It was friendly between the two team captains, Real’s goalkeeper Rafa Cabral and Shaq Moore from FC Dallas, before the match, but right from the kick-off, it was clear that this would be a tightly contested and tough game. The intensity was high throughout a half with few chances, and the teams went into the break scoreless.

The second half was just a couple of minutes old when Petra Musa skillfully sent FC Dallas into the lead. The best chance for Real Salt Lake was created by Zavier Gozo, but his shot went wide of the post. Midway through the half, both teams made almost all their substitutions, yet the intensity of the match remained unchanged, as both sides struggled to create significant opportunities. Although Real Salt Lake had the majority of the initiative after the substitutions, it ended with a disallowed goal, and in stoppage time, Anderson Julio secured a 2-0 victory for FC Dallas in the American encounter on Portuguese soil.

Text: Dag Solheim