RSL draws Dallas 1-1 in season opener

Real Salt Lake earned a point at Toyota Stadium as the game against FC Dallas ended in a 1-1 draw. While RSL held the lead for most of the game, Dallas was able to find a way to pull one back late in the match to steal a point at home.

Salt Lake came out with some fire right out of gate, showing some real attacking prowess and going toe-to-toe with FC Dallas.

Although Dallas would outshoot RSL in the first half, it didn’t take too terribly long for the deadlock to be broken.

RSL opened the scoring in the 26th minute when Albert Rusnak sent a ball into Joao Plata who was making a run toward goal. Plata was able to cut to his right foot and rip a shot to the near post that slid right past Dallas ‘keeper Jesse Gonzalez to put the visitors up 1-0.

Dallas had a golden opportunity in the 39th minute when Maxi Urruti received a ball near the post. He slid a shot in right between Shawn Barry’s legs, but Rimando was able to get a hand on it to send it back out into the mid. Mauro Diaz collected it but sent his shot off the crossbar and out of bounds for a goal kick.

While RSL held onto the lead for the majority of the game, a defensive mistake saw an equalizer in the 86th minute in the form of an own goal off of center back Marcelo Silva. In the midst of an onslaught of attack while RSL was hunkering down, Urruti sent a ball past Justen Glad across the goal that was on its way to a waiting Cristian Colman, but Silva intervened and accidentally deflected the ball into the net instead of clearing it.

RSL was unable to grab another goal back and the game ended 1-1, each team gnabbing a point to start the season.

Dallas outshot the visitors 19-9 overall, but RSL looked promising in their first outing, showing a lot of open play and creative attacking movement.

RSL returns home to face expansion side LAFC in their first home game of the season next week at Rio Tinto Stadium.