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Jaqua, Buddle help Galaxy to second victory

Jun 18, 2007 - 3:51 AM CARSON, California (Ticker) -- Already dealing with a number of outside issues, Real Salt Lake would just as soon put an end to their long winless streak. The Los Angeles Galaxy were not ready to see that skid end just yet.

Nate Jaqua scored in the fourth minute and Edson Buddle scored the go-ahead goal in the 24th minute as the Galaxy posted a 3-2 victory over Real Salt Lake on Sunday.

Real (0-5-6), which last won on September 16, is dealing with captain Eddie Pope's recent retirement announcement as well as the continual threat of seeing Freddy Adu pursue his goal of playing in Europe on a more regular basis.

"I would say the injuries and the traveling, being away from your family," said Pope as to why he chose to retire following the season. "My son is old enough now to realize that I'm gone. It's a combination of all those things and sort of knowing when to let it go. It wasn't an easy choice. I think for me, now is the right time."

"As far as next year, I really don't know," Adu said. "I'm not trying to focus on it, but obviously, I'm 18, so I can play overseas. I've got too much in front of me to be thinking that far down the road. I would like to play in one of the bigger leagues in the world - Spain or England - wherever is a good fit for me."

This has only heightened the misery of the team, which extended their winless streak to 11 - an MLS record to start a season - this year and 15 games overall.

Los Angeles (2-4-3) took advantage of a RSL turnover, with Jaqua taking possession of the ball. The 25-year-old forward found the upright in his first attempt, but the ball bounced right back to Jaqua, who blasted a shot past Real goalkeeper Nick Rimando for his first goal of the season.

With the game tied, 1-1, in the 24th minute, Galaxy defender Abel Xavier - the first of the Galaxy's international arrivals that will include David Beckham - found Buddle streaking down the right side past the RSL defense, allowing the forward to fire a kick from just inside the penalty box past Rimando for his first goal of the season.

Galaxy midfielder Cobi Jones added an insurance goal - the 68th of his career - in the 65th minute, a goal that Los Angeles needed to offset a two-goal outburst by Real midfielder-forward Chris Brown.

"It was good to see two strikers get goals in Edson Buddle and Nate Jaqua and also, of course, Cobi," Galaxy coach Frank Yallop said. "I'm very pleased with the results, but we need to regroup and concentrate on next week."

I thought it was a good game for us from the aspect that created chances and that we finished those chances," Jones said. "It was important for us to score some goals today so that we could close the game out. That's important because at the end there was some situations where we could have folded and let them back in the game.

The goals by RSL represented the first ones the team has scored since Adu scored in the 68th minute against FC Dallas four games ago.

"I feel like soccer-wise, what we did with the ball, it was our best night - our best game of the year, to be honest," Real coach Jason Kreis said. "We had missed opportunities where the ball was not put on frame. I can't say too much bad about what happened tonight but, obviously, we had some really bad defensive play in the first half."