REAL SALT LAKE vs FC DALLAS
RIO TINTO STADIUM, Sandy, Utah
Sept. 6, 2014 (WEEK 26, MLS Game #248)
9 p.m. CT (KUCW-30; KTXA-CBS, MLS Stream of the Week)
Real Salt Lake and FC Dallas meet for the second time in two weeks in a matchup of Western Conference leaders when the clubs face off Saturday evening at Rio Tinto Stadium. In Frisco on Aug. 22, FC Dallas went down a man yet escaped with a 2-1 win. Real come into the game in third place in the Western Conference following their 1-1 draw at San Jose last weekend, one point ahead of FCD, which saw its 10-game undefeated streak put to an end in a 1-0 loss at the Chicago Fire.
REFEREE: Armando Villarreal. AR1 (bench): Mike Rottersman; AR2 (opposite): Richard Gamache; 4th: Tyler Ploeger
MLS Career: 41 games; FC/gm: 23.1; Y/gm: 2.9; R: 15; pens: 10
SUSPENDED: None
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: RSL: Olmes Garcia, Javier Morales, Chris Schuler … DAL: Blas Perez
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: RSL: Nat Borchers, Alvaro Saborio, Luke Mulholland, Kyle Beckerman … DAL: Fabian Castillo, Matt Hedges, Je-Vaughn Watson, Victor Ulloa, Adam Moffat
DISABLED LIST: DAL: Hendry Thomas (season-ending injury)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: RSL: Joao Plata (Ecuador, 9/5 v BOL; 9/9 v BRA); Carlos Salcedo (Mexico U-21) … DAL: Blas Perez (Panama, Copa Centroamericana)
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (28 meetings): Real 9 wins, 36 goals … FC Dallas 14 wins, 40 goals … Ties 5
AT SALT LAKE (15 meetings): Real 8 wins, 27 goals … FC Dallas 4 wins, 16 goals …Ties 3
2014 (MLS):
5/24: RSL 0, DAL 0
8/22: DAL 2, RSL 1 (Watson 50; Castillo 74 – Garcia 91+)
- The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Je-Vaughn Watson and Fabian Castillo scored second-half goals to lead a 10-man FC Dallas to a 2-1 win Aug. 22 at Toyota Stadium. They played to a scoreless draw May 24 at Rio Tinto Stadium.
- FC Dallas has come away with points on each of their last three games vs. Real at Rio Tinto Stadium, with draws in the last two meetings in Sandy.
- RSL is now 1-10-2 at FC Dallas all-time in league games between the clubs. FCD has also won a game in the MLS Cup Playoffs (in 2010) and a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal (in 2011).
- Coaches record: Oscar Pareja vs. RSL: P8 W3 L2 T3 … Jeff Cassar vs. DAL: P2 W0 L1 T1
LAST MEETING (MLS)
- Just before halftime, after being fouled by defender Chris Schuler, FCD striker Blas Perez was shoved by Schuler and fell to the ground. Schuler was given a yellow card for unsporting behavior and Perez, who was already on a yellow card, was given a second yellow for simulation and sent off by referee Ismail Elfath.
- But FC Dallas still scored first. In the 50th minute, Michel took a corner that deflected off of Schuler and into the path of Je-Vaughn Watson, who chested the ball into the goal from almost on the goal line.
- The lead was doubled by FCD, still a man down, in the 74th minute. Fabian Castillo took a pass from Tesho Akindele into the area, rounded a defenderand stroked his shot into the far lower corner past goalkeeper Nick Rimando for the eventual game-winner.
- RSL pulled a goal back in second-half stoppage time when Olmes Garcia put home a bicycle kick after Sebastian Velasquez chased down a corner and sent a cross back into the box, Garcia's effort deflecting off a defender and past goalkeeper Raul Fernandez, but it was too little, too late.
- FC DALLAS (4-2-3-1): Raul Fernandez - Je-Vaughn Watson, Zach Loyd, Matt Hedges, Jair Benitez (Kellyn Acosta 65) - Victor Ulloa, Michel - Fabian Castillo (Peter Luccin 80), Tesho Akindele, Andres Escobar (Ryan Hollingshead 70) - Blas Perez (ejected 44).
- REAL SALT LAKE (4-3-1-2): Nick Rimando - Tony Beltran, Chris Schuler, Nat Borchers, Chris Wingert (Olmes Garcia 57) - Luke Mulholland (Sebastian Velasquez 71), Kyle Beckerman, Ned Grabavoy - Luis Gil - Robbie Findley (Devon Sandoval 80), Joao Plata.
REAL SALT LAKE
Real Salt Lake completed their two-game road swing with a result, gaining a 1-1 draw with the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday evening at Buck Shaw Stadium. RSL are in third place in the Western Conference with 43 points from 26 matches.
LAST MATCH
- The Quakes had the lead in the 15th minute. Chris Wondolowski made the play, nicking the ball just outside the area before driving into the left side of the box. He then smartly laid the ball back to Sam Cronin, who ran onto it and smashed a left-footer inside the far post from just inside the area.
- Real drew even in the 36th minute. From a cross, referee David Gantar pointed to the spot for a Jordan Stewart foul on Olmes Garcia in the area. Javier Morales sent San Jose goalkeeper Busch the wrong way on the penalty kick to pull the visitors level.
- RSL head coach Jeff Cassar made three changes to the team that fell 2-1 to FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium. Abdoulie Mansally came into the back four for Chris Wingert, Javier Morales started in midfield in place of Luis Gil, and Olmes Garcia came in up top for Robbie Findley.
- REAL SALT LAKE (4-3-1-2): Nick Rimando - Tony Beltran, Chris Schuler, Nat Borchers, Abdoulie Mansally - Luke Mulholland (Luis Gil 83), Kyle Beckerman, Ned Grabavoy - Javier Morales (Cole Grossman 90) - Olmes Garcia (Robbie Findley 79), Joao Plata
TEAM NEWS
- Real concluded their two-game road swing with one point out of a possible six. Following the visit by FC Dallas, four of their next six games are away from Rio Tinto Stadium.
- “We wanted three. We'll take the point,” RSL head coach Jeff Cassar said. “We moved up a little bit [in the standings]. If we take care of business at home against FC Dallas [next week], all things are good.”
- Real have lost just once on their home field this season, matching the LA Galaxy with the fewest home losses ahead of the return match with FC Dallas.
- “That was definitely not a pretty game last week,” defender Chris Schuler said. “We didn't get the performance we wanted out of that, especially after being up a man. So it's definitely on our minds.” Added Cassar: “This one I want. I think our whole team wants it. I think our whole club wants it. It's not a must-win or anything, but we want this one.”
- Javier Morales scored his seventh goal of the season, one shy of his single-season career-high set a year ago. Morales has converted all four penalty kicks he has taken this season.
- Morales returned to the RSL lineup after a two-match absence, his first appearance since Aug. 9 when he came out of the D.C. United match early in the second half.
- Nick Rimando played his 10th consecutive game in goal since returning from the FIFA World Cup. He was the lone representative called into the U.S. national team for its Wednesday friendly against the Czech Republic in Prague.
- “We all had to work through our individual games if we wanted to get a result,” said Schuler. “With [Chris Wondolowski] and [Tommy] Thompson, they look to expose that blind spot behind you, so even when we have the ball, we have to think that they’re playing offense all of the time. I would say that was what our defense was focused on in the second half.”
- New signing Sebastian Jaime was in the 18-man gameday squad, but did not make his MLS and RSL debut.
- “I think in that type of heated battle, it would almost be unfair to him to put him into that situation,” Cassar said. “And, on top of that, [79th-minute substitute] Robbie Findley knows that game, knows that scenario.”
FC DALLAS
FC Dallas saw their undefeated streak put to an end after 10 games, falling 1-0 to the Chicago Fire on Saturday evening at Toyota Park. FC Dallas sit in fourth place in the Western Conference with 42 points from 26 games.
LAST MATCH
- The Fire finally found the breakthrough seven minutes before the final whistle. Jeff Larentowicz hit a right-footed cross from the left flank that was perfectly placed for Robert Earnshaw to meet with a flick header just inside the far post.
- Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson was called upon to make two saves as FC Dallas saw their long undefeated run put to an end.
- FCD head coach Oscar Pareja made two changes to the team that defeated Real Salt Lake 2-1 at Toyota Stadium. Kellyn Acosta and Ryan Hollingshead came into the team with both Michel and Blas Perez suspended.
- FC DALLAS (4-2-3-1): Raul Fernandez - Je-Vaughn Watson, Zach Loyd, Matt Hedges, Jair Benitez (Moises Hernandez 84) - Kellyn Acosta, Victor Ulloa - Ryan Hollingshead (Peter Luccin 66), Fabian Castillo, Andres Escobar (David Texeira 76) - Tesho Akindele.
TEAM NEWS
- FC Dallas saw their undefeated run put to an end after 10 league matches, their first defeat in all competitions since a 2-1 home loss to the San Jose Earthquakes on May 31.
- “When we lose, I think we’re very disappointed, no? Because we lost an important three points away so I think it’s disappointing. Sometimes we lose, you know, now, but better we don’t lose down the line,” said forward David Teixeira. “We are fighting for an important three points, and I’d rather lose now than against teams in our conference. We lost important points though.”
- It was the first attacking shutout for FCD since a scoreless draw June 29 at Columbus. It was the first time since May 4 FC Dallas suffered a shutout defeat, gaining a point each of the last two times they did not score a goal. Both of their shutout defeats have come with 1-0 scorelines.
- “It was one of those games where you can’t find the net and I have to accept it. We’ve been very sharp for the past month and a half, and the one night like tonight, we have to accept losing the points,” said FC Dallas head coach Oscar Pareja. “It’s part of the game. We couldn’t find the net today. Then we were scored on by a very isolated play. We weren’t concentrating enough and we gave up a goal there. I thought we played better.”
- With Blas Perez suspended, Tesho Akindele returned to a role as the lone out-and-out striker, with Fabian Castillo playing in an underneath role.
- “It’s been a challenge all season, but not a problem for us. It’s a great opportunity. For me, I was delighted to see the young players on the field. I can’t be happier to see this club getting younger and getting minutes in games. The future looks bright for us for sure,” said Pareja.
- Said defender Matt Hedges: “We had some guys in different positions than normal but it took a little while to gel but I think after that it was OK. I think there’s definite work to be done if we were to continue to play that way. I think it could work and I think the guys played well for it being the first time in that lineup.”
- Michel was also suspended, with Kellyn Acosta coming into the starting lineup for the first time since April 19. It was Acosta’s first start in the midfield; his first five starts this season were in the back four.
- “It’s great to get Kellyn back. It’s great to get him back, yes,” Pareja said. “He needs freedom in his games and that is what this game is for. We are fighting for points and at the same time we are bringing players back into the rhythm. And that’s great. It will pay off in the near future.”
