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SANDY - Real Salt Lake will face MLS opponent FC Dallas two games in a row in just four days this coming weekend and early next week - and both games are crucial.
Saturday's meeting between the two is a MLS regular season match to be hosted by RSL at Rio Tinto while the July 12 meeting is a U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinal Round match which will be played in Dallas, and a win can get RSL even closer to their CONCACAF dreams.
Saturday's match will be the second meeting between the two teams this season and RSL is looking for an even better result than the last meeting, which ended in a 0-0 draw after an hour and 52 minute rain-delay that postponed the game in the 83rd minute on May 22.
Sitting just behind the LA Galaxy, FC Dallas is in the second slot in the MLS Western Conference while RSL sits in fourth.
FC Dallas has been extra hot as of late as they have won four of their last five MLS matches, with three consecutive wins putting them 10-4-4 on the season. FC Dallas also added another win in their U.S. Open Cup match last week
RSL has began to come out of their cold spell and have finished in a draw four out of their last five MLS matches with only one MLS match win, but did also pull away a win in their June 28 U.S. Open Cup match against the Wilmington Hammerheads. RSL currently sits 7-3-6 on the season in MLS matches.
Going to Dallas to play a U.S. Open Cup match wouldn't be their first choice, but RSL will have to go and bring back a good result in order to keep following their 2012-13 CONCACAF dreams.
If they pull away with a win on July 12 in Dallas, RSL will move onto the U.S. Open Cup Semifinals and will play next on Aug. 30, which they would host, as reported by the U.S. Open Cup on Thursday. The final will be held October 4.
RSL should have a pretty solid line-up for both meetings baring some nagging injuries. As of July 1, RSL still had a handful of players listed on the MLS Injury Report going into their Independence Day match against New England.
Forwards Arturo Alvarez and Paulo Jr. were both listed as doubtful and both listed with hamstring strains, Alvarez's right and Paulo Jr.'s left. Alvarez hasn't seen any minutes since returning from International Duty.
Forward Fabian Espindola was listed as questionable with a left hamstring strain along with defender Chris Wingert and a right hamstring strain, but Espindola saw 27 minutes of action and scored the third goal for RSL in their game against New England.
Forward Alvaro Saborio was also listed on the injury report with right knee swelling, but played the full 90 against New England and also put one in the back of the net.
Saturday's match with FC Dallas is set for 7:00 p.m. at Rio Tinto.
