10-man RSL bested by FC Dallas in 4-2 home loss

An early Dallas goal and an early Real Salt Lake red card set the tone for RSL as they fell 4-2 to the visitors FC Dallas, good for their third loss of the season.

It didn’t take long for Real Salt Lake for to concede: only 45 seconds in, a breakdown in play led to a Carlos Gruezo finish, with the FC Dallas attack scything RSL’s mix-and-match defense.

Things got worse for RSL when Damir Kreilach was shown a red card in the 17th minute, pushing the count to four red cards for the club in the last three games.

Kreilach, who was on the ground, stood up with a quickness and made a motion with his head toward Gruezo. Kreilach claimed that Gruezo stomped on him, but referee Baldomero Toledo only saw a retaliatory headbutt from his angle and showed Kreilach a straight red, sending RSL down to 10 men.

Replays indicated that Kreilach actually didn’t make contact with Gruezo, so it remains to be seen if the decision will be overturned or not by the MLS Disciplinary Committee.

Jefferson Savarino pulled one back for RSL in the 31st minute when Bofo sent a ball in near the top of the box. Sava took a nice touch to clear the defender and let it rip, just beating Dallas ‘keeper Jesse Gonzalez in the lower right corner, equalizing the game for the team down a man.

Before the crowd’s celebratory roar had even died down, Dallas had another one in the net at the other end courtesy of youngster Paxton Pomykal, putting Dallas back up 2-1 just moments after Savarino’s goal.

The second half brought more back and forth, starting with another goal from Pomykal in the 63rd minute which put Dallas up by a score of 3-1. Paxton collected the ball at the top of the box, had time to turn it to his left foot and let one rip that found its way past Rimando in the bottom right corner.

RSL answered pretty quickly just three minutes later as Rusnak sent a corner kick in that found Silva’s head, easily slotting it home past Gonzalez, allowing the home side to keep pace with the visitors at 3-2.

Unfortunately, just another three minutes later saw yet another Dallas goal. Barrios sent a ball in toward the net from wide right, which Jesus Ferreira got a foot to and sent in past Rimando, finalizing the game at a 4-2 score line.

Real Salt Lake travels to Washington next week to face off against Western Conference foes Seattle Sounders.