Real Salt Lake’s winless skid in MLS play stretched to 6 in 4-3 loss to FC Dallas

SANDY — For a moment, Real Salt Lake seemed on the verge of pulling off a stunner: overturning a two-goal deficit in a win over the first time in over a year.

But in the final moments, the visitors snatched victory from the jaws of a stalemate.

Ran Binyamin cut inside on his right foot following a quick restart in the first minute of second-half stoppage time, and FC Dallas stole all 3 points from Real Salt Lake with a 4-3 win in front of an announced crowd of 20,632 fans Wednesday night at America First Field.

MLS Golden Boot leader Petar Musa scored two goals for Dallas (9-6-5, 33 points), which dropped RSL to eighth place in Major League Soccer’s western conference with an 8-4-7 record.

Diego Luna notched a goal and an assist for Salt Lake, including an equalizer on a header from second-half sub Saba Lobjanidze to rally from a 3-1 halftime deficit.

But that was as close as the hosts could get.

“I think it was a tough first half,” said RSL manager Pablo Mastroeni, noting fatigue played a factor in the club’s fifth game in fifteen days across all competitions.

“When you’re fatigued, I think you start defending space. But only players score goals, and especially a player like Petar Musa,” he added. “The structure was good, but I think in the first three goals of the first half, the ability to move your feet quickly was huge. If you’re lumbering around, you won’t be able to make plays. And I think that’s what got us in the first half.”

First-half struggles plague Real Salt Lake in loss

Real Salt Lake looked to snap a five-match winless skid in MLS play with two changes to the starting lineup from Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Minnesota United. That included the return of designated player Morgan Guilavogui from concussion protocol, and DeAndre Yedlin’s RSL debut at right wing back following Zach Booth’s hamstring injury early in the tie.

But Dallas struck first in the 17th minute, when Ramiro dished backwards a ball toward the top of the penalty box and Joaquin Valiente finished it with his left foot to go up early.

“I think we need to look at the faces of everyone, and realize we are not having the best moments this season,” said RSL forward Sergi Solans, who left fatigued in the final moments after scoring a goal. “We need to correct the mistakes we made in the last games, and try to look forward with a positive mentality.

“Me, particularly, that means working hard … and my job is to keep scoring goals. It’s easy to say, hard to do; but I’m capable of doing it, and I will work hard to do it.”

A high-flying header from Petar Musa makes it 2-0 for @FCDallas 🪽

📺 Apple TV: https://t.co/QRW8Z5lnsw pic.twitter.com/01Du18EnOm

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 20, 2026

Musa doubled the advantage less than three minutes later, rising up to finish a header in the box from Valiente that stretched the Hoops’ lead to 2-0.

Solans pulled one back in the 39th minute, scoring for the fourth consecutive match across all competitions and fifth time in six games in August to pull within one.

The in-form Spaniard was tied with former RSL attacker Corey Baird for the most goals by rookie in club history with eight. With 16 games remaining on his first MLS campaign, Solans has the club goal-scoring record by a rookie, and is just one goal-contribution behind Baird’s MLS-rookie-of-the-year pace in 2018.

But Musa bagged his brace less than seven minutes later to give Dallas a 3-1 halftime advantage.

Real Salt Lake needed a change. Saba Lobjanidze provided it.

Less than five minutes after the Georgian international acquired this season under favorable terms from Atlanta United entered as a halftime sub for Juan Arias, Morgan Guilavogui took a touch from Noel Caliskan in the box and finished his first goal in MLS play since April 18 against San Diego FC.

TO THE MOON 🌙

Diego Luna returns to the scoresheet to bring @realsaltlake level! pic.twitter.com/pZ3EGRqWZo

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 20, 2026

“What goes undervalued at times when you’re looking at game preparation is the energy that someone brings — the contagion a player has on players next to him,” Mastroeni said. “Saba is a guy who gets the ball going forward, and puts guys on their back foot.

“Diego does it, too; Morgan, as well. But the energy is a posture, and it says ‘we’re going to come for you.’ That’s what Saba does.”

Luna set up the sequence, redirecting a pass from Juan Manuel Sanabria into the path a quick-footed Caliskan to pull the hosts within one.

The 22-year-old U.S. international from Sunnyvale, California, did it again a few moments later, with help from another substitution.

One minute after Pablo Ruiz entered as a second-half sub in the 63rd minute, Luna climbed the ladder to meet a header from Lobjanidze to equalize at three goals apiece.

It’s the first goal in MLS play for Luna since May 9 against Dallas, and the third goal contribution — all assists — for Lobjanidze in MLS play since joining Salt Lake after the FIFA men’s World Cup break July 1.

But Binyamin finished the scoring at the start of stoppage time, finding space near the top of the box to twist the final dagger on the result.

Next up for Real Salt Lake

The schedule doesn’t let up for Real Salt Lake, which travels to central Florida on Saturday to face Orlando City SC.

Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. MT on Apple TV, before returning to the Rocky Mountains ahead of Tuesday’s Leagues Cup quarterfinal in Colorado agaonst Liga MX side Club Leon.