SANDY, Utah – Luciano Acosta delivered a crucial goal in first-half stoppage time, propelling FC Dallas to a 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake in a hard-fought Western Conference matchup on Saturday night.
Dallas Capitalizes After Early RSL Red Card
Real Salt Lake (2-3-0, 6 points) found itself at a disadvantage early in the match when Ariath Piol received a red card in the 23rd minute, forcing the home side to play with 10 men for the remainder of the game.
FC Dallas (2-2-1, 7 points) quickly ramped up its attack following the ejection. Patrickson Delgado nearly put Dallas on the scoreboard in the 26th minute, but his shot struck the left post. Minutes later, Sebastian Lletget tested RSL goalkeeper Rafael Cabral, who came up with a key save to keep the game level.
Cabral continued his stellar performance, denying a penalty kick from Acosta in the 34th minute after a foul in the box by Brayan Vera.
Acosta Breaks the Deadlock
The breakthrough finally came deep into first-half stoppage time when Shaq Moore delivered a cross that took a slight deflection. Acosta, positioned at the far post, met the ball with a precise header, sending it past Cabral and into the net to give Dallas a 1-0 lead heading into halftime.
Dallas Holds Firm as RSL Presses for an Equalizer
Real Salt Lake pushed for a comeback in the second half, with Lachlan Brook narrowly missing an opportunity in the 72nd minute as his shot sailed over the crossbar.
Dallas had chances to extend its lead but failed to capitalize. Marco Farfan hit the crossbar in the 73rd minute, while Lletget and Tsiki Ntsabeleng forced saves from Cabral in quick succession.
RSL’s Braian Ojeda made two late attempts from distance in the 86th and 89th minutes, but Dallas goalkeeper Michael Collodi, making his first career start, was up to the challenge, securing a clean sheet with two saves.
What’s Next
Real Salt Lake will look to bounce back when they travel to face Minnesota United on March 29. Meanwhile, FC Dallas continues its strong road form as they aim to build on their early-season success .
