PASADENA, Calif. (AP) -- Carlos Ruiz headed in Simon Elliott's free kick nine minutes into overtime as the Los Angeles Galaxy defeated the Kansas City Wizards 3-2 Wednesday night in the playoff opener.

"That's a set piece,'' Ruiz said through an interpreter. "We work on that in practice every day in practice. I knew Simon likes to send the ball to the far post. I was lucky I touched it with my head.''

The Galaxy forced overtime on Cobi Jones' goal in the 85th minute off an assist by Tyrone Marshall.

Los Angeles earned three points with the victory. The first team to accumulate five points wins the series.

Game 2 of the potential three-game set is Saturday night in Kansas City. The third game, if necessary, would be next Wednesday back at the Rose Bowl. "Game 1,'' Wizards coach Bob Gansler said. "There will be a Game 3.''

If neither team has five points at the conclusion of Game 3, a 20-minute sudden-death tiebreaker will be played.

Chris Brown headed in Chris Klein's corner kick in the 70th minute to give the Wizards took a 2-1 lead.

Preki opened the scoring in the 25th minute, taking a pass from Brown and launching a shot from just inside the penalty area past Los Angeles goalkeeper Kevin Hartman.

The Galaxy tied it on Ruiz's penalty-kick goal in the 61st minute. Los Angeles was awarded the penalty kick after referee Richard Heron ruled that Nick Garcia pushed Ruiz down in the penalty area, a call vehemently protested by the Wizards. Ruiz was dribbling the ball on the line separating the penalty area from the rest of the field.

"I think it would behoove all of us to see whose hands were on who first,'' Kansas City coach Gansler said.

The Galaxy led 19-13 in shots and 10-4 in shots on goal. Kansas City goalkeeper Tony Meola made seven saves, and Hartman stopped two.