Real Salt Lake, FC Dallas play to scoreless draw

Real Salt Lake dominated all aspects of the game except the scoreboard and had to settle for a scoreless draw with visiting FC Dallas on Saturday night in a key Western Conference match in Sandy, Utah.

Andrew Putna stopped two shots to record his fourth shutout of the year for RSL while Jimmy Maurer turned aside three shots, all in the first half, to complete his fifth clean sheet of the season.

Both teams had excellent chances to score in the first 45 minutes but neither could find the net.

RSL's Douglas Martinez hit the left post with a right-footed shot in the eighth minute after a crossing pass from Aaron Herrera before FC Dallas' Matheus Bressanelli hit the crossbar 10 minutes later. Real Salt Lake's Pablo Ruiz also hit the crossbar with a left-footed shot from well outside the penalty area in the 34th minute.

Real Salt Lake (5-7-7, 22 points) racked up a whopping 18-2 edge in shots in the first half, with three of those on goal, forcing Maurer into three saves.

FC Dallas picked up the intensity in the second half but the RSL defense was up to the task; the home side had the best scoring chance in the final 45 minutes, when Damir Kreilach banged a shot off the right post in the 77th minute.

Dallas' Michael Barrios forced Putna into his second save of the match in the 85th minute with a blistering shot, but that was as close as the visitors would come to scoring.

FC Dallas (6-5-7, 25 points) has won just once on the road this season -- 1-4-3 away -- and is now scoreless in its past four games away from home, three of those losses. Dallas has four games remaining on its regular-season schedule, with two of those on the road.

Saturday's game was the first for RSL after its match scheduled for Oct. 18 against Colorado was postponed due to positive COVID-19 tests in the Rapids' player and staff pool.

--Field Level Media