FC Dallas’ Late Comeback Attempt Against Real Salt Lake Falls Short

Late Surge Not Enough as FCD Drops Heartbreaker

FC Dallas' late comeback attempt against Real Salt Lake fell just short on Saturday night, as the visitors held on for a 2-1 victory at Toyota Stadium. Despite trailing for more than 70 minutes, Dallas nearly salvaged a point thanks to a 90th-minute goal from substitute Alan Velasco. However, it proved to be too little, too late, as RSL held on to secure all three points.

First Half Dominated by RSL

Real Salt Lake controlled much of the possession and chances in the first half, and it was no surprise when they took the lead in the 25th minute. A well-worked move down the right flank ended with Justin Meram crossing for Sergio Córdova, who finished from close range.

FCD Struggles to Find Rhythm

FC Dallas struggled to create chances in the opening 45 minutes, with their only real opportunity coming from a Tesho Akindele header that went just wide. The home side improved slightly after the break, but they were still second best to a well-organized RSL team.

Late Drama

The game came to life in the final 15 minutes. RSL doubled their lead in the 76th minute when Damir Kreilach finished off a counterattack, but Dallas refused to give up. Velasco pulled one back four minutes later, and the home crowd sensed a comeback was on.

Missed Opportunity

FCD threw everything forward in the closing stages, but they were unable to find an equalizer. Velasco had a great chance to level the scores in the 94th minute, but he fired wide from inside the area. The result leaves Dallas with just one win from their last five games and sees them drop to ninth in the Western Conference.

Post-Match Reaction

FC Dallas head coach Nico Estevez was disappointed with the result but praised his team's fighting spirit. "We showed great character to come back from a goal down, but ultimately we weren't clinical enough in front of goal," he said. "We need to learn from this and improve in our next game."

Real Salt Lake head coach Pablo Mastroeni was delighted with his team's performance. "We defended well and took our chances when they came," he said. "It's a big win for us, and we're now looking forward to our next game at home.