Home-field advantage is a very real thing in MLS. Only two teams won fewer games than they lost at home and just one was outscored in its own park this season.
Major League Soccer Playoffs, Preview: Real Salt Lake Can’t Wait To Get Home
Among playoff teams, that is even more pronounced. The San Jose Earthquakes were the only team to lose as many as five home matches and only two teams outscored their opponents by fewer than eight goals at home.
Even with these established standards, what Real Salt Lake has managed to do at Rio Tinto Stadium is beyond remarkable. It wasn't just becoming the second MLS team to ever go undefeated (11-0-4) at home during the regular season, it was the way they did it (an MLS record +24 home goal-difference).
What's even more remarkable is this is not a one-year phenomenon. The Lakers have not lost at home since May 16, 2009 (2-0 to the Kansas City Wizards), a stretch of 25 MLS matches. Since opening Rio Tinto Stadium on Oct. 9, 2008, RSL are 21-1-10 in MLS play and have lost just two matches in the state of Utah since the the start of the 2008 season. They are 28-2-15 with a +61 goal-difference.
Even when non-MLS play and the MLS playoffs are taken into account, RSL are 33-3-15 since the start of the 2008 season.
Lots of teams like to call their home stadiums fortresses, but Rio Tinto is really in a class all by itself.
Just consider that only one other MLS team has ever gone a whole season without losing at home (the 2005 San Jose Earthquakes) and they had to settle for seven ties on their 16-game home schedule and posted a goal-difference of +16. Five other teams have posted goal-differences of at least +20 in the 15-year history of MLS, but none of them can equal the Lakers' +24 from this year nor the +23 from last year. No team can come even close to equaling the three-year run in which RSL have posted a points per match of 2.2, although three teams have posted better single-season PPM's of RSL's 2.46 this season.
“It’s a great achievement,” RSL coach Jason Kreis said about the unbeaten streak. “It’s something that will go down in the history books. We can be proud of it. There have been some very good things that have happened to and for our team this season, but for me there is a whole lot left.”
The MLS playoffs being what they are, what is “left” will start on the road where RSL are a decidedly different team. Their four wins is tied for the fewest road wins among playoff teams and their 19 road points were the third lowest total. Amazingly, that’s actually a significant improvement over Kreis’ first three seasons when RSL went 6-28-11 with a -38 goal difference on the road.
If FC Dallas is going to have any chance in this series, they'll have to get off to a strong start. The Hoops lost just once at home this season, way back on May 20, but had to settle for ties in three of their past four at Pizza Hut Park and have given up six goals in that time after giving up just one in the six previous home matches.
The biggest reasons for those relative struggles appears to be the injury to goalkeeper Kevin Hartman. As has been well documented, Hartman was hurt during a Thierry Henry goal celebration and missed the regular season's final six matches. Centerbacks Ugo Imelehu and George John have also missed recent matches. On Monday, right back Heath Pearce hurt himself on practice and could miss Saturday's game. Either Zach Lloyd or Jackson Goncalves are his likely replacements.
“I think that (the personnel changes) is part of it,” Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman said. “I think it’s also the potential MVP of the league in goal (Hartman) isn’t there. That’s the reality. When you look at the saves he has made, the key saves that Kevin has made, he was always good for one a game where he’d make a fantastic save.”
While Imelehu and John appear to be fit — and have played — Hartman’s status for Saturday’s first leg is still officially questionable, and as recently as Friday Hyndman said whoever starts will be a game-time decision.
In Hartman's place has been Dario Sala, who actually was the starting keeper at the beginning of the season. In 11 matches, Sala has posted a .680 save percentage and a 1.52 goals-against. Both figures are in stark contrast to Hartman's .789 and 0.62 respective averages. Hartman is also one of only two MLS keepers to ever win at Rio Tinto.
To say the Hoops are hoping for Hartman’s return is probably an understatement.
Probable lineups
Real Salt Lake (4-4-2): GK: Rimando; DF: Russell, Olave, Borchers, Wingert; MD: Williams, Beckerman, Morales, Grabavoy; FW: Findley, Saborio
FC Dallas (4-1-3-1-1): FW: Milton Rodriguez, David Ferreira; MD: Marvin Chavez, Dax McCarty, Atiba Harris, Daniel Hernandez; DF: Jair Benitez, Ugo Imelehu, George John, Heath Pearce; GK: Hartman
Key Matchups
- Kyle Beckerman vs. David Ferreira: One of the league's elite defensive midfielders will probably be tasked with keeping an eye on arguably the league's best creator. Ferreira has a way of finding holes in opposing defenses and the 5-foot-5 Colombian does a great job of popping up in the least expected places. It's no wonder he's a MVP contender, but Beckerman is no slouch and has one of the best back lines in all of MLS covering for him.
- Dallas' smalls vs. RSL's bigs: Of FCD's 42 goals, 22 have been scored by players 5-foot-8 or shorter. At 6-2 Atiba Harris is a relative giant. The RSL defense, on the other hand, will probably start just one player shorter than Harris. The size difference is significant, but if FCD can score early it could be a difference that works in their favor.
- Javier Morales vs. Daniel Hernandez: Although not nearly as much of a focal point as Ferreira, Morales is the key component of the RSL attack. He's at the top of a diamond midfield, but is almost a third forward in that he rarely has defensive responsibilities. His seven goals and nine assists don't necessarily jump off the page, but he's done that while only starting 25 matches. Hernandez has made a name for himself as almost a fifth defender. These two will be getting to know each other well.
History you should know
How important is it for Dallas to grab the early lead? The last six times one of these two-legged playoffs were tied after the first leg, the team hosting the second game prevailed. No road team has prevailed in that second game since 2005. With RSL’s already stated homefield advantage, this would seem to be an even more important game than normal.
Head-to-head
Both teams won 2-0 at home with RSL winning the most recent meeting on Oct. 16. Brek Shea and Atiba Harris scored goals in the first game and Javier Morales and Ned Grabavoy scored in the Lakers' win.
Real Salt Lake will advance if: Kreis has said he plans to keep it conservative in the first game and it’s hard to argue with that logic. Simply getting a draw in Leg 1 will probably be enough for RSL to get through.
FC Dallas will advance if: Ferreira needs to have a big series and he needs to get started early. That doesn’t mean he has to score a bunch of goals, but he needs to be the guy forcing RSL onto its heels.
Pick: Real Salt Lake win 5-2 on aggregate as Hartman shows that he wasn’t quite ready to return.
Match Reference Card: FCD-RSL Game 1 Preview
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