SANDY, Utah – Real Salt Lake returns home this Saturday for a rematch with Western Conference foe FC Dallas at 8:00 p.m. MT at Rio Tinto Stadium. Saturday’s match will be broadcast live on CW30 and ESPN 700 AM, and 102.3 La Gran D FM.
Real Salt Lake enters Saturday’s matchup coming off 1-1 draw at San Jose Earthquakes last weekend, picking up a critical road point to move RSL into third-place in the Western Conference. San Jose took an early lead last Saturday, getting a 14th minute goal from MF Sam Cronin to go up 1-0. RSL was able to pull even in the 36th minute through a penalty kick converted by MF Javier Morales to end the first half 1-1. Despite a nervy final few minutes, Real Salt Lake was able to hold onto the draw to leave Buck Shaw Stadium with a vital point. RSL now posts an 11-5-10 record for a total of 43 points, placing the Claret-and-Cobalt one point ahead of FC Dallas in the Western Conference.
With only eight games remaining in the regular season, Saturday’s contest will be critical for RSL’s chances in the Supporters’ Shield race and its ultimate finish in the west. Only nine points separate Western Conference leaders Seattle Sounders FC (51 points) and fourth-place FC Dallas (42 points), while just four points stand between the fifth-place Portland Timbers and seventh-place Colorado Rapids.
Saturday will be the third and final regular season meeting between Real Salt Lake and FC Dallas, with RSL going 0-1-1 against the Texas club this year. The clubs last met two weeks ago on Aug. 22 in Dallas with RSL falling 2-1 at Toyota Stadium. The Claret-and-Cobalt could not overcome two second half goals despite having a man advantage for the final 45 minutes. RSL and Dallas played to a scoreless draw in their first meeting of the year on May 24 at Rio Tinto Stadium.
Real Salt Lake will be without its 2014 leading goal scorer FW Joao Plata and DF Carlos Salcedo for Saturday’s match. Plata was called up to the Ecuadorian National Team for the second time in his career for a pair of friendlies that will be played in the U.S. Salcedo was named to Mexico’s U-21 camp, which serves as a preparatory squad for Mexico’s 2016 Olympic efforts.
Saturday still provides the opportunity for the MLS debut of newly signed RSL FW Sebastian Jaime. The Argentine travelled to San Jose last weekend but did not make an appearance. The Dallas match could also see the return of Real Salt Lake’s all-time leading goal scorer FW Alvaro Saborio. The Costa Rican has been recovering from a broken fifth metatarsal in his right foot suffered while with the Costa Rican National Team in its pre-World Cup training camp at the end of May. The lethal striker last appeared for the Claret-and-Cobalt on May 11 in the club’s 5-2 win over Houston Dynamo.
The Claret-and-Cobalt trails Dallas in the all-time series, going 9-14-5 against FCD in MLS play. RSL has found success against the Hoops at home, posting an 8-4-3 record in the Beehive State and outscoring Dallas 26-17.
FC Dallas enters Saturday’s match coming off a 1-0 defeat at Chicago Fire that ended the Hoops’ 10-game unbeaten run in MLS play. FC Dallas sits fourth in the Western Conference with a 12-8-6 record and total of 42 points.
Real Salt Lake will continue its road schedule after the Dallas contest, heading to the Pacific Northwest to take on Seattle Sounders FC on Friday, Sept. 12. The match will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network and kick at 8:30 p.m. MT.
How to Follow Real Salt Lake v. FC Dallas
- Kickoff: 8:00 p.m. MT v. FC Dallas
- TV: CW 30
- English Radio: ESPN700 AM (Pregame begins at 6:00 p.m. MT)
- Spanish Radio: 102.3 La Gran D FM
- Online: The @RealSaltLake Twitter Feed will provide match updates
Game Guide for Saturday’s RSL-DAL Match Now Available Online
Following is the link to the Adobe PDF version of the MLS Game Guide in advance of Saturday’s contest between Real Salt Lake and FC Dallas. If you have any problems obtaining the document, would prefer to receive it as an attachment, or are seeking more information on the match, please contact PR Coordinator Jane Sexton in the RSL Communications Department via email at jsexton@realsaltlake.com.
Click here to download the PDF version of the MLS Game Guide for Saturday’s RSL-DAL matchup
RSL History v. Dallas
The Claret-and-Cobalt trails Dallas in the all-time series, going 9-14-5 against FCD in MLS play. RSL has found success against the Hoops at home, posting an 8-4-3 record in the Beehive State and outscoring Dallas 26-17.
