FC Dallas take advantage of red card and beat Real Salt Lake on the road | OneFootball

FC Dallas scored three more points in Utah than they could ever have hoped. They took solace with them. FC Dallas had been down all season before Saturday, and by defeating Real Salt Lake 1–0 at America First Field, the team finally attained its first win of the season. But there is so much more to that narrow score. There was VAR, a missed penalty, a red card, key absentees, emotional discipline and right in the middle of all this, a familiar face: Lucho Acosta.

Lucho Acosta does what he does best

The goal came at a turning point. Stoppage time in the first half was already up when Acosta had slid past the back line and hit the ball with determination. A shrewd header, hit low, with no expectation of the keeper. It was the perfect way of capitalizing on the man Dallas had had since the 20th minute. The menacing Ari Piol's tackle had reversed the course of the game, and that was something his team had to capitalize on. Acosta made it pay.

It doesn't happen to you often to see the No. 10 scoring a game with his head. It's not part of his usual playbook. But with time and space, any ball is a threat. The VAR verification confirmed the goal. Dallas entered halftime leading and from there played smart, even not creating too many big opportunities.

Halftime leads and domination in Utah

With the result, Dallas extended a streak that helps explain their approach after scoring first. Since May 2022, they’ve gone 22 MLS matches unbeaten when leading at halftime — 16 wins, 6 draws. That’s the kind of stat that may not win games alone, but it speaks volumes.

And there's more. Real Salt Lake is a side Dallas knows how to conquer. Dallas has won three of their previous five visits to Utah, including this one in 2025. No other MLS side has won more at RSL over the last 20 years. That's ten road wins in Salt Lake. That's no coincidence.

RSL short-handed, on edge, and under pressure

The host team didn't make it simple, however. And the problems started even before the kickoff. Pablo Mastroeni was compelled to reshuffle his lineup owing to international duty call-ups to Diego Luna and Dominik Marczuk. Captain Emeka Eneli was also out because of back spasms. Without their key playmakers, RSL was forced to use temporary fixes that weren't quite successful.

It only went downhill from there, with Piol's early exit. The forward left his studs in on a tackle and, after a VAR ruling, was given a straight red. Being down a man for 70 minutes makes any game plan go out the window, and RSL learned that.

Even though the setback occurred, there was an opening for the team to get ahead. In the 33rd minute, Brayan Vera conceded a penalty, but Rafael Cabral kept out Acosta on the penalty. The Brazilian goalkeeper was the man of the hour on the night, making five saves and earning the clean sheet. For a time, it appeared as if that missed penalty would indeed come back to haunt FC Dallas. But there is a timing in soccer, and Acosta would finally get his opportunity to correct the mistake.