• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Real Salt Lake-FC Dallas Preview

Sep 25, 2009 - 9:06 PM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Real Salt Lake (9-10-7) at FC Dallas (7-12-6), 8:30 p.m. EDT

FC Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman is pleased his team leads the league in goals scored, but he'd be far more satisfied if it wasn't giving up the most.

Dallas looks to improve to 7-0-0 all-time at home against Real Salt Lake on Saturday night when the Western Conference foes square off.

After taking a 2-1 lead over Kansas City on Jeff Cunningham's second-half goal last Saturday, Dallas (7-12-6) allowed two scores in the final 13 minutes and lost 3-2.

FC Dallas, which leads MLS with 41 goals, is averaging 3.0 in its last four matches. Hyndman's club, though, is 1-2-1 during this stretch.

"The difficult part for us is to recognize that we've scored more goals than anyone in the league, but we're tied for last (with New York) by giving up 43," he told Dallas' official Web site. "You can't say we're not a good team or a decent team. We lead the league in goals but we also give up the goals."

FC Dallas has a league-worst 5-3-2 record when leading at the half. One of those defeats came in Salt Lake on July 24, when Dallas led 2-0 at halftime but lost 4-2.

RSL, however, has lost all six games it has played in Dallas, including a 2-1 defeat in its last match at Pizza Hut Park on May 24, 2008.

Salt Lake's comeback win in the only meeting this season consisted of Yura Movsisyan getting two goals, Robbie Findley scoring on a penalty kick and Dallas midfielder Daniel Torres having an own goal.

RSL (9-10-7) nearly made another remarkable comeback in its last match - Saturday's 3-2 loss at Houston.

Salt Lake trailed the West-leading Dynamo 2-0 after five minutes and was a man down after the 32nd minute when defender Jamison Olave was sent off with a red card. RSL made it 2-all in the 60th minute on Movsisyan's seventh goal of the season but allowed a goal in the 81st minute, snapping its three-match unbeaten streak.

"We came into a tough place to play against one of the best teams in the league, and you always want to get a point, but I think it shows a lot of character what we did tonight, and it gives us some confidence heading into our next couple games," said Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando. "Obviously, we wanted at least a point and three points would have been great, but we have four games left. That leaves 12 points for us to get."

RSL trails Chivas USA by three points for fifth in the West but is 2-9-2 on the road this season.

Dallas is 5-0-1 in its last five home games.

Cunningham, who had an assist and missed a second-half penalty kick against RSL on July 24, has 12 goals and four assists in his last 10 games.

Playing for RSL from 2006-07, Cunningham had 18 goals. He led MLS with 16 in 2006.