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MLS Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake Update

October 2, 2013 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


REAL SALT LAKE FALLS TO D.C. UNITED IN LAMAR HUNT U.S. OPEN CUP FINAL

Real Salt Lake lost the 2013 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final on Tuesday night, giving up a goal late in the first half to fall 1-0 to D.C. United at Rio Tinto Stadium.

D.C. MF Lewis Neal scored the game's only goal in the 45th minute, picking up a loose ball in the left side of the box and slamming his first-time effort inside the far post from 10 yards out on the left side. RSL controlled the run of play, but couldn't turn its possession into a goal, hitting the woodwork twice to drop the club's first Open Cup Final.

Tuesday's defeat marked the third time in club history that RSL has lost a home final. The Claret-and-Cobalt also lost 1-0 at Rio Tinto Stadium in the 2008 Western Conference Final and the second leg of the 2010-2011 CONCACAF Champions League.

RSL LOOKS TO REBOUND FROM USOC DISAPPOINTMENT ON SATURDAY V. DALLAS

Real Salt Lake (15-10-6, 51 points, West #1) won't have long to dwell on Tuesday's Open Cup disappointment, as the team will return to MLS action on Saturday, when it will host FC Dallas (10-10-10, 40 points, West #8) at 7:00 p.m. MT at Rio Tinto Stadium.

Real Salt Lake will clinch a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs with a win on Saturday. RSL has qualified for the playoffs in five-consecutive seasons, the longest such active streak in the league. RSL's current five-year streak of postseason qualification is tied with D.C., LA Galaxy, Chicago Fire and Sporting Kansas City for the third-longest run of consecutive years of playoff qualification in league history. The New England Revolution and New York Red Bulls had eight-year and six-year streaks of playoff qualification, respectively.

RSL and Dallas have played twice this year, splitting two meetings at FC Dallas Stadium. FCD took the first matchup, downing the Claret-and-Cobalt 2-0 in Frisco on March 16. RSL thumped FCD in the second go-around, trouncing the Texas side 3-0 at FC Dallas Stadium on July 13 for the Claret-and-Cobalt's first-ever win in the Lone Star State.

Real Salt Lake will likely need a win on Saturday to stay in the Supporters' Shield and Western Conference races. The Claret-and-Cobalt is currently one point back of New York in the Supporters' Shield scuffle and leads the West by virtue of holding a tiebreaker over Seattle Sounders FC . RSL's position in both races is tenuous, however, as the Utah side has played two more regular season games than Seattle.

Dallas' MLS Cup Playoff hopes are on their last legs, with FCD trailing the Colorado Rapids by five points for the West's fifth and final playoff spot. The eighth-place Hoops will likely need to win at least three of their four remaining games to have any hope of qualifying for the postseason.

Real Salt Lake MF Javier Morales has had a great deal of success against FC Dallas, scoring three goals and notching six assists in 10 career regular season games against FCD. RSL Head Coach Jason Kreis is one of the top players in Dallas history, still holding the club's all-time scoring mark with 91 goals.

An extremely limited amount of tickets are still available to Saturday's match and can be purchased at the Rio Tinto Stadium box office, online at www.RealSaltLake.com/Tickets or over the phone at 801-727-2700.

RSL-ARIZONA ACADEMY U-18 MF COREY BAIRD CALLED TO US U-18 NATIONAL TEAM

Real Salt Lake-Arizona Academy U-18 MF Corey Baird was called-up on Wednesday to the U.S. Under-18 National Team for a four-team international tournament that will be held in Limoges, France.

The U.S. U-18's will face the U-18 squads from the Czech Republic, France and Poland in the tournament, which will begin next Wednesday, Oct. 9. The U.S. will take on France in the opener, face off against the Czech Republic on Friday, Oct. 11 and close out the tournament against Poland on Sunday, Oct. 13.

A native of Escondido, Calif., Baird was one of 36 players called into a week-long training camp at U.S. Soccer's National Training Center in Carson, Calif. from Sept. 22-29 to prepare for the tournament. RSL-AZ players Sebastian Saucedo, Justen Glad and Brooks Lennon were also called into U.S. U-18 Head Coach Javier Perez's initial 36-player camp.

REAL SALT LAKE INJURY REPORT

Following is the Real Salt Lake injury report for Saturday's MLS match against FC Dallas:

OUT: GK Josh Saunders (L ACL reconstruction), DF Kwame Watson-Siriboe (R ACL reconstruction)

QUESTIONABLE: FW Robbie Findley (R patellar tendonitis), MF Luis Gil (appendectomy), MF Ned Grabavoy (head laceration)

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