- (Sports Network) - Real Salt Lake will be aiming to earn its first win at its newly opened soccer-specific venue - Rio Tinto Stadium - when it hosts FC Dallas on Saturday night in Major League Soccer action. The Salt Lake City squad is coming off 1-1 draw against New York in their stadium's opener last week. Both Western Conference clubs are in desperate need of points to improve their chances at making the MLS Cup playoffs with just two games remaining in the regular season. If RSL (9-10-9) defeats FC Dallas and the Colorado Rapids fail to win at Chivas USA on Sunday afternoon it will clinch its first playoff berth in club history. .

"It was a fantastic experience out there [last week against New York], and a terrific atmosphere for a big game. I think, maybe, it was too good of an atmosphere, really, for what we saw out there because the quality of the soccer, I think, was a little bit lower than what we're used to seeing over the past few weeks. I think our guys looked very, very nervous," RSL coach Jason Kreis said.

Dallas (8-9-11) needs a win and some help to earn its spot. FCD is still a point out of a playoff spot, with 35 points from 28 matches, behind Real Salt Lake in the Western Conference and both Kansas City and New York in the wild card race.

Also, Hoops forward Kenny Cooper will have a chance to break the team's single-season goal scoring record, which he tied last week with current RSL coach Kreis.

"I feel very grateful to my teammates. They've let me take four penalty kicks this year which obviously pad those stats. I'm very grateful to them and for all of the service I've been getting this year," Cooper said. "As a striker, you're very dependent upon your teammates to give you good service, and I've been getting good service all year."



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