First Touch: Good teams find ways to win points. Real Salt Lake is a good team

Second Touch: Bad teams find ways to lose points.

The Finish: FC Dallas is, for whatever debatable reason, cause, circumstance or otherwise, a bad team.

Grades:

Hartman: 6 - Some monster saves, but Kevin also had his bacon saved on a few occasions

Benitez: 4 - The single most frustrating player ever to wear a Dallas jersey

Hedges: 6 - Maybe the silver lining of this dark, gloomy season

John: 5 - Solid all night, but was on the wrong side of Saborio's header and misjudged it

Loyd: 5 - Your typical hard working Zach performance, but he couldn't clear that last ball

Leyva: 2 - Yes, he young, but he's not MLS starting quality. The more he plays the more hesitant he looks to get into tackles, go forward and isn't tricking anyone at this level. Note: Luis Gil is 18, two years younger than Brian, has started in 19 more matches and both signed in 2010

Jackson: 4 - Trying to do too much, beat too many people. Lost the ball 26 times, led the team

Hernandez: 3 - Struggled to keep up with RSL's youthful speed in midfield, a warrior with super high milage. The two week break couldn't come at a better time for a single player

Mercelin: 1 - How can one guy give up the ball so easily in the attacking third, so many times? A center midfielder that statistically touched the ball less than any other field player. Yes, Dallas was desperate for a player, but if he's not good enough for Portland… good grief.

Jacobson: 4 - Credit to AJ for working hard in a tactically brutal position. Gets forward, finds space, creates some chances but can't quite make that magic needed

Perez: 4 - Never stops working, but his frustration level is so high he's resorting to spending way too much time complaining, looking for calls and bickering with opponents. The dirty secret is that Blas' passing and decision making during this winless streak has been shockingly poor. In fact, the winning goal starts with Blas' terrible 4 yard hospital ball to Jackson in the 92nd minute - not only ruining a good counter attack, but also setting up Salt Lake with the ball that ends up winning the match. And while I'm dog piling, his goal really was an own goal by Reynish, although no one will ever count it that way. I'm sure Blas' will improve as the team does, but right now he too deserves his fair share of criticism

Subs:

Rodriguez: n/a - Touched the ball five times.
Top: 6 - Kid gets a tip for the touch that sent the ball to Perez