No big comeback for Real this time after sluggish start

FRISCO, Texas — Saturday's match against FC Dallas was not a must-win situation for Real Salt Lake's playoff chances, but perhaps the players should've treated it that way.

By playing with a little more urgency, maybe RSL wouldn't have played so poorly during the opening half-hour of a match it ultimately lost, 2-1, at Pizza Hut Park in front of 17,975 fans.

"The bottom line is we dug a hole, and this stage of the season you have to play for 90 minutes," Real coach John Ellinger said. "We play better when we play with urgency, we play better when we put the other team under pressure, that's our best soccer when we do that."

That's what RSL did during the second half of last week's improbable come-from-behind victory against FC Dallas, but that same urgency was definitely lacking in the rematch a week later.

While Real no doubt blames itself for the sluggish start, Dallas deserves some of the credit. It lost two games last week when it had an opportunity to clinch a playoff spot, and it wasn't about to make it a third.

The onslaught started early as Carlos Ruiz brilliantly headed home a Greg Vanney free kick in the ninth minute to put Dallas in front 1-0. Ruiz's header clearly caught RSL keeper Scott Garlick by surprise because for whatever reason he wasn't protecting the near post, and that's exactly where Ruiz headed in the goal.

While the goal wasn't the start Salt Lake needed, the same thing happened in last week's 3-2 win over Dallas when Ruiz scored in the fourth minute. This time, however, there would be no remarkable comeback.

RSL continued to play lethargically after the early goal, and Dallas capitalized again in the 14th minute on a fantastic finish by Kenny Cooper — another shot misjudged by former Dallas keeper Garlick. Standing at the left edge of the penalty area, Cooper rifled a shot and Garlick immediately lifted his hand as if to indicate the shot was going wide. Instead, it sailed just inside the far post to put Dallas ahead 2-0.

"That's too much of a hole to ask ourselves to dig out of," said Real defender Eddie Pope. "To be down 2-0 and now not give up any more and goals and then score three goals, you'd never write yourself that type of script."

Dallas' two early strikes were the quickest goals RSL has surrendered this year. That reality was bad news for a team that has never rallied from a two-goal deficit in franchise history.