Hollywood Shocker

Kelyn Rowe and Saer Sene each scored in Saturday's 3-1 win over the Galaxy on Saturday. (Photo: Joshua Pearson)

It may have poured throughout Saturday’s match at The Home Depot Center, but the Revolution attack was far from waterlogged.

Kelyn Rowe (10′), Chris Tierney (13′) and Saer Sene (65′) all scored while Matt Reis made three crucial saves as the guests stole three points from the defending champion Galaxy, who’s only goal came from Robbie Keane (78′), in an inspiring 3-1 win.

The win gave the Revolution its second straight win while the Galaxy lost the second of its first three league games of the 2012 MLS season.

But before the Revolution stamped itself on the scoresheet, it was the Galaxy that was breathing down the Revolution’s necks. In the 6th minute, Edson Buddle played it to Keane inside the 18, but Reis closed the angle on Keane’s run and denied the striker’s mild shot at the near post.

It was the closest the Galaxy came to grabbing the lead.

With L.A.’s defense showing early signs of vulnerability, the Revolution capitalized in the 10th minute. Shalrie Joseph crossed it over the Galaxy defense to Rowe, who poked it right to Josh Saunders. But Rowe followed up his rebound and pounded it under the bar to give the Revolution the opening goal.

And it didn’t stop there. Less than three minutes later, the Revolution attack exploited another hole when Joseph and Kevin Alston played a one-two pass that Alston took into the box. With a difficult angle to work with, he sent it across the goalmouth, where Tierney slid in to send it though.

By now, it was clear: the Galaxy, without Landon Donovan to rescue them, and without Omar Gonzalez to tighten the defense, was reeling.

Not that the Revolution minded. Emboldened by their two-goal lead, they continued to exploit the left flank, which was left curiously unguarded as Tierney and Lee Nguyen found operating room as New England looked to pile it on.

The Galaxy filed a mild response in the 23rd minute when Todd Dunivant went down the left wing and crossed toward Keane inside the box. But Soares jumped the pass and knocked it away from the Irish striker.

Yet, the Revolution were unrelenting. In the 35th minute, Tierney ripped a free kick on frame that scorched Saunders’ mitts before it skipped wide of the far post.

As the half came to close, David Beckham found two opportunities to get his name on the scoresheet. From a free kick 35 yards out, he delivered one of his trademark curling efforts that Reis had to tip away from frame. Another Beckham free kick nearly made it 2-1 before the halftime whistle, but after Reis’ failed to smother the skipping shot, it banged off the corner of the goal.

The opening moments of the second half saw the Galaxy start to find an attacking groove. In the 49th minute, Edson Buddle went at Stephen McCarthy inside the area, but couldn’t muster enough on the shot.

Another moment of promise unfolded in the 60th minute when Sean Franklin played it ahead to Paolo Cardoso down the right flank. But Cardoso fired an indecisive ball that curled over the far post.

While the defending champions struggled to score – let alone put one on frame from the run of play – the Revolution re-fired its engine in the 65th minute. Ryan Guy crossed it into the area, where Sene directed it off of Saunders mitts before it squirted inside the far post to give the former doormats a surprising three goal lead over the defending champions.

Goal number four nearly arrived in the 70th minute. Substitute Fernando Cardenas caught Saunders off his line and chipped a ball from about 35 yards that the Galaxy keeper had to deflect away from frame.

Despite New England’s rousing success against their hosts, a shutout wasn’t in the cards. To L.A.’s credit, the attack brought one back in the 78th minute when Buddle played a though ball that split two Revolution defenders before Keane took a hold of it, feinted in front of Reis, and sent it into an open net.

But Keane’s ball was the closest the Galaxy would get. Buddle sent an erratic shot well wide of the far post and Juninho launched a long-distance shot that strayed wide as well in the waning minutes. And even though the downpours persisted from start to finish, not even Mother Nature could rain on New England’s parade Saturday night.

The Revolution win gives the club its first winning streak since Sept. 2010, and its first three points in L.A. since 2008.

New England returns to action on Thursday against FC Dallas in Frisco, TX.