SANDY, Utah (Saturday, October 17, 2015) –Real Salt Lake’s streak of seven straight postseason appearances came to an end on Saturday in front of a crowd of 19,899 at Rio Tinto Stadium, as a 1-0 defeat against FC Dallas ensured that the Claret-and-Cobalt could not garner enough points to secure a playoff berth.
Salt Lake was the only club to reach the playoffs in each of the previous seven seasons, but on Saturday night RSL couldn’t get the best of the league’s top team in the Supporters’ Shield standings. Despite holding 66% of the match’s possession and outshooting Dallas 19-9, RSL could not find the score sheet and a second-half goal from David Texeira proved to be the difference.
RSL dominated the play through the first half and had several opportunities to crack the scoresheet.
In the 31st minute, RSL nearly took the lead on a crafty free kick from MF Javier Morales. After FW Juan Manuel Martinez was fouled on the right edge of the box, Morales played the ensuing free kick toward the far post, where MF Kyle Beckerman charged in for a header that missed just over the crossbar and the match remained scoreless.
RSL got out on the break a minute later, countering a Dallas free kick as GK Jeff Attinella sprung Martinez up the left side. He carried it into the box before firing a shot at Jesse Gonzalez, but the Dallas goalkeeper made the 32nd-minute save.
Martinez got another opportunity in the 36th minute as RSL continued its barrage on the Dallas goal. After Dallas struggled to clear the ball out of its own end, Martinez picked the ball off and took a couple touches before shooting toward the far post. Gonzalez reached behind his body to get to the shot destined for the side netting and swiped it away for the save.
At the end of the first half, RSL outshot Dallas 12-3, putting four shots on goal while holding over 70% of the possession. However, the match remained knotted at 0-0.
Things continued to tilt Salt Lake’s way without reward to start the second half, yet Dallas got on the scoreboard first in the 57th minute.
Mauro Diaz played a tremendous ball in behind the Salt Lake defense to David Texeira and the Dallas forward put his left-footed, first-time shot past the onrushing Attinella for his sixth goal of the season and a 1-0 lead for FC Dallas.
RSL continued to press for the equalizer and nearly found it in the 89th minute when FW Olmes Garcia got on the end of a free kick, but his header among a scrum in the box went over the crossbar. A pair of late corner kicks would give Salt Lake more chances to even the score, but the tying goal would never come.
The defeat in the regular season home finale was the fourth home loss of the season, all by 1-0 score lines.
RSL will host Municipal in the final Group Stage match in CONCACAF Champions League on Tuesday at Rio Tinto Stadium before finishing the 2015 MLS regular season on the road against Seattle Sounders FC on October 25.
GAME NOTES – RSLvFCD
- With his start on Saturday, MF Kyle Beckerman surpassed Steve Ralston as the all-time MLS leader in games played by a field player with 379 regular season appearances. However, he will not reach 380 this year as his 53rd-minute yellow card on Saturday earned him a one-match suspension on yellow-card accumulation. It was his ninth caution of the season.
- DF Jamison Olave was unavailable on Saturday after a red card ejection on Wednesday against the Porltand Timbers.
REAL SALT LAKE 0-1 FC DALLAS
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2015
RIO TINTO STADIUM
Goals by Period 1 2 F
Real Salt Lake 0 0 0
FC Dallas 0 1 1
Scoring Summary:
FCD: David Texeira (Mauro Diaz) 57’
Misconduct Summary:
RSL – Tony Beltran (Yellow; Foul) 26’
RSL – Kyle Beckerman (Yellow; Foul) 53’
RSL – Elias Vasquez (Yellow; Foul) 60’
RSL – Juan Manuel Martinez (Yellow; Foul) 63’
FCD – Je-Vaughn Watson (Yellow; Foul) 66’
RSL – John Stertzer (Yellow; Foul) 85’
RSL – Jesse Gonzalez (Yellow; Delaying a Restart) 95+’
Lineups:
Real Salt Lake (4-3-3): Jeff Attinella; Tony Beltran, Aaron Maund, Elias Vasquez, Demar Phillips; Kyle Beckerman, John Stertzer (Luis Gil 86’), Javier Morales; Juan Manuel Martinez, Devon Sandoval (Olmes Garcia 78’), Luis Silva (Jordan Allen 63’).
Substitutes not used: Lalo Fernandez, Abdoulie Mansally, Justen Glad, Pecka.
FC Dallas (4-4-2): Jesse Gonzalez; Ryan Hollingshead, Matt Hedges, Walker Zimmerman, Je-Vaughn Watson; Fabian Castillo (Atiba Harris 87’), Victor Ulloa, Ezequiel Cirigliano, Michael Barrios; Mauro Diaz (Michel 88’), David Texeira (Blas Perez 73’).
Substitutes not used: Dan Kennedy, Tesho Akindele, Coy Craft, Moises Hernandez.
Referee: Jorge Gonzalez
Assistant Referees: Jeremy Hanson, TJ Zablocki
Fourth Official: Baboucarr Jallow
Attendance: 19,899
Weather: Cloudy and 65 degrees
