FRISCO, Texas - With their second loss in as many games this season, Real Salt Lake saw their winless streak hit 14 games dating to last year, scoring their first goal of the year but still losing 2-1 to FC Dallas on Saturday night at Pizza Hut Park.
Things started well for RSL as midfielder Chris Klein produced the first tally of the season for his squad in the 36th minute. It came off a free kick just outside the restraining arc some 25 yards from the FC Dallas net after Hoops captain Simo Valakari received a yellow card for a tackle from behind. The goal also marked the first time they had led a game since last October, when RSL had a 1-0 lead over Colorado in Denver.
Real lined up for the kick and it looked like Andy Williams would take it, but he tapped it to Klein, who scorched a beautiful, curving ball past FCD goalkeeper Dario Sala.
It only took 126 minutes, but Real Salt Lake had their first score of the season. The goal was the first for Klein with RSL, who came over to the Wasatch Front from the Kansas City Wizards in the offseason.
To their credit, RSL weathered an absolute offensive assault by the Hoops in the first half, much of it by forward Roberto Mina. The Real defense finally broke seven minutes after taking the lead when Kenny Cooper, who last week scored his first MLS goal, added another when he got a perfect backheel from Carlos Ruiz from 12 yards out and knocked it past Scott Garlick.
Compared to the week before, when RSL were down two goals to Chivas USA at the break, the first half in Frisco showed considerable improvement from the week before.
But just 12 minutes into the second half, the Hoops found the mark yet again. This time, it was midfielder Mark Wilson, who had started in place of Ronnie O'Brien, who found the back of the net for the first goal of his MLS career.
Wilson's tally was set up by a pass into the middle of the goal area by Ruiz. RSL defender Carey Talley made a valiant attempt to clear the ball, but it hit off Wilson's foot and flew past Garlick to make it 2-1 for the Hoops.
It was more of the same for RSL in the rest of the second as they didn't log their first shot of the second half until the 69th minute, when rookie midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy had a shot deflected just outside the FC Dallas box.
Eight minutes later Jason Kreis, who had come into the game as a sub in the 61st minute, got Salt Lake's first shot on goal in more than 40 minutes, since Klein's goal in the 36th minute. But the attempt from the all-time leader in goals in MLS history was saved by Sala.
Still, RSL nearly drew level after the regulation 90 minutes were complete. First, in the 92nd minute, midfielder Douglas Sequeira streaked up the right side of the goal with a sure equalizing score in the works when Hoops defender Bobby Rhine virtually came out of nowhere for a brilliant goal-saving deflection.
Then RSL captain Eddie Pope nearly hit home in the 94th minute. But like Sequeira's bid to tie the game just a few minutes earlier, his attempt was also deflected, this time by FC Dallas defender Clarence Goodson, and the home-standing Hoops held on for their second win of the season.
Real Salt Lake open the home portion of their season next week against the New York Red Bulls, while FC Dallas hit the road for their first game away from Pizza Hut Park in 2006 against Colorado next Saturday.
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
