MLS Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake Stays Unbeaten with Scoreless Draw against FC Dallas

May 25, 2014 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


SANDY, Utah - Real Salt Lake (6-0-6, 24 points, West #2) extended its unbeaten start to the season to 12 games on Saturday, playing FC Dallas (5-6-3, 18 points, West #3) to a scoreless draw in front of a sold-out crowd at Rio Tinto Stadium.

Saturday's result moved RSL into a tie for first in MLS history with the 1996 and 2010 LA Galaxy (12-0-0; 10-0-2) and 2000 Kansas City Wizards (10-0-2) for the longest unbeaten streak to start a season. The draw also moved first-year RSL Head Coach Jeff Cassar into a tie with 1996 LA Head Coach Lothar Osiander for longest unbeaten start to a managerial career in MLS history.

The Claret-and-Cobalt and Cassar will have a shot to extend their unbeaten streak to 13 games next Saturday, when they'll take on first-place Seattle Sounders FC at 2:00 p.m. MT at CenturyLink Field.

Real Salt Lake controlled the match, holding 66.5 percent of possession and pinning Dallas back for long stretches of the game. Unfortunately, RSL didn't have much punch to go along with its possession, and didn't generate many dangerous chances against a firm Dallas defense. The Claret-and-Cobalt also lost a key player to injury in the first half, with co-leading scorer FW Joao Plata leaving the match in the 42nd minute due to a left hamstring injury.

RSL had the first opportunity of the game in the eighth minute. MF Javier Morales swung a free kick in from the left side that Dallas GK Chris Seitz couldn't hold, with the rebound falling to MF Cole Grossman on the end line to the right of goal. With Seitz off his line, Grossman attempted to a chip a shot through traffic, but was his effort headed off the line by a Dallas defender.

Dallas had a look in the 21st. DF Moises Hernandez started the play, curling a free kick in from the left wing. RSL GK Jeff Attinella came well off his line to collect the dead ball, but he couldn't snag it, taking a spill and letting the ball fall to FCD MF Je-Vaughn Watson in the right side of the area. Thankfully for RSL, Watson couldn't put his effort on frame, sending his 15-yard effort over the bar.

Dallas let another chance slip by in the 30th minute. FW Blas Perez flicked a header from the right side of the box across the top of the 18 that found unmarked MF Fabian Castillo at the top of the area. Like Watson before him, Castillo couldn't keep his shot on target, harmlessly hitting his first-time half-volley over the bar.

RSL was forced into a change in the 42nd minute, when Plata had to be taken off for FW Olmes Garcia due to a left hamstring injury. Plata missed three games in March and April due to an injury to the same hamstring.

Attinella made a big save in the 53rd minute to keep Dallas off the board. FCD FW Tesho Akindele wriggled free in the right side of the area, rounding a RSL defender and firing a shot from eight yards out. Attinella did well to corral the effort, diving to his right from his position at the near post to hold the effort.

Dallas had another look in the 66th minute. Castillo got free on the right flank, driving toward the end line and whipping in a low cross. Akindele got on the end of the ball, hitting his contested shot wide from six yards out.

RSL pushed forward in search of a winner for the remaining 25 minutes, but didn't do much to trouble Dallas' former Claret-and-Cobalt GK Chris Seitz.

Real Salt Lake will hit the road next week, traveling to face Seattle next Saturday in a matchup of the top two teams in MLS. Next weekend's RSL-Seattle tilt will kick at 2:00 p.m. MT and will be broadcast live on CW30, ESPN 700 AM and 102.3 La Gran D FM.

Check out the Real Salt Lake Statistics



Major League Soccer Stories from May 25, 2014


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central