ESPN

Real Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis will be missing a number of key players due to injuries and international call-ups.

His club is still in better shape than FC Dallas.

RSL will try to extend its home winning streak to five Saturday night when Dallas looks to end its eight-match winless stretch.

Playing for the first time since a 1-0 victory at Seattle on May 12, Real Salt Lake (8-3-2) will be without goalkeeper Nick Rimando, Alvaro Saborio, Will Johnson and Kyle Beckerman on Saturday as they're all on international duty. The club also could be missing defender Chris Wingert (hamstring) and midfielder Javier Morales (quadriceps).

Kyle Reynish is expected to make his second start of the season in goal for RSL, while midfielders Yordany Alvarez and Luis Gil and defender Chris Schuler could see plenty of minutes against Dallas.

"We want to try to rotate the team in a way that we keep a strong spine or core group of players," Kreis told RSL's official website. "We will certainly hope for the same throughout the rest of the season."

Real Salt Lake, one point back of MLS-leading San Jose, is hoping to maintain its edge at Rio Tinto Stadium, where it is 5-1-0. The club's last five-game home winning streak was May 1-June 9, 2010.

RSL is 4-0-1 at home against Dallas since Rio Tinto Stadium opened. Real Salt Lake holds a 12-4 scoring edge in those contests.

That does not bode well for an FC Dallas club that's 0-5-1 on the road in 2012. Dallas (3-7-4) joins Portland and Toronto as the only teams without a victory away from home.

Dallas doesn't have a win on any field since a 2-1 victory over expansion Montreal on April 14. A 2-1 loss in Chicago on Wednesday stretched the team's winless streak to eight, two shy of the franchise record.

"We need to get points any way we can, a win, a tie, whatever," rookie defender Matt Hedges told the Fire's official website after scoring his first MLS goal Wednesday.

If the club is going to pick up any points Saturday, it will have to do so without midfielder Brek Shea, who will complete his three-game suspension after kicking the ball at an assistant referee in a 2-1 loss to Columbus on May 12.

Shea scored on a penalty kick in first-half stoppage time in a 1-all draw against visiting RSL on April 25.

Dallas played that match without suspended striker Blas Perez, while Real Salt Lake did not have forward Fabian Espindola and defender Jamison Olave available after both were red-carded in a 3-1 loss at San Jose on April 21.

Real Salt Lake is on a season-best 3-0-2 run since ending a two-game losing streak in last month's match with Dallas.

RSL's last six-game point streak was a 3-0-4 stretch June 11-July 23.

These teams conclude the season series Aug. 18 in Utah.

After each season series between the Chicago Fire and FC Dallas, the Brimstone Cup is awarded to the team that earns the most points.

Chicago may not even remember what the trophy looks like.

The Fire look to claim their first Brimstone Cup since it was created 11 years ago while seeking to end a five-game winless streak against struggling Dallas on Wednesday night.

Chicago captured the inaugural award in 2001 but hasn't reclaimed it since relinquishing it the following season. Dallas has gone 14-3-3 against the Fire since 2002 and 3-0-2 in the last five meetings.

This will be the only regular-season contest between these teams, meaning the winner will claim the Brimstone Cup. If the match ends in a draw, Dallas (3-6-4) will hold it for an 11th straight year.

Chicago has never beaten Dallas at Toyota Park, going 0-5-1 since it opened in 2006. Its last home victory in the series was June 12, 2005, at Soldier Field.

The Fire (4-3-3) seemingly have a good opportunity to end that skid, though.

Dallas is 0-4-3 in its last seven after a 1-all draw with Philadelphia on Saturday, last winning April 14 over Montreal. It hasn't gone this many games without a victory since a club-record 10-game stretch July 2-Sept. 10, 2005.

"I thought we played well enough to win. It's just same old story," midfielder Daniel Hernandez told the league's official website. "We can't find a way to get three points."

Dallas is 1-7-1 in its last nine road games, winning 2-1 at Chicago on Oct. 12.

The Fire are coming off a 2-1 loss at Portland on Sunday, ending a three-game unbeaten streak. After Jalil Anibaba tied the game in the 39th minute, Chicago's Logan Pause deflected a header into his own net in the 52nd minute.

"I thought that we didn't deserve to walk away with a loss," coach Frank Klopas said. "Overall, I thought it was frustrating because I feel disappointed when we lose, but when you feel that you should have walked away with points from here it's hard to take the loss."

Inconsistency has plagued a Chicago team that hasn't won consecutive games all season with an attack that has gone dormant for stretches during matches.

"We've put very good halves together, we've played very well in 60-minute stretches," defender Dan Gargan told the team's official website. "I think we're looking for a really good 90-minute performance from start to finish. That's certainly something we need to get better at."

The same goes for Dallas, which got a goal from Blas Perez in the seventh minute Saturday but little else after that. It hasn't scored a goal in the second half other than on a penalty kick since Brek Shea's tally in the 88th minute in Dallas' most recent win.

"We created some really good chances in the first half," coach Schellas Hyndman said after Saturday's match. "And then, the game just got to the point where it unfortunately got more physical than it needed to be."

Dallas has outscored Chicago 10-3 in the last five matchups.

First Touch: Two teams missing enough starters combined to make a third full side.

Second Touch: The above predicted the ugly soccer match that resulted.

The Finish: Dallas is a club desperate for something good to come their way, in the meantime grinding out a point here and there is all Hyndman is going to get from this mishmash of parts.

Grades:

Hartman: 8 - Kept the side in the match when Philly decided that applying some pressure to Dallas was their best defensive move

Pertuz: 5 - Was playing a tidy match, and then like the sun rising became this week's injury victim

John: 7 - While the defense struggles overall, John is showing off new level of form

Hedges: 6 - This kid appears to be as solid as a rookie gets

Benitez: 4 - I swear he's getting paid based on attempted passes over 20 yards - successful or otherwise

Jackson: 4 - A very "meh" night for the Brazilian who still looks to be finding his chemistry with a team that never fields the same 11

Hernandez: 4 - The grizzled vet is having to work harder than ever

Marcelin: 4 - Oddly quiet and absent for much of the match

Jacobson: 5 - Great effort to support Blas, just could never complete that one creative move

Leyva: 5 - Still loses the ball too easily, looks a bit scared in 50/50 situations - but we are promised there's magic in those shoes. His set pieces are superior to Hernandez.

Perez: 6 - Simply having to come far too back to get involved. His struggles are more about the team than him

Subs:

Rodriguez: 3 - A tough score for being put in a tough spot, but he really struggled. The fact Hyndman had to play someone so clearly not match fit is very telling of just how bad the roster situation is.
Luna: n/a

FRISCO, Texas -- Gabriel Gomez scored in the 56th minute to help the Philadelphia Union tie FC Dallas, 1-1, on Saturday night.

Blas Perez scored for Dallas in the seventh minute.

Philadelphia (2-6-2) stopped a three-game losing, and Dallas (3-6-4) extended its winless streak to seven games -- the club's longest streak since a 10-game run in 2005.

Gomez scored on a header into the left corner of the net from the top of the goalie's box. Gomez collided with goalkeeper Kevin Hartman on the play and left the game in the 58th minute as he limped to celebrate his fourth goal of the year.

The Union's Carlos Valdes fired a long ball from near midfield that bounced off Dallas' Carlos Rodriguez and to Gomez. The goal came on Philadelphia's first shot of the game. It was the first time all season that the Union did not have a shot in a half. For the game FC Dallas outshot the Union 11-9. Dallas' Perez had an open shot at the Union goal, but goalkeeper Chase Harrison blocked the shot for one of his two saves in the game.

Perez opened the scoring when he headed a shot into the right corner of the net. The scoring sequence was started after Bryan Leyva curled a corner kick from the right corner to George John. John directed the ball to Perez, who made a diving header from inside the goalie's box.

Dallas played the first of three games without midfielder Brek Shea, suspended after he kicked a ball at an assistant referee in a 2-1 loss to Columbus on May 12. The Union played without starting midfielder after Freddy Adu, suspended for picking up two yellow cards in the team's 3-2 loss to New York on Sunday.

2010 MLS MVP David Ferreira is inching ever so closer to returning to the field. “El Torito” addressed the media Friday and while he says he’d like to return in time for the FCD match at Houston on June 16, it looks like seeing him back around the first part of July would be a bit more realistic.

What is your mental outlook right now?

Ferreira: At the beginning, I was sad I wasn’t on the field. I was not with the team, but I was being strong, trying not to take the negative stuff and just focusing on the comeback because that’s what was best for the team.

How do you feel knowing the fans expect big things from you once you do return?

Ferreira: I’m calm. I know the expectations are big. People have communicated that to me -- that the fans are waiting for me. I have to first take care of what I have to do in my rehab. They’re waiting for me to come back and that’s what I’m working for, David Ferreira to come back and help the team.

How tough has it been for you to watch this team struggle over the last month?

Ferreira: It’s hard. I suffer watching the guys struggle. To overcome that, we need to work, we need to focus to get the results we need to get.

On the day that 2010 MLS MVP David Ferreira addressed the media about how his recovery was progressing, FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman also talked about where he thinks his No. 10 is currently at on the road to recovery.

“Yeah, I think the reality is we’ll have him back in June, doing some training but end of June or early July, he should be back on the field,” Hyndman said

But don’t interpret his guarded statement to mean that he can’t wait to have “El Torito” back on the field. “It would be a good addition for us,” Hyndman said.

This weekend's matchup between FC Dallas and the visiting Philadelphia Union has lost plenty of luster with Brek Shea and Freddy Adu unavailable for their struggling teams.

Those key midfielders are suspended for Saturday night's game, with both clubs hoping to end three-game losing streaks.

A poor start to the season for Dallas (3-6-3) took a turn for the worse Thursday when MLS announced a three-game ban for Shea, who kicked the ball at an assistant referee in a 2-1 loss to Columbus last Saturday.

Shea, tied for the team lead with three goals while leading the club with 24 shots and 10 shots on goal, posted an apology on Twitter. Dallas is 0-4-2 since beating expansion Montreal 2-1 on April 14.

Adu was assessed two yellow cards in the first half of the Union's 3-2 home loss to New York on Sunday. The second one was called for simulating a foul in the penalty box.

"When I went down I wasn't complaining to the ref or complaining to anyone," Adu told the Union's official website. "I just wanted to get right back up and the next thing I know the red card comes out."

His absence comes after Philadelphia (2-6-1) scored two goals in a match for the first time. The Union's seven goals in nine games represents the league's third-worst ratio ahead of winless Toronto FC and Chivas USA.

That attack will face a makeshift defense, as Dallas is missing two defensive starters. Ugo Ihemelu will miss his third straight game in the aftermath of a concussion while Zach Loyd is suspended for receiving a red card last week in Columbus.

The club has conceded 18 goals in 12 games, tied with Los Angeles for the second-worst ratio in MLS ahead of Toronto. Dallas has also been issued a league-high four red cards.

"We've had some bad luck with some late goals and bad luck keeping the players on the field," coach Schellas Hyndman told Dallas' official website. "You can say that's bad luck, discipline or intelligence, but those are things that are in our control."

Philadelphia, which ranks right behind Dallas with three red cards, traded defender Danny Califf to Chivas for midfielder Michael Lahoud and allocation money Thursday. Califf started four games, but would have been the odd man out with Gabriel Farfan set to return Saturday after a three-game suspension.

"We have enough speed right now," coach Petr Nowak said. "The trade is going to give us another option as well."

Lionard Pajoy had both goals for the Union on Sunday after scoring once in a 2-1 exhibition victory over German club Schalke 04 on May 9. Those games featured the inclusion of fellow forward Danny Mwanga in the lineup to give Pajoy support.

Dallas is 2-0-2 in the all-time series with Philadelphia, taking both home matchups.

The Seattle Sounders are off to the best start in their four-year history, recently overcoming a packed schedule and the loss of their starting goalkeeper.

The depth of their defense has helped in both situations.

Seattle looks to match a franchise record with its fifth consecutive victory when it visits struggling FC Dallas on Wednesday.

The Sounders (6-1-1) will be playing their fourth game in 12 days, then they'll return home for a Western Conference showdown with Real Salt Lake on Saturday.

Fredy Montero assisted on Mauro Rosales' goal in the 63rd minute this past Saturday to give Seattle a 1-0 victory over Philadelphia and its fourth straight win.

Seattle won a team-record five in a row Sept. 18-Oct. 15, 2010.

"Three games in a week is not an easy task, but we came out with nine points which is something that we are very happy about," coach Sigi Schmid told the team's official website. "I thought we had chances to get more than one goal and we were a bit unlucky. One day those floodgates will open up."

The Sounders haven't had to score much given how well their defense has played. They've outscored opponents 6-1 during their winning streak and they've posted five shutouts this season.

Schmid has used a rotation of seven defenders, allowing him to keep the defense somewhat fresh during a tough stretch of games. He's started six different four-player combinations, and the Sounders have allowed a league-low three goals.

"I really think we have seven starters," Schmid said regarding the depth of the defense. "It's a team effort when you get a shutout. It's not just the defenders, it's everyone together."

Bryan Meredith earned a shutout in his first MLS start Saturday in place of the injured Michael Gspurning, who will miss at least the next two games after aggravating a right hip injury in the first half of a 2-0 win over Los Angeles last Wednesday.

"I thought Meredith did a great job in goal and dealt with the things he needed to deal with," Schmid said. "Our defense did a good job of keeping things away from him."

He'll be in net again versus Dallas (3-4-3), which dropped to 0-2-2 in its last four with a 2-0 loss to Colorado on Sunday.

As if the recent struggles weren't enough, Dallas went down two men in the first half when Daniel Hernandez got his second yellow card in the 34th minute before Blas Perez was given a red card for what the referee deemed a reckless play in the 36th minute.

Each will serve a one-game suspension Wednesday for a Dallas team that's allowed 14 goals -- tied with Los Angeles for most in the West.

"We won't be putting our best team on the field because of the red cards and the injuries," coach Schellas Hyndman told the team's official website. "But I know I have a lot of guys in the locker room looking for an opportunity, and so they'll be given that opportunity."

Seattle is 1-0-2 all-time at Dallas, winning 1-0 in the most recent meeting Aug. 20 when Montero assisted on Rosales' goal in the 16th minute.

First Touch: The good news? Subbing in Guarda and Warshaw for Villar and Jacobson didn't reveal any great drop off...

Second Touch: The bad news? Subbing in Guarda and Warshaw for Villar and Jacobson didn't reveal any great drop off...

The Finish: Hyndman is stuck playing the 4-1-4-1 with a lack of proper resources simply because the team is even worse off in the 4-4-2.

Grades:

Seitz: 7 - Overall a strong night with one monster save to keep the team in it. Like his speed off his line to gobble up loose balls. Extra credit for doing it on such short notice.

Loyd: 7 - Did you hear he scored a 31 on his yo-yo fitness test? Insanity. But it shows on the field.

Ugo: 7 - Once home team scored never was pressed too hard

John: 7 - See Ugo

Rodriguez: 5 - A couple of oddly poor defending decisions, the first directly related to Vancouver's goal

Castillo: 4 - While his work rate defensively has improved by leaps and bounds, he turned the ball over too many times and never could make his magic turn into opportunity.

Hernandez: 4 - Lots of pressure on him from the Whitecaps and that led to a lot of bad passes

Warshaw: 5 - Did a lot of the short, possessive type passing, but only four successful attacking passes out of 30. Everything else was backwards or lateral. Good at helping keep possession, but rarely ever made the team dangerous.

Guarda: 4 - An OK match. Never really hurt the side, but also showed that he's not a AM by nature and also explained the value of Villar in a time without Ferreira. Really blew the opportunity to tie with net wide open with a poor shot straight at Cannon

Shea: 6 - Led the team with shots and appears to be finding his mojo, but couldn't make a magic moment.

Perez: 5 - One. Shot. All. Match. And it was off frame and a header. If you want to know Dallas' problem it's that it can't get the ball to the hardworking Perez in spots where he can be dangerous. He's flat out being wasted.

Subs:

Sealy: 4 - Barely noticed him in his short spell
Hedges: 5 - Immediately almost scored from a header

First Touch: In a move made of necessity, Hyndman rolls out a new formation and hopes it works

Second Touch: Mostly a snoozer of a match that got interesting in the last ten minutes as a Villar-less FCD decided it wanted to win

The Finish: A team low on morale, midfielders and time, in a new formation, overcame all of that via the big hearts of several players who just kept on fighting and literally grabbed the three points from Matt Reis.

Grades:

Hartman: 8 - Made five saves, and made all five look rather easy

Pertuz: 7 - The kid is a burglar. Faired well despite playing out of position, continues to impress

John: 7 - A solid night, but his passing going forward needs some resharpening

Ugo: 8 - Recovered from last week's poor outing by dominating in the air and fighting through cramps. With a great header he captain'd his side to the win

Loyd: 8 - Not enough can be said about this kid's level of fitness. Also playing out of position on the left, Zack was not only solid defending and going forward, his perfectly floated free kick into the box was big time. But it was the display of effort late first half, when he made a 40 yard sprint to help attack, only to have to make a 50 yard super sprint to recover and steal the ball that makes a coach's heart flutter. Oh, then he immediately made another 40 yard sprint to get back into Dallas' counter.

Rodriguez: 5 - A quiet night, helped Pertuz a lot but also never really got into the attack as hoped

Shea: 6 - I don't know how he's pulling 90's. He was not to "Brek" standards for most of the match, but late had a few moments where he turned it on, displayed that next level and almost single handedly took over. Shellas has to find a way to get him a break, but injuries will likely prevent that

Jacobson: 4 - The lone holding mid spot is demanding and lonely. It wasn't a bad night for AJ, but a more aggressive opponent might prove to be more than he can handle alone

Villar: 4 - Very little play through the middle and his instruction to stay high left him with far too few touches on the ball. When he did have it, still turned it over too much. But the irony is that Dallas will hold its collective breath over the ankle injury as Dallas is better with him than without. Which is more of a statement about the roster than Ricardo.

Castillo: 6 - Hard to grade as the kid impacted the match so many times, but very little to show from it. He's like a 14 year old girl driving a Porsche Turbo. So much speed and potential, but rarely uses any of it correctly, or to successful result. We know he can get into the box with the ball, now what can he do with it? But watching him hit the pedal and cut at full speed is an amazing site to see

Perez: 7 - His single blown shot is worrisome only because there was only one shot. But that belies the amount of hard work and ground he covered in 90 minutes. Not to mention the foul he created that set up the free kick. To be fair to Blas, he has been very impressive in his attitude and play for FCD - does not at all play like his journeyman's resume hints.

Subs:

Warshaw: 6 - Dutiful and that's what Hyndman needs right now
Hedges: 7 - 15 solid minutes with almost a goal, and some confident defending and passing

FRISCO, Texas -- Skipper Ugo Ihemelu's header five minutes into stoppage time lifted FC Dallas to a 1-0 win over New England on Thursday night.

It was about time. FCD was agressive the whole match, but missed on several close opportunities. Ihemelu's header saved them from the heartbreak of a draw.

"We would've been disappointed if we didn't get the win," Ihemelu said. "We knew we put in the work, and it was worth the payoff. That's all we can ask for."

Like all the missed chances, this one nearly didn't happen, too. Head coach Schellas Hyndman almost took Ihemelu out of the game due to cramping.

"I knew if I had to come out last-minute, I would take myself out," Ihemelu said. "Once [the trainer] started working on it, it calmed down quite a bit. Fortunately, I was in the right place at the right time for that goal."

For Hyndman, he said he didn't think Ihemelu could have been more captain-like.

"What a great example for a captain, to stay in there and want to play until the end," Hyndman said.

Ihemelu got the goal, but Hyndman was particularly impressed with the return of striker Fabián Castillo. With David Ferreira out another 6-8 weeks, his speed and aggressiveness adds depth to a team that has had trouble penetrating early in the year.

"I thought he was extremely dangerous, especially earlier in the game when he had his legs under him," Hyndman said.

After tonight, FCD fans could see more of Castillo with Blas Perez instead of a lone-striker formation.

Castillo said he was frustrated that he couldn't put one in the net, but he'll take the win.

"When you create so many opportunities and don't finish them, there's always a chance the opposition is going to finish one of their own," Castillo said through an interpreter. "With the team that we had, we were confident we could get the result, and thankfully [Ihemelu] was able to convert for us and get the three points."

The win snaps a two-game losing skid for FC Dallas, who takes on lowly Montreal on April 14.

New England takes a big step back with the loss after beating Los Angeles 3-1 last week.

Notes:

Shots (on goal): FC Dallas 13 (4) – New England 12 (5)

Fouls: FC Dallas 12 – New England 4

Possession: FC Dallas 42% – New England 58%

Yellow cards: FC Dallas 0 – New England 2 (Shalrie Joseph, 62; Chris Tierney, 80)

Red cards: FC Dallas 0 – New England 0

Injuries: Ricardo Villar left the game with an ankle injury. George John left the game with a concussion.

FRISCO, Texas -- FC Dallas was aggressive on its counters early, but failed to put one between the posts as it heads into the locker room tied 0-0 against New England on Thursday.

Fabian Castillo was very active, with FCD's best opportunity coming in the 29th minute when his strike from a few yards landed just left of the goal after a breakaway.

The Toros had a few other opportunities early in the game. In the 19th minute, a Castillo through pass landed in front of Blas Perez, whose strike from 12 feet sailed just high.

Just two minutes later, Ricardo Villar's chip shot went left of the goal from just inside the box.

In the 33rd minute, Brek Shea's left footed shot from the left side of the box was saved by New England keeper Matt Reis.

New England had a few chances in the first half, but never really threatened outside of a slow roller saved by keeper Kevin Hartman in the 44th minute.

Possession has been even so far, but FCD has come out swinging after a distracting week in which the club parted ways with striker Luis Perea and lost David Ferreira for another 6-8 weeks.

First Touch: DC United got its first win (and four! goals) against a drowning FC Dallas side that continues to melt under any midfield pressure

Second Touch: Turnovers in the worst possible places and situations continue to plague Hyndman

The Finish: All teams have off nights (see LA and RSL), but the way they lost in KC & DC feels more like a revealing of the team's actual identity (worst GD in the West -3)

The Whiff: Now with Hernandez suspended what does Shellas do? Stick with the formation and show off that super shallow midfield depth? Or, does he go to a 4-4-2?

Elbow to the Face: Don't even get me started on Ferreira.

Grades

Hartman: 8 - A monster night with several saves that prevented this from being a criminal act of murder

Loyd: 4 - Struggled against DeLeon and was part of the turnover army

Ugo: 3 - A woeful night for the captain. Some horrid passing out of the back and lazy defending on DC's third goal

Pertuz: 4 - A really odd decision to step left gave Santos a valley to shoot through on first goal

Benitez: 3 - His passing has been atrocious this season and his overall play not much better

Rodriguez: 4 - Never was able to really get involved in the match

Shea: 3 - Shouldn't have even started (much less play a full 90), but he did and had a nightmare match. Bad passes, easily dispossessed, and his touch was way off all night

Hernandez: 3 - Another match where his age and condition are showing as he continues to make reaching fouls because he's lost that step. Here he was ejected because of it

Jacobson: 3 - Too many hopeful, searching, longish balls to nowhere, and not enough smart, short possession creating passes. Is Andrew MLS starting quality?

Villar: 4 - One of his better nights, but that isn't saying much. Still playing too deep, too many unforced turnovers and like Jacobson, the question is he MLS starting quality (especially at this position)

Perez: 6 - First he's offside on that goal, but good for him for playing through. How good is Blas? How can you know, only six shots in four matches. Compare that to Kamara's 24 or Henry's 13. Oddly all six are SOG, but he has only the pair of goals. Point being, he's not getting the ball enough.

Subs:
Leyva & Perea: Neither had a chance as the team clearly had given up by the time either entered the match

FRISCO, Texas -- Darlington Nagbe scored in the 51st minute to lift the Portland Timbers into a 1-1 tie with FC Dallas on Saturday night.

Blas Perez posted his first MLS goal in the 22nd minute for Dallas, which beat New York 2-1 in its season opener last Sunday. Perez had two assists against the Red Bulls.

Kris Boyd, a Scottish star playing just his second MLS game, had two good chances to give Portland the lead, but was denied by FC Dallas goalkeeper Kevin Hartman in the 59th and 71st minutes.

Portland also rallied in its season opener, scoring three unanswered goals in an impressive 3-1 victory over Philadelphia on Monday.

"We started the game in a similar fashion last week," coach John Spencer said, "and started in the second half again believing in ourselves, trying to play our game, a little more up-tempo and I think they struggled to contain us at times."

The 21-year-old Nagbe capitalized on an FC Dallas mistake to collect his first goal of the year. After Hartman's high clearing attempt died about 20 yards out, it was inadvertently knocked back into the penalty area by midfielder Daniel Hernandez and Nagbe pounced on it, slotting a low shot just inside the left post.

"I just saw the ball go up and I was jogging back and once it hit the other team, I knew I was onside, so I just went there and finished it," Nagbe said. "There was no one in front of me, just me and the goalie."

Said Hartman: "The ball was cleared and then all of a sudden, to have it come back through the middle and have it be a breakaway situation, was disappointing to say the least."

Portland outshot Dallas 7-1 over the final 45 minutes. While the Timbers attributed the margin to playing with more energy, Dallas cited the strong wind blowing in their direction.

"We were going against the wind, which was kind of difficult for us," said Dallas defender George John, who entered the match to start the second half. "But they definitely brought a lot of pressure on us, the back four, and we had difficulty just keeping the ball and passing."

Hernandez nearly got another one for Dallas in the 73rd minute, but his 25-yard blast was punched over the crossbar by Portland goalkeeper Troy Perkins.

"I was really pleased with the effort the boys put in," Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman said. "I thought they matched the intensity that Portland brought and I think Portland's a very good team. I'm very happy we fought all the way down to the last second."

Dallas was without star forward Brek Shea for the second straight game after he was called to the U.S. under-23 men's national team training camp.


Scoring Summary:
DAL – Blas Perez 22
POR – Darlington Nagbe 51

FC Dallas – Kevin Hartman, Zach Loyd, Ugo Ihemelu, Hernan Pertuz, Jair Benitez, Carlos Rodriguez, Andrew Jacobson, Daniel Hernandez, Bryan Leyva (George John 45), Ricardo Villar, Blas Perez.
Substitutes Not Used: Chris Seitz, Matt Hedges, Bobby Warshaw, Bruno Guarda, Andrew Wiedeman, Luis Perea.
TOTAL SHOTS: 6 (Daniel Hernandez 2, Andrew Jacobson 2); SHOTS ON GOAL: 3 (Bryan Leyva 1, Blas Perez 1, Daniel Hernandez 1); FOULS: 13 (Andrew Jacobson 4); OFFSIDES:0; CORNER KICKS: 7 (Ricardo Villar 7); SAVES: 2 (Kevin Hartman 2)
Portland Timbers – Troy Perkins, Eric Brunner, Rodney Wallace, Lovel Palmer, Hayner Mosquera, Kalif Alhassan, Jack Jewsbury, Eric Alexander (James Marcelin 77), Diego Chara, Kris Boyd, Jorge Perlaza (Darlington Nagbe 45).
Substitutes Not Used: Joseph Bendik, Mike Chabala, Bright Dike, Freddie Braun, Andrew Jean-Baptiste.
TOTAL SHOTS: 8 (Jack Jewsbury 3, Eric Alexander 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 2 (Kris Boyd 2); FOULS: 16 (Kris Boyd 4); OFFSIDES: 1 (Jorge Perlaza 1); CORNER KICKS: 3 (Jack Jewsbury 2); SAVES: 2 (Ryan Meara 4)
Misconduct Summary:
POR – Rodney Wallace (caution; reckless challenge) 9
POR Jack Jewsbury (caution; reckless challenge) 13
DAL – Jair Benitez (caution; reckless challenge) 66

Referee: Jorge Gonzalez
Referee’s Assistants: Greg Barkley, Matthew Kreitzer
4th Official: Edvin Jurisevic
Time of Game: 1:58
Weather: Cloudy, 78 degrees

The Portland Timbers getting 2012 off to a strong start at home didn't come as a surprise.

Finding success on the road would be a welcome change.

Portland opens its road schedule Saturday night when it visits FC Dallas for the first time since being handed its heaviest defeat in MLS.

The Timbers (1-0-0) scored three unanswered goals to rally for a 3-1 victory over Philadelphia on Monday, opening the year with a strong effort at a sold-out JELD-WEN Field, where they went 9-5-3 last year as an expansion club.

Success away from their raucous home was fleeting in 2011, as they posted a 2-9-6 record that was a major reason they finished four points out of a playoff spot.

That discrepancy was clear in Portland's two meetings with Dallas (1-0-0), a 3-2 home win April 17 and a 4-0 road loss June 25 that was its most lopsided defeat of the season.

"We've got to play well on the road," coach John Spencer told the team's official website. "I think we're a little bit more mature this year, hopefully, and I'd like to see us go down to Dallas and put on a similar type of performance."

After a stop in Dallas, the Timbers visit New England next Saturday.

Continued production from Kris Boyd may be just what Portland needs to find that road success. The star forward scored the winner against the Union, heading in a cross from Kalif Alhassan in his Timbers debut.

He's expected to be a force up top, having finished his career in his native Scotland as the Premier League's all-time leading scorer with 164 goals with Kilmarnock and Glasgow Rangers.

A newcomer also has Dallas looking to build on an impressive start, as Blas Perez assisted on goals by Zach Loyd and Ricardo Villar in a 2-1 victory over New York on Sunday.

The Costa Rican forward will be relied upon again since Dallas is dealing with the extended absence of star midfielder Brek Shea, who is with the United States Under-23 team as it prepares for the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament later this month.

Shea had a goal in each of the two meetings with Portland last season.

Fabian Castillo's status is also unclear after the forward exited in the first half Sunday with a knee injury.

"He got a pretty good hit on the inside of his knee. My first thoughts are a knee contusion or maybe a strained ligament," Hyndman told the team's official website. "He's a very good young player. As he continues to mature, he'll make better decisions."

Dallas made three signings this week, inking forwards Luis Perea and Scott Sealy and defender Alex Lee, a supplemental draft pick out of Maryland.

Perea is expected to have a more prominent role than Sealy -- a journeyman -- and Lee.

The son of former Colombian national team defender Luis Carlos Perea, Perea was most recently with Peru's Universidad San Martin de Porres before the club folded earlier this month.

His most successful spell came in 2010, when he had 22 goals in 36 games for Leon de Huanuco in the Peruvian Primera Division.