SALT LAKE CITY - For much of the game, Real Salt Lake believed they had earned their first victory in a season opener in club history.
But a heartbreaking goal scored by Carlos Ruiz in the 94th minute, less than 60 seconds away from the end of stoppage time, brought FC Dallas back into a 2-2 tie to end the game.
Ruiz scored the final goal of the game after the ball took an odd bounce over Real goalkeeper Nick Rimando. Rimando called for the ball, but a miscommunication among the defenders screened Rimando from the save and the ball found the back the net and sunk Real's soaring hopes.
Real started things off with a flurry of looks in the Hoops' box in the first minute. Freddy Adu ran it up the left and sent it forward to Willis Forko for a cross that did not connect. The ball bounded back out to Mehdi Ballouchy, who took a shot at the goal that was headed out by a defender.
Dallas' Marcelo Saragosa earned a yellow card in the fifth minute, kicking Ballouchy in the face. On the subsequent free kick, Adu sent an inswinger toward the goal that was deflected out. Eddie Pope had a chance at a header, but the opportunity was wasted and the match remained scoreless.
Real's Carey Talley was the next player to get a yellow card for sticking a leg out and taking down Carlos Ruiz in the 10th minute. Then, one minute later, Saragosa fouled Ballouchy again, giving Real a free kick from the right side. Jason Kreis took the shot, just missing wide of the left post.
Dallas won another free kick in a dangerous position in the 14th minute after Kreis took down Ruiz. Ramon Nunez took the long shot straightaway towards the goal, but the ball bounced to the left of the post.
Then the visitors took the lead in the 19th minute. A long goal kick sailed down the center of the field to Ruiz, who touched it forward before laying it off to the right for Kenny Cooper. His shot slipped inside the far post and gave the Hoops a 1-0 lead.
Real's attack favored the left side in the next several minutes; Adu was able to earn several corner kicks on that side. Then, in the 29th minute, Chris Klein crossed the ball from the right to Cunningham, who found the net with a 10-yard shot from straightaway and tied the game.
The home team's pressure did not let up. Adu forced yet another corner on the left side one minute later, then Kreis struck a 35-yard shot at goal in the 33rd minute that forced Dallas 'keeper Shaka Hislop to hit the deck for the save.
In the 46th minute, Dallas took a corner kick from the left but could not make anything of it. But Eddie Pope came away from the play with an apparent injury, holding his back and stretching his leg. Real coach John Ellinger, however, did not take Pope off.
Real took the lead in the 51st minute after Adu forced another corner kick from the left. Ballouchy took the kick, then took the ball back from Adu before finding Kreis at the top of the penalty area. Kreis' shot was blocked by Hislop, but the ball went right to Cunningham waiting near the right post. Cunningham's short, narrow angle shot put RSL ahead 2-1.
With the lead, Ellinger replaced Pope in the 61st minute with Nik Besagno. Pope had struggled for 15 minutes to loosen his left hip, but could not keep it up. Besagno took over at right back and Jack Stewart slid over to take Pope's place in the center.
In the 65th minute, Talley created a scoring chance by sending it to Cunningham on the right. Cunningham's centering pass to Adu, streaking in from above, was intercepted by Hislop. Adu later created his own chance, holding possession while facing two defenders before shooting from the right. But the ball was deflected and Hislop made the easy save.
In the 75th minute, Nunez slid in behind Talley and ran onto the ball in perfect position for a shot. But Nunez wasted the choice opportunity, shooting the ball just inches over the crossbar. Nunez took another shot in the 78th minute that tested Real goalkeeper Nick Rimando; the long-distance effort forced Rimando to stretch for the save and the ball again flew over the crossbar.
Nunez had another prime shot before the end of the game, just missing the left post in the 87th minute with a shot from 10 yards out on the right.
But just when it seemed as if Real would claim the full three points to begin their third season, in came the long free kick from Clarence Goodson that Rimando couldn't handle, and the ever opportunistic Ruiz was there to push it home.
Peter Richins is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
