SANDY, Utah – Real Salt Lake (15-10-6, West #1) will look to bounce back after a disappointing loss in Tuesday’s Open Cup Final this Saturday, when it will host FC Dallas (10-10-10, West #8) at 7:00 p.m. at Rio Tinto Stadium.
Saturday’s match will be broadcast live on CW30, ESPN700 and 102.3 La Gran D FM/1600 AM. CW30 will air the 30-minute Ford Postgame Show immediately after the match; ESPN700 will air an hour-long pregame show before the game and will broadcast an hour-long postgame following the contest.
Real Salt Lake will clinch a Western Conference playoff berth with a win against FC Dallas on Saturday. RSL has qualified for five straight MLS Cup Playoffs, the longest active postseason streak in the league.
The Claret-and-Cobalt will also need a win to remain in the thick of the Supporters’ Shield and Western Conference races. RSL is currently one points behind the New York Red Bulls in the chase for the Shield and leads the West by virtue of holding a tiebreaker over Seattle Sounders FC. Seattle has two games in hand on both RSL and New York, making Saturday’s game imperative for the Claret-and-Cobalt’s hopes in the league and conference tables.
Saturday’s match will be RSL’s third and final meeting against FC Dallas this year. The Claret-and-Cobalt is 1-1-0 against the Texas side in 2013, losing 2-0 in Frisco on March 23 before beating FCD 3-0 at FC Dallas Stadium – now Toyota Stadium – on July 13 for the club’s first-ever win in Texas.
Real Salt Lake MF Javier Morales has had great success against the Texas side, notching three goals and 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.
Since the last meeting between the sides on July 13, FC Dallas has gone 2-5-3 in MLS play and comes to Rio Tinto Stadium Saturday riding a three-game losing streak. The Hoops lost to the Colorado Rapids 2-1 on Sept. 14 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park and lost 1-0 at New York on Sept. 22. Their last game on Sept. 29 at FC Dallas Stadium resulted in a high scoring 4-2 loss to the Columbus Crew.
FC Dallas is currently in eighth-place in the Western Conference, trailing fifth-place Colorado by five points. FCD will likely need to win at least three of its final four regular season games to have a chance to make the playoffs.
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.
Real Salt Lake will go on a long layoff following Saturday’s game, taking next weekend off before returning to action on Saturday, Oct. 19 with a road game against Portland Timbers at JELD-WEN Field. The game comes after a two-week FIFA window which will feature the final two CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers on Oct. 11 and 15.
How to Follow Real Salt Lake v. FC Dallas
- Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. MT at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah
- TV: CW30
- English Radio: ESPN 700 AM (Pregame begins at 6:00 p.m. MT)
- Spanish Radio: La Gran D 102.3 FM & Juan 1600 AM
- Online: The @RealSaltLake Twitter Feed will provide live match updates
Game Guide for Saturday’s RSL-FCD Match Now Available Online
Click here to download the PDF version of the MLS Game Guide for Saturday’s RSL-FCD matchup
RSL History v. FC Dallas
RSL has an up-and-down history against FC Dallas, posting a 9-13-3 career record in MLS play against the Hoops. The Claret-and-Cobalt has been relatively successful against the Texas side at home, posting an 8-4-1 career record against FCD in the Beehive State.
