In a physical game that saw 9 yellow cards, there was no shortage of frustrations. This game also proved that having a strong defense is the difference maker. Despite Real Salt Lake having more possessional time on the ball as well as having taken more shots, the FC Dallas defense held its own and shut out Real Salt Lake to a 1-0 win.

Real Salt Lake started the game very strongly, hoping to get the first goal of the game inside Rio Tinto Stadium. In the sixth minute, Jefferson Savarino nearly got his shot to go in when he got a cross from Andrew Brody from the left side, but the shot went wide right. After a few shots were taken by both teams and Real Salt Lake got sloppy with the ball, FC Dallas came away with the first goal of the game in the 14th minute. This goal was off of a turnover when Paul Arriola took the ball from Justin Meram after a throw-in from Real Salt Lake. Arriola then passed the ball to Paxton Pomykai with Jesús Ferreira acting as a “dummy”. Pomykai then passed the ball to Ferreira as he passed two defenders for the goal. The first yellow card was shown in the 22nd minute to DC United’s Alan Velasco for a dangerous slide tackle. Real Salt Lake came dangerously close to having the game tied in the 31st minute when Salvarino caught a cross from Aaron Herrera for a header, but the defender had him all covered and got just enough of the ball to kick it out of play. Frustrations continue to rise when Pablo Ruiz is suspended for the next game for Real Salt Lake for yellow card accumulation. Maarten Paes made a spectacular save in the final seconds of the first half for FC Dallas. Andrew Brody received a cross from Herrera for a corner header, but Paes had that corner completely covered. 

FC Dallas continued to put on the defensive pressure on Real Salt Lake, resulting in turnovers. One of those turnovers occurred in the 62nd minute when Velasco intercepted the ball after Salvarino couldn't control it. At the last minute, Velasco, with the ball, almost had an easy pathway to the goal, but he was surrounded by RSL players, so instead, he passed the ball to Jesús Ferreira, who had an easy look until the last minute when his shot was blocked. Three more yellow cards would be given in the 85th/86th minute to Jasper Löeffelsend and Justin Meram for RSL and Jáder Obrian for FC Dallas after an altercation in the middle of the field after Meram went down after a tripping foul from Obrian. Jesús Ferreira was shown a yellow in the 87th minute after he refused to get back ten feet for an RSL free kick, resulting in delaying the game. The last three yellow cards occurred in the last couple of minutes, one for RSL and two for FC Dallas.

[Photography by ICONIC photographer Abram Iman]

Written by Wes Shepherd