Houston Dynamo's Brad Davis, left, Richard Mulrooney, right, and the Real Salt Lake's Javier Morales, center, chase the ball during the first half of MLS soccer game at the University of Houston's Robertson Stadium on Saturday, June 20, 2009, in Houston. (AP Photo/The Houston Chronicle, James Nielsen)

Houston » Real Salt Lake's win over the Los Angeles Galaxy a week ago was a welcome relief, and Saturday was supposed to be its fresh start.

A win against the Houston Dynamo -- the league's hottest team -- would've provided the spark RSL craved for a season that started so promisingly.

What's more, it would've clinched RSL's first win ever in Houston, and also given the team back-to-back road wins.

Instead, RSL exited Robertson Stadium with a 1-1 tie before 17,151 fans.

Nonetheless, it held a 1-0 advantage until the 90th minute -- when Dynamo forward Brian Ching scored on a header -- despite playing a man down for most of the second half.

"To win

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here would have been a very big statement in terms of our status in the league," RSL defender Tony Beltran said. "A lot of people outside this locker room don't have the belief that we have in ourselves. It would have been nice to show we can beat them."

RSL's strategy of playing three forwards worked early, as Fabian Espindola scored on a Yura Movsisyan assist in the 28th minute. The only notable issue for RSL in the first half was a yellow card to defender Jamison Olave for knocking over Houston's Stuart Holden.

RSL's prospects of securing all three points with a victory became harder in the second half, when Olave was ejected in the 58th minute for his second yellow card.

"I need to look at the video, if it's

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as bad as I think it is, I am going to be very, very unhappy," RSL coach Jason Kreis said of Olave's ejection. "It's been addressed with him already that we can't afford that."

In the 73rd minute, Nick Rimando compensated for conceding a penalty kick -- when he fouled Brian Ching in the box -- by blocking Dynamo midfielder Brad Davis' attempt.

"I think it's somewhat bittersweet," Kreis said of the tie. "I feel like we deserved three points tonight, and if we had been able to keep 11 players on the field, I am quite certain we would have come away with all three. Having said that, with the circumstances -- the heat, going down a man, the penalty kick -- I think we have to be pleased with one point.

"One point to what's arguably the best team in the league at their place is a successful result, if you look away from the fact that we had a lead tonight."

RSL was coming off its first win in eight games -- a 2-0 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy last weekend. The last time RSL (4-6-4) beat Houston was Aug. 4, 2007, at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

RSL forward Robbie Findley missed his second straight game with a sprained ankle.

Meanwhile, the Dynamo extended their unbeaten streak to 11 games, which ties a team record.

"It's a very tough place to play," Beltran said. "You can't really get down on yourself too much. You just have to build on it."

 

RSL 1, Houston 1

Brian Ching denies RSL back-to-back road victories by scoring on a header in the 90th minute.

» Jamison Olave is ejected in the 58th minute for his second yellow card of the game.

» Nick Rimando saves a Dynamo penalty kick in the 73rd minute.