It was not a win, but it clearly showed progress as FC Dallas got a shutout in a 0-0 draw against Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday. A makeshift starting lineup, with five changes from the group that started on Wednesday in a loss against the LA Galaxy, found a way to keep RSL off the scoreboard.
“We came out with the mindset of being hard to beat,” said FCD goalkeeper Chris Seitz. “We didn’t get the three points, but we got the clean sheet in a tough place to play.”
Despite the result, FC Dallas is on a troubling run, the draw being their seventh straight without a win. The team found a way to come back from a one goal deficit against Chivas USA at home last Saturday in the only other tie during this poor stretch of results.
But a tie in Utah was definitely considered a good sign, as the Texas club had yet to keep a clean sheet all season despite a very successful start to the year. Even though Real Salt Lake was also missing a number of key starters, including US internationals Nick Rimando and Kyle Beckerman and Costa Rican international Alvaro Saborio, a road tie against a team with the best record in the league was considered a show of ability and something FC Dallas can take confidence from.
“We want credibility in ourselves after the struggles we went through this week,” said head coach Oscar Pareja. “The discipline, the character and the fight the boys showed today just made us feel today we won more than one point.”
It was a physical match at times, so it remains to be seen if the team survived intact after a series of injuries have decimated the side in recent weeks. For FC Dallas, they are hopeful they do not add to the list that includes Mauro Diaz, Kellyn Acosta, Hendry Thomas, George John, Andrew Jacobsen and Michel.
New to the lineup against RSL were defenders Moises Hernandez and Walker Zimmerman, Seitz, forward Blas Perez and midfielder Adam Moffat.
“It was a good performance from everyone,” said defender Matt Hedges about the defensive effort. “No mistakes. We did what we came here to do.”
