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Foxborough, Mass. • It was an issue even before Saturday night's game, but perhaps Real Salt Lake's players really are allergic to artificial turf. That reason is as good as any when explaining why the team historically has found it virtually impossible to prevail on fake grass. After Saturday night's loss to New England, RSL is 8-29-18 all-time on artificial turf, and winless in its past 18 (0-14-4) on the surface.

New acquisition suits up for Real

Maybe it's too much to ask of a 20-year-old forward to breathe life into a moribund offense but in RSL's case, any help the injury-addled team can obtain could be of benefit.

Jefferson Savarino, the team's new Young Designated Player, was in uniform for the first time Saturday. He was acquired on Monday after scoring 22 goals with 12 assists in 48 matches for Zulia FC in the Venezuelan Primera Division.

Entering Saturday's game, RSL had scored only eight goals all season and had a minus-9 goal differential.

Real Salt Lake's need for help at all positions was evident Saturday. Along with a host of injuries including veterans Nick Rimando in goal and Kyle Beckerman in midfield, four RSL players — forward Brooks Lennon, midfielder Sebastian Saucedo, midfielder Danny Acosta and defender Justin Glad — have left the squad to join the U.S. Under-20 national team for preparations ahead of the FIFA U-20 World Cup in South Korea.

Real Salt Lake suited up the minimum 14 players on Saturday.

Turnaround in series

At one time, Real Salt Lake could count on a victory whenever it played the Revolution.

From 2010 through 2014, RSL was 6-0-1 against New England, with three of those victories at Gillette Stadium.

But the opposite has been the case in the past three games between the teams. New England blanked RSL 4-0 in 2015 and played to a scoreless draw last July at Rio Tinto Stadium before Saturday night's victory.