SANDY, Utah (Saturday, Aug. 18, 2012) – Real Salt Lake(13-10-3, 42 points, West #2) lost in brutal fashion on Saturday night, conceding a stoppage-time winner to fall 2-1 to FC Dallas (8-11-8, 32 points, West #6) in front of a sold-out crowd at Rio Tinto Stadium. The loss is the fourth-straight across all competitions for Real Salt Lake.
MF David Ferreira scored the decisive goal for Dallas, finishing a counterattack by collecting MF Brek Shea’s pass and slamming a 15-yard shot inside the top right corner in the 94th minute.
RSL ran out a makeshift starting lineup, beginning the game with captain Kyle Beckerman, leading scorer Álvaro Saborío and regular MF Will Johnson on the bench after all three played 90 minutes for their respective national teams on Wednesday.
Despite the provisional first XI, RSL was the better team for the entire game, dictating the play and creating a multitude of chances. The Claret-and-Cobalt had its first opportunity in the 11th minute. MF Javier Morales played FW Fabían Espíndola in on the left edge of the area, allowing the Argentine striker to rip a first-time shot to the near post that Dallas GK Kevin Hartman parried away for a corner.
The match got a bit heated in the next 15 minutes. Both sides went in hard on several challenges, leading to some frayed nerves on the field and three yellow cards for RSL – one each for DF Tony Beltran, DF Kwame Watson-Siriboe and Espíndola.
Espíndola nearly put RSL up 1-0 in the 30th minute. He collected MF Yordany Alvarez’s pass at the top-right corner of the 18 and cut in on his left foot, ripping a low 20-yarder to the near post that Hartman tipped away with a fine diving save.
Real Salt Lake kept the pressure on after Espíndola’s chance, coming close again in the 35th minute. Beltran had the chance, absolutely ripping a long range curler from the right side that Hartman did incredibly well to tip away.
Beltran’s chance took the game into halftime, which saw both sides make a change. RSL brought Saborío on for the yellow-carded Espindola and Dallas inserted FW Jackson for FW Jonathan Top.
RSL started the second half brightly, attacking the Dallas goal with tenacity. The Claret-and-Cobalt had its first chance of the second frame in the 51st minute, when Saborío dribbled into the left side of the area before hitting a low shot that the onrushing Hartman blocked.
Saborío had a golden opportunity in the 55th minute, getting on the end of a Morales free kick for a free header from the penalty spot. Unfortunately, the Costa Rican international couldn’t do anything with the chance, meekly heading wide of the left post.
Dallas made RSL pay for not taking advantage of its opportunities in the 61st minute, when MF Fabian Castillo scored against the run of play to put FCD up 1-0. Castillo combined with fellow Colombian MF David Ferreira on the play, connecting on a give-and-go with the 2010 MLS MVP to round Beltran on the left side of the box before curling a shot inside the far post from a tight angle.
Dallas got a boost from the goal, getting good looks in both the 68th and 72nd minutes. RSL GK Nick Rimando came up big on the second chance, diving to his right to keep out a low drive from Castillo.
RSL turned the pressure way up after Castillo’s 72nd minute opportunity and came incredibly close to equalizing in the 75th minute. Watson-Siriboe got on the end of a Morales corner at the right post and hit a powerful header to the far post only for FCD DF Jair Benitez to clear the ball off the line.
The Claret-and-Cobalt didn’t have to wait much longer for the equalizer, getting a goal from Saborío on the ensuing corner to tie the game at 1-1. Morales had the assist, hitting a corner to the right post that Saborío nodded past Hartman and inside the far post.
RSL pushed hard for the win after Saborío’s goal, but couldn’t quite find it, eventually getting caught out on another counter to set up Ferreira’s winner. Shea led the break, collecting a pass on the left wing and switching fields to Ferreira to set the Colombian up for his screamer of a goal.
The Claret-and-Cobalt return to action on Tuesday, when they’ll host Panamanian champs Tauro FC in a crucial CONCACAF Champions League Group Stage battle at Rio Tinto Stadium.
Click here to access video highlights and the MLSsoccer.com MATCHCENTER for RSL-FCD
Real Salt Lake Match Notes – RSL 1-FCD 2
- Saturday’s loss is RSL’s fourth-straight defeat across all competitions. The team hasn’t won a game in over three weeks, last picking up three points in the July 27 2-1 home win over Vancouver.
- Ferreira’s stoppage time winner gives FCD a bit of revenge on RSL, which got a stoppage time winner of its own from DF Nat Borchers in the Claret-and-Cobalt’s 3-2 home win over Dallas on May 26.
- RSL finishes its regular season series with Dallas with a 1-1-1 mark. As mentioned above, the Claret-and-Cobalt beat FCD at home on May 26 – the sides tied 1-1 in their first meeting of 2012 on April 25 at FC Dallas Stadium.
- Saturday’s game kicked off a busy three-game in six-day stretch that will see RSL take on Tauro in the CONCACAF Champions League Group Stage on Tuesday and travel to Philadelphia for a league date with the Union on Friday.
- FW Álvaro Saborío’s 76th minute tally gives him 14 goals in league play, four behind San Jose’s Chris Wondolowski in the race for the Golden Boot.
- RSL FW and Salt Lake City native Justin Braun made his home debut on Saturday night, coming on in the 67th minute for FW Paulo Jr. Braun, who was acquired on July 11 in a trade with Montreal, had one previous RSL appearance, starting the Claret-and-Cobalt’s Aug. 4 loss at Colorado.
- Real Salt Lake had four regulars start on the bench, with captain Kyle Beckerman, leading scorer Alvaro Saborio, MF Will Johnson and DF Jamison Olave all out of the first XI. Beckerman, Saborio and Johnson were available off the bench after going 90 minutes for their respective national teams on Wednesday while Olave was out with a hamstring injury suffered on July 31.
- A very limited number of tickets remain for Tuesday’s CCL match against Tauro. Tickets can be purchased online at www.RealSaltLake.com or by calling 801-727-2700 Mon-Sat during business hours 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Fans can also purchase tickets at the Rio Tinto Stadium box office or the RSL Team Store (10 a.m.-5 p.m.) on the northeast corner of the Stadium.
REAL SALT LAKE 1-FC DALLAS 2
SATURDAY, AUGUST 18, 2012
RIO TINTO STADIUM
Goals by Period 1 2 F
Real Salt Lake 0 1 1
FC Dallas 0 2 2
Scoring Summary: FCD – Fabian Castillo (David Ferreira) – 61’
RSL – Álvaro Saborío (Javier Morales) – 76’
FCD – David Ferreira (Brek Shea) – 94+’
Misconduct Summary: RSL – Tony Beltran (Foul) – 14’
RSL – Kwame Watson-Siriboe (Foul) – 20’
RSL – Fabian Espindola (Dissent) – 25’
FCD – Matt Hedges (Foul) – 54’
Lineups:
Real Salt Lake (4-1-2-1-2) – Nick Rimando; Tony Beltran, Kwame Watson-Siriboe, Nat Borchers, Chris Wingert; Yordany Alvarez (Kyle Beckerman, 75’); Ned Grabavoy, Luis Gil; Javier Morales (C); Paulo Jr. (Justin Braun, 67’), Fabian Espíndola (Álvaro Saborío, 46’)
Substitutes Not Used: Kyle Reynish (GK), Will Johnson, Jonny Steele, Kenny Mansally
FC Dallas (4-5-1) – Kevin Hartman (GK); Jair Benitez, Matt Hedges (Hernan Pertuz, 73’), George John, Zach Loyd; Fabian Castillo, Julian de Guzman, David Ferreira, Daniel Hernandez (C) (James Marcelin, 62’), Brek Shea; Jonathan Top (Jackson, 46’)
Substitutes Not Used: Chris Seitz, Bruno Guarda, Ruben Luna, Carlos Rodriguez
Referee: Juan Guzman
Referee's Assistants: Frank Anderson, Mike Kampmeinert
4th Official: Tyler Ploeger
Attendance: 20,281
Time of Game: 1:54
Weather: Clear and 92 degrees
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