we gave up a goal. The game was very evenly played and I'm proud of the way the guys came out and also with how they responded after going two goals down. They put their hearts and souls in it and again we came out of a game not getting quite what we deserved."
After Atiba Harris put Chivas USA ahead by two goals in the 55th minute, RSL countered by showing more aggression. Their effort soon paid off when Kenny Deuchar headed home a pass from a free kick in the 57th minute, giving the Scotsman his first MLS goal.
The quick goal was a testament to RSL's effort, according to Kreis.
"It shows how aggressive we were even when we went two goals down," he said. "The mindset and mentality of the group was good tonight."
"We caused most of the problems in the second half," Deuchar said. "We were just unlucky at the end. They caught us with a sucker punch and that killed the game."
As RSL continued to mount a comeback by pushing numbers forward, Chivas USA took advantage as Alecko Eskandarian scooped up a loose ball and scored on a breakaway goal in the third minute of stoppage time to seal the result.
Despite the loss, RSL saw positives in their performance.
"We were very unfortunate to lose that game," said defender Ian Joy. "We started off on fire and had a lot of possession and we put on a decent performance; unfortunately the ball didn't roll for us. But we're on a good road and if we keep playing the way we have been we'll come good."
A week after losing a late lead to Chicago and settling for a draw, RSL's finishing problems continued.
Of their 11 shots, only three were put on frame. Chivas USA, on the other hand, had eight shots on target out of 11.
One blown opportunity came late in the first half when Deuchar slid at a low passing ball only three feet from goal only to sky it up and over the crossbar.
"We need to be more clinical ... and take our chances better," Deuchar said.
Kreis saw the scoring problem as more than just an issue with the final touch.
"We're still not quite clinical enough in the final third. It's not just the last touch, it's the second to last touch, as well," he said. "There were a few players that weren't as sharp as they can be and they didn't play up to their potential, but this is going to happen."
Despite being unable to end its all-time winless drought on the road to Chivas USA, RSL was pleased with its performance and confident that the results will follow.
"We should have more than one point from two matches where we played well," Kreis said. "The biggest thing right now, though, is to keep it going because over the stretch of 30 games we're going to get a lot of points if we keep playing this way."
Danny Bueno is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
