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MLS Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake game notes

September 15, 2006 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


Real Salt Lake and FC Dallas play the first game of a home-and-home series over the next two weekends that will likely have a massive effect on the final look of the Western Conference table. Real Salt Lake is undefeated in nine of its last 11 at Rice-Eccles, but is now five points out of a playoff spot with five matches remaining - Saturday is the first of two games left at home as RSL finds itself in a must-win situation. With a victory on Saturday (or the failure of the Los Angeles Galaxy to win), front-running FC Dallas will become the first team in the West to claim a postseason berth.

RSL will be without Budweiser Golden Boot leader Jeff Cunningham, whose 15 goals and 10 assists lead the league in both categories. Cunningham, out for Saturday due to yellow-card accumulation, has factored in 25 of RSL's 36 goals on the season (69.4%) and is on pace to shatter the ratio set by current teammate Jason Kreis during his 1999 MVP season with the Dallas Burn. In Cunningham's place will be St. Kitts & Nevis FW Atiba Harris, who will depart on Sunday for his nation's CONCACAF Gold Cup Qualifier next week. Due to the Cunningham suspension, MF Chris Klein and MF Medhi Ballouchy will become the lone RSL players to appear in all 28 games this season.

REFEREE: Ricardo Salazar. SAR (bench): David Bragg; JAR (opposite): Paul Scott; 4th: Ben Chouaf

MLS Career: 50 games; FC/gm: 32.1; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 11; pens: 18

MLS 2006: 8 games; FC/gm: 32.1 (avg: 28.8); Y/gm: 2.9 (avg: 3.68); R: 0 (MLS: 31); pens: 1 (MLS: 34)

Games involving Real: P3 W1 L2 T0; FC/gm: 28.3; Y/gm: 4.0; R: 2; pens: 1

Games involving FC Dallas: P9 W4 L4 T1; FC/gm: 31.9; Y/gm: 3.7; R: 2; pens: 2

INJURY REPORT: REAL SALT LAKE - OUT: DF Paul Broome (L ankle internal derangement); MF Seth Trembly (L knee ACL tear); MF Christian Jimenez (L knee ACL tear); DF Danny Torres (R foot sprain); PROBABLE: FW Jason Kreis (L tibial plateau contusion) ... FC DALLAS - OUT: GK Jeff Cassar (R hip surgery); FW Roberto Mina (L knee)

SUSPENDED: RSL: Jeff Cunningham (five cautions; through Sept. 17) ... DAL: Simo Valakari (five cautions; through Sept. 17)

WARNINGS:

SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: RSL: Eddie Pope

SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: RSL: Mehdi Ballouchy, Scott Garlick, Jason Kreis, Douglas Sequeira, Carey Talley, Andy Williams ... DAL: Chris Gbandi, Clarence Goodson, Ramon Nunez, Ronnie O'Brien, Dario Sala, Marcelo Saragosa, Greg Vanney

INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none

HEAD-TO-HEAD

ALL-TIME (6 meetings): Real 1 win (0 shootout), 5 goals ... FC Dallas 5 wins (0 shootout), 10 goals ... 0 draws

AT SALT LAKE: (3 meetings): Real 1 wins (0 shootout), 3 goals ... FC Dallas 2 wins (0 shootout), 3 goals ... 0 draws

- This is the third of four meetings this season between the clubs, the second of two at Rice-Eccles Stadium, as the teams conclude the season series on back-to-back weekends.

- A year ago, FC Dallas won three of the four meetings between the clubs in Real's inaugural season, winning both at home. The first meeting was played at the Cotton Bowl while the second was played at Pizza Hut Park - the first league victory for the Hoops in their new home ground.

- RSL's victory on July 23 at Rice-Eccles was the only time in their inaugural season they scored three or more goals in a league match.

- Coaches record: John Ellinger v DAL: P6 W1 L5 D0 ... Colin Clarke vs. RSL: P6 W5 L1 D0

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