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Sandy • A dream start for a team desperately in need of one slowly but surely faded. The goal Real Salt Lake chased for over three matches came in the 18th minute, when its pair of Designated Players hooked up for the first goal of 2017.

Then it cascaded entirely on RSL. And the result showed, again, that nothing will come easy this year — at least in the early going.

Yura Movsisyan's quick goal was eventually negated by a pair of Kyle Beckerman yellow cards, and a pair of L.A. Galaxy goals. The Galaxy took full advantage of the man advantage in the second half to top RSL 2-1 Saturday evening at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy.

RSL's winless streak reached 11 straight matches dating to 2016. The longest winless streak in Rio Tinto Stadium history expanded to six straight, too.

"Three games in, one point, it's not great," RSL midfielder Luke Mulholland said. "There's definitely been some hard breaks already."

And who else but L.A. winger Emmanuel Boateng to deliver the dagger. The Galaxy midfielder scored his fifth career goal in the 74th minute to put 10-man RSL down for the night. All five career goals have come against RSL (0-2-1).

Boateng was in the right place at the right time, delivering a low cross to the back post in the 74th minute after RSL midfielder Albert Rusnák attempted a heel pass in the box that Romain Alessandrini snagged.

A few minutes earlier, the Galaxy were thrown a lifeline by one of their defenders.

A fantastic left-footed volley by L.A. outside back David Romney in the 70th minute erased the early Movsisyan goal as Romney ran unmarked onto the corner delivered into the box by Alessandrini.

"To give up a goal on a set play is never good," RSL coach Jeff Cassar said, "but we paid the price."

Beckerman received his first yellow in the 34th minute after being taken out by Galaxy midfielder Jermaine Jones. Mulholland sprung to Beckerman's defense, shoving Jones while Beckerman lay on the ground. Once Beckerman eventually rose, he exchanged some words near referee Sorin Stoica, who showed the RSL captain a yellow card.

"All we're asking for is a fluid game," Movsisyan said. "All we're asking for is let us play. Hell, we're going to kick each other, that's normal. That's part of it. Just let us play. Let us do our thing and let's see what happens."

Ten minutes later, Beckerman clipped the heels of Galaxy midfielder Joao Pedro on an L.A. counter and was sent to the showers while boos rained down on the decision.

"Up until that red card," Movsisyan said, "we dominated this game. If we would've stayed at 11 players, I don't think it would've ended just 1-0."

In the 18th minute, Runsák lifted up his head, saw Movsisyan and sliced a cross into the Galaxy box. The ball soared over L.A. defender Bradley Diallo and Movsisyan was waiting.

The RSL striker spun a header to the far post from 14-yards out for the first goal of 2017. He waved over the entire team to commemorate the moment. The goal snapped a 378-minute home scoreless streak for RSL.

A moment that would eventually become a footnote on another sour night in Sandy.

"It's sad," Cassar said. "I'm disappointed for our fans who came out to see a good, entertaining game." —

Storylines

R Yura Movsisyan scores RSL's first goal of 2017 in the 18th minute.

• Kyle Beckerman is shown two yellow cards in the first half and is sent off.

• RSL's winless streak extends to 11 games dating to 2016.