FC DALLAS vs REAL SALT LAKE
FC DALLAS STADIUM, Frisco, Texas
April 25, 2012 (WEEK 8, MLS Game #64)
8:30 p.m. ET (FS-SW+; KUCW-30)
A key game for Western Conference placing is ahead at midweek, as Real Salt Lake look to put their Texas hoodoo behind them when they visit FC Dallas on Wednesday night. Real have never won in the Lone Star State in 17 league games all-time, and come after a second consecutive loss this year, a 3-1 defeat by San Jose last weekend. FC Dallas saw their two-game winning streak ended on the road last weekend in a 1-0 loss to Vancouver.
REFEREE: Geoff Gamble. SAR (bench): Joe Fletcher; JAR (opposite): Philippe Briere; 4th: Drew Fischer
MLS Career: 10 games; FC/gm: 22.0; Y/gm: 3.3; R: 2; pens: 8
DOWNLOAD FULL GAME GUIDE (PDF)
INJURY REPORT:
- FC DALLAS - OUT: MF David Ferreira (R foot surgery); MF Ricardo Villar (R foot strain); MF Andrew Wiedeman (sports hernia repair); QUESTIONABLE: MF Andrew Jacobson (R hamstring strain)
- REAL SALT LAKE - OUT: MF Nico Muniz (R knee MCL sprain); QUESTIONABLE: FW Cody Arnoux (L adductor strain); MF Ned Grabavoy (L rib cage dislocation); MF Javier Morales (R hamstring strain)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: DAL: Blas Perez (through April 25); RSL: Fabian Espindola (through April 25); Jamison Olave (through April 25)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: RSL: Kyle Beckerman
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (20 meetings): FC Dallas 11 wins, 30 goals ... Real 7 wins, 26 goals ... Ties 2
AT FC DALLAS (9 meetings): FC Dallas 8 wins, 18 goals ... Real 0 wins, 5 goals ... Ties 1
RETURN MATCHES: 5/26: Real Salt Lake vs. FC Dallas, 7 p.m. MT; 8/18: Real Salt Lake vs. FC Dallas, 7 p.m. MT
LAST YEAR (MLS):
5/22: DAL 0, RSL 0
7/9: RSL 2, DAL 0 (Williams 47; Espindola 90)
- Real Salt Lake have never won in Dallas. FCD is 8-0-1 all-time in league games between the clubs, and have also won a game in the MLS Cup Playoffs (in 2010) and a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal (last year).
- FC Dallas have not won in Utah since 2007. Real have won the last five meetings between the teams at home, including both meetings all-time at Rio Tinto Stadium.
- Coaches record: Schellas Hyndman vs. RSL: P7 W2 L4 D1 ... Jason Kreis vs. SJ: P11 W5 L5 D1
FC DALLAS
FC Dallas saw their two-game winning streak put to an end, going down to a 1-0 defeat by Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday evening at BC Place. FCD is tied for fourth place in the Western Conference with 10 points from 7 matches.
HIGHLIGHTS: FCD's win streak broken in Vancouver
LAST MATCH
- The game's only goal came 11 minutes in. In his return to the first XI from injury, Camilo took the ball on the right and cut inside before powering the ball a low left-footed drive into the bottom left corner.
- FC Dallas goalkeeper Chris Seitz, deputizing between the posts as starting goalkeeper Kevin Hartman had to be withdrawn from the starting lineup due to back spasms, made one save. Whitecaps FC goalkeeper Joe Cannon made five saves for the shutout.
- FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman made three changes to the team that took a 2-1 win against the MontrÈal Impact at FC Dallas Stadium. Chris Seitz came in between the posts for Kevin Hartman, and Bruno Guarda and Bobby Warshaw entered the side in place of Hernan Pertuz and Andrew Jacobson.
- FC DALLAS (4-1-4-1): Chris Seitz - Zach Loyd, George John, Ugo Ihemelu, Carlos Rodriguez - Daniel Hernandez - Fabian Castillo, Bruno Guarda (Scott Sealy 72), Bobby Warshaw (Matt Hedges 90), Brek Shea - Blas Perez.
TEAM NEWS
Player Profile: FCD's Favorite Soccer Players
- FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman was forced into a change just after warmups, when first-choice goalkeeper Kevin Hartman could not start because of back spasms.
- Bruno Guarda and Bobby Warshaw also made their first starts of the season, coming into the midfield.
- "Unfortunately for us our 'keeper came up with back spasms, so we had to make a goaltending change that we weren't prepared to make. Also we started two guys that basically didn't start all year," Hyndman said. "The result is the result, what we're really pleased with is how much we got out of our guys."
- For Seitz, it was just his second appearance for FC Dallas since being obtained by the club from Philadelphia before last season. Seitz made only one appearance for FCD a year ago - playing the season finale, a 4-2 loss at San Jose.
- "I felt comfortable going in," Seitz said. "Obviously, you never want to see somebody get injured, but I was definitely ready for the opportunity. "
- Once again, Hyndman set out his club with Brek Shea and Fabian Castillo wide on the flanks, with the two changing sides during the match.
- "One of the things we talked about pregame was isolate one-versus-one on the flanks and run at people. Castillo was doing that, Brek was doing that - we felt with the surface and the slipping and the amount of goals that Vancouver has given up the last couple games that they may be a little suspect or getting beat or given fouls in the box," Hyndman said. "I thought Brek did that, and Castillo did that, and the shots were there and once again Joe Cannon did a good job."
- After the loss at Vancouver, FC Dallas is 0-3-0 away from Frisco - one of just two teams still without a point on the road this year (along with Toronto FC, 0-2-0).
- "It's disappointing losing on the road, but we have to bounce back. We have a game on Wednesday," Seitz said. "We just have to get our legs underneath us. We have to keep on grinding, and if we do all the right things, we are going to get goals, and we are going to get wins."
- On Tuesday, striker Blas Perez was handed a one-game suspension by the MLS Disciplinary Committee for "endangering the safety of an opponent" for an elbow on Vancouver's Jordan Harvey over the weekend.
REAL SALT LAKE
Real Salt Lake lost for a second game in a row, falling 3-1 to the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday evening at Buck Shaw Stadium. Real are now in second place in the Western Conference with 15 points from 8 games.
HIGHLIGHTS: RSL lose a wild one in San Jose
LAST MATCH
- Real went a man down just 29 minutes into the match, when Fabian Espindola was sent off for a two-footed, studs-up challenge on San Jose midfielder Sam Cronin.
- The Quakes were then able to take advantage in first-half stoppage time. Khari Stephenson snuck a header past RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando for his first goal of the season, rising to meet a curling cross from fullback Steven Beitashour.
- The visitors drew even in the 53rd minute. Kyle Beckerman ignited the buildup, creating a turnover in midfield and quickly getting the ball back via Jonny Steele's cutting pass off the left wing. Beckerman ran onto it after a dummy, and then maneuvered past two San Jose defenders before rolling home from 14 yards out.
- RSL went another man down in the 69th minute when Jamison Olave was ejected by referee Elias Bazakos after taking down Quakes forward Steven Lenhart at the edge of the area.
- It took the home side until the 90 minutes were complete to take advantage, but they finally did with two goals in a minute. Two minutes into stoppage time, Simon Dawkins sent home a diving header off a right-wing cross from Beitashour, then Chris Wondolowski scored his league-leading eighth goal off a short chip from Stephenson inside Real Salt Lake's penalty area.
- RSL head coach Jason Kreis made two changes to the team that lost 1-0 to Sporting Kansas City at Livestrong Sporting Park. Jonny Steele and Javier Morales came into the midfield for Sebastian Velasquez and Luis Gil.
- REAL SALT LAKE (4-3-1-2): Nick Rimando - Tony Beltran (Paulo Junior 93+), Jamison Olave (sent off 69), Nat Borchers, Chris Wingert - Will Johnson, Kyle Beckerman, Jonny Steele (Luis Gil 60) - Javier Morales (Chris Schuler 77) - Fabian Espindola (sent off 29), Alvaro Saborio.
TEAM NEWS
Power 5: PK Stoppers, #1 Nick Rimando
- Real Salt Lake saw two players sent off in the same game for the first time in club history, in 226 league games (and 276 contests in all competitions).
- "We fought back from an extremely difficult circumstance - a man down, a goal down," RSL head coach Jason Kreis said. "You go two men down and fight, fight, fight and come really close [to getting a result], so let's try to look at the positives."
- Not only has RSL never won at FC Dallas, the club has never won in Texas, holding an 0-7-1 league record all-time at Houston.
- "We just have to move on," defender Chris Wingert said to The Salt Lake Tribune. "Three tough ones on the road, but we knew that coming in. ... You can't think about the two losses or the wins before that or anything else. It's just one game on Wednesday."
- All three San Jose goals were scored on headers from crosses (one on a short corner). A year, RSL allowed just five headed goals all season - tied for fewest in MLS. They have allowed just five goals from headers in each of the last three seasons.
- "We came in here trying to play our game, but it's a very small field. When they pressure, it's two passes and a chance at goal. Sometimes you have to pump the ball forward and make it an ugly game," said goalkeeper Nick Rimando. "In the first half I don't think we did that and got ourselves in trouble a few times."
- Javier Morales made just his second start of the season and his first since March 31, missing the last two matches with a hamstring strain.
- Jonny Steele made his second MLS start and recorded his first assist, setting up Kyle Beckerman's equalizing goal.
- Fabian Espindola had been ever-present for RSL and leads the club with three goals, but will be suspended for Wednesday's match. Jamison Olave had played every minute of every game before he was sent off; his central defense partner, Nat Borchers, missed four of the first five games.
- "We have a lot of ideas," Kreis told the Tribune. "We're in a good place now, because a lot of our guys have played lots of minutes. So I don't think that we're going to have much of an issue there."
