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Salt Lake eyes revenge against FCD

Sep 5, 2014 - 7:34 PM Sandy, UT (SportsNetwork.com) - A pair of Western Conference contenders collide at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday as FC Dallas visits Real Salt Lake with the two sides separated by one point.

It was just two weeks ago that Dallas managed to earn a 2-1 win over RSL despite playing the second half with 10 men, and the result did not sit well with Salt Lake head coach Jeff Cassar.

The boss was disappointed with his team's performance in the defeat, and he knows that he, along with the rest of his side, is anxious to collect three points on Saturday.

"This one I want," Cassar said in reference to Saturday's match. "I think our whole team wants it. I think our whole club wants it. It's not a must-win or anything, but we want this one."

The defeat to Dallas snapped RSL's three-match winning streak and was followed by a 1-1 draw with San Jose last time out.

RSL fell behind after 14 minutes to a goal from Sam Cronin, but was able to pull it back in the 36th when Javier Morales converted a penalty kick.

Salt Lake sits eight points back of conference leaders Seattle, but with eight games remaining, defender Nat Borchers is hoping that some good results at home down the stretch can lead to a strong push to close out the season.

"We've got eight games left and I think home games are going to be really important down the stretch," Borchers said after his team's 1-1 draw with the Earthquakes. "If we want to make a run at the Supporters' Shield, it starts next weekend."

Dallas used a 10-game unbeaten streak to surge up the Western Conference standings and into the top four, but the is coming off a 1-0 defeat to Chicago in its last outing.

The Fire had managed to win just four times in 24 games prior to the contest, but a goal from Chicago's Robert Earnshaw in the 83rd minute was the difference.

That result leaves Dallas hungry to return to the win column against RSL, a team that FCD has already taken four of a possible six points from this season.

And Salt Lake will also be without the services of leading scorer Joao Plata as well as defender Carlos Slacedo because of international duty, while Dallas forward Blas Perez will miss the match as well as he represents Panama.