D.C. United (1-1-0) at Real Salt Lake (0-1-1), 9 p.m.

Salt Lake City, UT (Sports Network) - Real Salt Lake had to be excited when it learned it would host D.C. United in its third game of the season, at least if history repeats itself.

Although no other clubs are excited to see the back-to-back Supporters' Shield winners - given to the team with the best record in Major League Soccer - come to town, Real Salt Lake ended an 11-game, season-opening winless streak in the only meeting at Rice-Eccles last season.

Real's slow start last year started talk of a winless season, but two goals by Robbie Findley led to a 2-1 win over United and a stronger second half.

Real Salt Lake (0-1-1) has another winless streak going so far this season but after just two games, can end any possibility of another extended winless skid when D.C. visits for the only time Saturday.

"There's a thin line between winning and losing," said Real Salt Lake's Kyle Beckerman. "Right now, we're finding a way (not to win)."

Real Salt Lake has won its last two home matches against D.C., ending United's 14-game unbeaten streak in 2006 in the other meeting.

RSL has played well in its first two matches this year, but has just one point to show for it.

"We should have more than one point from two matches where we played well," RSL coach Jason Kreis said. "The biggest thing right now, though, is to keep it going because over the stretch of 30 games we're going to get a lot of points if we keep playing this way."

Real has struggled offensively, scoring just one goal. In its opener, RSL got an own goal and nearly made it stand up in a 1-1 tie against Chicago. Then in last week's loss against Chivas USA, Scottish striker Kenny Deuchar scored his first MLS goal in a 3-1 loss.

"We're still not quite clinical enough in the final third. It's not just the last touch, it's the second to last touch, as well," Kreis said.

D.C. (1-1-0) dropped its opener to Kansas City, 2-0, but has played well since with two straight wins - one in MLS and one in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup.

United showed off its wealth of attacking options in a 4-1 win over Toronto FC last week with goals from forwards Luciano Emilio, Santino Quaranta and Jaime Moreno. Attacking midfielder Marcelo Gallardo scored the other goal.

Moreno, the all-time leading scorer in MLS with 113, was returning from injury.

"For me it was important to get Jaime into the game and get some fitness for him. The way the game was, it was a good game to get him in, because now he can get a lot of touches on the ball," said D.C. coach Tom Soehn.

Forward Franco Niell, who along with Gallardo was signed out of South America, added an assist in the win over Toronto.

On Wednesday, United defeated Mexico's Pachuca 2-1, but dropped the Champions' Cup semifinal on aggregate, 3-2. Although D.C. was eliminated from the event, it proved just how dangerous the four-time MLS Cup winners will be this year.

"We had a plan and we executed it very well. Unfortunately, we didn't put away our chances early and that puts us behind the 8-ball. But, our guys fought and made it very difficult for them," said Soehn.