Coming into Saturday's game at The Home Depot Center, Real Salt Lake were winless on the road in their short history. The Los Angeles Galaxy were winless this season at home -- a club record as well.
Something had to give Saturday and RSL came out on top, as Atiba Harris struck gold in the first half and Jeff Cunningham added a pair of insurance goals, giving Real a 3-0 victory against the Galaxy and snapping their MLS-record 18-game winless streak.
For the Galaxy, it marked their third consecutive loss, kept them winless at home this season, and is now the fifth time in their first eight games this season the Green and Gold were shutout. Their home winless streak reached five (including all four games this season), the longest ever for the club since the previous mark was set in 1997.
The first 10 minutes of the game definitely belonged to the Galaxy. Kyle Martino and John Wolyniec, acquired via a trade with Columbus on Friday afternoon, both started for the Green and Gold and nearly connected early on.
In the fourth minute of play Michael Enfield, who was making his first start of the season, chased down a pass in the Real penalty area and played the ball back to Martino. He sent a driven cross along the edge of the six-yard box that was just beyond the reach of RSL 'keeper Scott Garlick, but just barely too far in front of a lunging Wolyniec.
Minutes later, Harris forced Kevin Hartman into his first save of the night. Harris found himself in space about 25 yards out after a good buildup by the Salt Lake midfield. Harris turned and fired but Hartman easily saved his shot.
Two successive chances went by the wayside for the Galaxy in the 10th minute. First, Enfield beat Garlick to a long though ball and played a ball into the middle. The ball rolled tantalizingly in front of a wide-open net before being cleared.
Then, seconds later, Cobi Jones picked out Wolyniec with a well weighted cross. The Galaxy newcomer directed a powerful header on frame, but Garlick was there to make the save.
Harris opened the scoring against the run of play in the 17th minute. From a freekick right at the midfield stripe, Carey Talley sent a pass to Harris, who had his back to goal near the top of the area. With his first touch, Harris turned around Tyrone Marshall and dribbled in alone on Hartman. From point-blank range Harris slotted home his shot to give RSL the lead.
The game went devoid of many real scoring chances until the 30th minute. Martino again caused problems on the left flank, this time crossing to Jones in the middle. Jones won the header, but couldn't direct his shot on target.
Five minutes later Salt Lake found some life on the offensive end. Jason Kreis slipped a clever through ball to Chris Klein. Klein found Mehdi Ballouchy lurking at the back post with a looping cross, and the RSL rookie hit a first-time volley with plenty of power, but little accuracy, and Hartman was never tested.
Just before the break, Wolyniec had a pair of scoring chances. First, from just outside the right corner of the area he let fly, only to watch his shot sail high. Then two minutes later, Jones fed Wolyniec who shot from close range, but a sharp angle, and Garlick was well positioned well to punch the ball away for a corner kick.
After the break, a fantastic buildup right out of the gates almost gave Real Salt Lake their second goal of the game. Kreis played a long pass to switch fields where Klein was all alone. With the defense shifting to cover Klein, Ballouchy found space at the top of the 18-yard box. Klein picked him out with a pass, but Ballouchy's shot curled wide of the post.
The Galaxy got their first try at goal in the 54th minute when Martino drew a foul at the top left corner of the penalty area. Paulo Nagamura stepped over the ball and hit a dipping free kick to the near post but Garlick smothered the shot and left no rebound.
In the 57th minute Galaxy head coach Steve Sampson tried to inject some life into the attack, bringing on Josh Gardner for Enfield. The move paid dividends early as Gardner won a free kick deep in the Salt Lake defensive third just after coming on, but the Galaxy were able to do very little with the free kick.
Los Angeles continued to hunt for the goal and in the 60th minute Ugo Ihemelu played a cross from inside the 18 that eventually found its way to Nagamura at the top of the area. Nagamura shot through traffic but Garlick again was there to preserve the lead for Salt Lake.
In the 67th minute, Klein forced a great save from Hartman. He received a pass from Ballouchy, turned and realized he had a lot of space around him. From 24 yards out the veteran winger hit a bending ball towards the back post that forced Hartman into a diving save.
Second-half substitute Cunningham then nearly played the role of provider for Klein, who squandered yet another chance in the 71st minute. Cunningham laid a ball off for Klein inside the area, but again Klein's shot lacked the venom needed to find the back of the net.
But Cunningham finally got the all-important second goal moments later. Talley was set free all alone on the right on a looping ball from Klein, and the linesman kept his flag down as Talley and Cunningham raced in alone on the Galaxy goal. Talley rolled the ball across the goalmouth just past Hartman and Cunningham tapped the ball home into the empty net.
Cunningham killed off the game in the 87th minute. This time it was Kreis feeding a long ball over the top, and Cunningham beat the offside trap and went in alone on Hartman. The Real striker rounded Hartman at the edge of the area and rolled the ball home into an empty net.
Having scored just six goals in eight games and having now gone a full five hours without a goal, the Galaxy next take on the Colorado Rapids at The Home Depot Center, their only consolation that no other team in the Western Conference came away with a victory over the weekend. Real, the only Western winners, return home to face the Kansas City Wizards next weekend.
Greg Daurio is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
