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Seattle • It was a first half to forget. For the first 45 minutes Sunday, Real Salt Lake's defense looked shaky and its attackers altogether absent. But as they prepare for a crucial three-game home stand, RSL coach Jeff Cassar would like his players to remember their second-half fight in a 2-1 defeat against the Sounders.

"What I do like from our team was the response we had in the second half," Cassar said. "That's definitely something to build on."

With the Sounders on top 2-0 at the end of the opening period, Seattle coach Brian Schmetzer suspected Cassar had some choice words for his team in the visiting locker room inside CenturyLink Field.

"I'm sure he let his team have it at halftime," Schmetzer said.

But the biggest difference in RSL's turnaround was obvious — and wearing a No. 14 jersey.

"They came out and put us under a bit of pressure and make a switch with [Yura] Movsisyan," Sounders defender Brad Evans said. "He's a true target forward: big, strong and fast. So he is a little bit more dynamic than [Olmes] Garcia, so I think he changes the game for them and they play with a bit more confidence."

Movsisyan, RSL's leading goal scorer on the season, had missed three straight games since suffering a hip flexor strain against the San Jose Earthquakes in late July, but made his return to the field as a substitute for Garcia to start the second half Sunday.

Cassar said he started Garcia against the Sounders because the striker had been in good form recently and because it gave the team more versatility in its attack.

"Yura was working his way back to full fitness and I wanted to give him the best opportunity to succeed," the coach said. "It would have also given us an option to move Olmes out wide if we wanted to do that. We're kind of limited with our attacking options right now with some injuries, so we have to give ourselves the most options at the end of the game."

Right away, Movsisyan's tenacity and skill helped shift momentum. The striker broke free on a counter attack and, if not for a point-blank save from Seattle keeper Stefan Frei, might have had his eighth goal of the season. Then, in the 62nd minute, Movsisyan forced Frei into a turnover on the edge of the box, dribbled around defenders and found Joao Plata for an uncontested shot on goal to cut the deficit in half.

"I felt good," Movsisyan said after the game. "It's tough when you don't play for three weeks, but I felt good and it was good to get in there for at least 45 minutes."

The striker's return to health should give RSL as much cause for hope as anything from Sunday's contest.

And RSL could certainly use that boost as it returns home for three straight games against Western Conference playoff teams.

"No game is going to be easy from here on out," defender Tony Beltran said. "They're all big match ups against Western Conference opponents. We have to take care of business at home. We're very frustrated with the result [Sunday] … but if we're going to make a playoff push, we have to take care of business at home."

Twitter: @tribjazz —

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