FRISCO, Texas — Playing a third game in eight days, Real Salt Lake gutted out a 0-0 draw against FC Dallas.
RSL outshot FCD 17-10 and held slightly more possession than the home team despite competing in the Texas heat against a well-rested opponent on Saturday.
RSL was without head coach Mike Petke, who was suspended "pending an investigation into his conduct directed at the match officials following the Leagues Cup match against Tigres UANL on Wednesday night," according to Major League Soccer.
In the end RSL will be happy with the shutout — Nick Rimando's 150th career clean sheet — and the point in the standings. Real remains in seventh place in the Western Conference, two points behind FCD.
"Good game, hats off to the guys," assistant coach Freddy Juarez said. ""It was a good game, hats off to the guys. We deserved the win. No one can say we didn’t deserve it. We created some quality chances against a tough opponent. Their goalkeeper (Jesse Gonzalez) was pretty good tonight and he had a solid performance. It’s just the commitment of the guys to defend as a group and make it hard for the opponents, to follow some of the tactics that we talked about. To come to a place like this and push the game when it needed to be pushed and containing it and controlling the tempo at times was really well. Happy of the guys."
Rimando was busy most of the night catching and punching away crosses, but only recorded two saves. On the other side, Jesse Gonzalez was forced to make five saves.
The most important one came in first-half stoppage time when he acrobatically saved a header by Marcelo Silva. Gonzalez had another big save in the 55th minute when Corey Baird had a free shot from near the penalty spot. Gonzalaz had just pushed a cross to the middle of the penalty area and was scrambling to get back into position when Baird's well-struck shot hit him. Jefferson Saravino had a similar shot six minutes later whistle by the left post, but that was the closest RSL would get to the game-winning goal.
FC Dallas' best chances to score came on two near-penalties — one in the first half and a second that was reviewed by VAR.
Dallas’ Santiago Mosquera had a golden opportunity in the 67th minute, but his chip shot over Rimando was wide right.
RSL now has only given up two goals in the last six league games.
"I think we've been extremely organized," defender Aaron Herrera said. "It starts with the front guys giving us pressure and making it obvious for us in the back. On defense you're always going to have to make plays. Fortunately we were able to do that tonight."
RSL will have a normal week of training before hosting New York City FC on Aug. 3.