Real rallies: Rookie in goal helps RSL upset the Galaxy

Real Salt Lake took advantage of a little luck Saturday night and perhaps turned the corner on an otherwise frustrating season.

Eddie Pope and Jason Kreis each tallied goals in the second half as Real rallied for a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy, winners of four straight entering the game.

"Players as a group collectively just felt that it was time to make believers out of everybody else," said RSL coach John Ellinger. "We believe in ourselves as a group. Tonight we were hoping to make believers out of everyone else."

Beating the Galaxy in front of 18,621 fans at Rice-Eccles Stadium is a step in the right direction.

After the game, most of the praise from RSL players and coaches was thrown at rookie Jay Nolly, who made his first professional start in goal because of an injury to D.J. Countess. He finished with nine saves and limited one of the highest-scoring teams in the league to one goal.

"I don't think the result would've been the same without the saves Jay Nolly made," said RSL midfielder Brian Kamler. "He came up huge for us on four or five occasions. He came off his line and cut the angle down real well. For his first game in MLS, he should be real proud of himself."

Last month when these teams played at the Home Depot Center in California, the Galaxy took it to Salt Lake 3-1. Los Angeles could've easily duplicated that result, but poor first-half finishing really prevented it from taking a multiple-goal lead at halftime.

In the 12th minute, L.A. midfielder Peter Vagenas wasted perhaps the easiest scoring chance of his life when he received a Landon Donovan cross and stood unmarked just a few yards from the goal. However, instead of one-timing it, he attempted to trap the ball, which quickly got away from him.

Ellinger joked that he must've tripped on the "turf monster."

Two minutes later, Jovan Kirovski put a breakaway shot inches past the post.

In the 38th minute, L.A.'s Guillermo Ramirez unleashed a quick shot on Nolly, who blocked it but then had it trickle between his legs and roll just wide of the post.

"That's the game of soccer. Both teams get breaks, some went our way, some went their way," said Nolly. "In the end we came out with the victory."