Real Salt Lake v FC Dallas: Mastroeni says hosts must go 'into the fire'

Pablo Mastroeni believes the best way for his Real Salt Lake side to improve is by "going into the fire" as the playoff battle heats up ahead of Wednesday's clash with FC Dallas.

Real Salt Lake have been among the Western Conference pacesetters all season, but they have lost two of their three games since returning from the Leagues Cup break, including a 4-1 defeat to the Houston Dynamo on Saturday.

They remain fourth in the West but just three points separate them from Houston in seventh, while their cushion to the wild-card spots stands at seven points.

"There are things we're working out, and it's one thing doing it in practice and another doing it when there are so many variables on the line," Mastroeni said this week.

"The only way we build real cohesion is by just going into the fire, playing these games, then going back to review them.

"With time, you expect that the guys will get a really clear understanding. You can make changes on gameday, you can tweak, but also you have to affect games with mentality.

"It's about mindset. I would rather make errors of effort than errors of overthinking."

Dallas are currently one place, but five points, outside the playoff picture, with a tough stretch seeing them face Los Angeles FC and Orlando City after their visit to RSL.

Interim boss Peter Luccin, though, feels the identity of their opponents is not important, saying: "Right now, for us playing versus a team in the top five or the top 10 is the same thing... the only thing we have to do is win.

"If we want to fight for the playoffs, which is the least the club deserves, we have to do that. One thing is for sure, we will fight until the end."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Real Salt Lake – Cristian Arango 

Arango has scored six goals in 407 minutes over five career regular-season matches against Dallas. 

His rate of 1.33 goals per 90 minutes in those games is the highest of any player that has played at least 300 minutes against Dallas in MLS history.

FC Dallas – Jesus Ferreira 

Ferreira has scored seven times in 10 regular-season meetings with Real Salt Lake, more than he's scored against any other opponent in his MLS career. 

The Dallas forward has also scored in four of his five matches at America First Field, including the last three in a row.

MATCH PREDICTION – REAL SALT LAKE WIN

Dallas have won at Real Salt Lake in each of the last two seasons, their first consecutive wins at RSL in regular-season play. Only two teams have won on three straight regular-season trips to Utah (LAFC – four straight from 2020-23, Portland – three straight from 2014-15).

They are also unbeaten in three straight regular-season away matches (one win, two draws). Dallas had lost eight of their first 11 away from home (three draws) in 2024.

They face a daunting task on Wednesday, though, against a Real Salt Lake side with 10 home wins already this season, reaching that mark for the first time since 2019 (13 home wins). 

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Real Salt Lake – 52.4%

FC Dallas – 23.3%

Draw – 24.3%