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SANDY — Fresh off a weekend match, Real Salt Lake traveled to the Northwest Tuesday to face Major League Soccer Western Conference opponent the Portland Timbers in a midweek match Wednesday.
The Claret and Cobalt enter the midweek meeting right off a 2-4 loss to MLS opponent the Los Angeles Galaxy just four days ago. It's a match the Salt lake club hopes to have behind it Wednesday when it takes the pitch inside JELD-WEN Field.
"Yeah, you got to get it off your shoulders and move on," RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando told the media following last Saturday's loss. "The worst thing to do is just let it dwell on you and take over what we've done so well during this whole season, and there's a reason why we're top of the table, but playing a good team like that we've got to play our best to beat them."
The Salt Lake club also enters the midweek meeting still atop the MLS standings, despite its weekend loss. With 41 points and a 12-8-5 record, RSL sits with a two-point cushion in both the Western Conference standings and the race for the Supporters Shield.
Historically, the Claret and Cobalt pose a 1-1-0 record at JELD-WEN Field and 4-1-1 all-time with the Portland side. A win over the Timbers Wednesday would keep the Salt Lake club atop both the West and the Supporters Shield standings.
The Salt Lake club will be without its captain, midfielder Kyle Beckerman, Wednesday night due to a one-game suspension for yellow card accumulation earned last weekend in L.A. With Beckerman out Wednesday, the RSL side may see the return of midfielder Yordany Alvarez, as he comes off a three-game suspension from the MLS disciplinary committee from the club's July 27 match in New York.
The Timbers enter the midweek meeting fresh off a 2-1 victory over MLS opponent F.C. Dallas last Saturday at home. Portland currently sits in third place in the Western Conference with 38 points and a 9-3-11 record.
Wednesday will mark the second of three times the two sides will met this season and in the month of August, but only the first time in MLS action this season.
RSL hosted the Timbers Aug. 7 in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinal match and sent the Portland side home with a 2-1 loss and a boot in the race for the U.S. Open Cup silverware. RSL will also host the Timbers on Aug. 30 and again face the Portland side Oct. 19 in Oregon to wrap up its three MLS meetings this regular season.
Following its midweek meeting against the Timbers, the Salt Lake club will return to its home pitch inside Rio Tinto Stadium to finish up its busy three-game week and host MLS Eastern Conference opponent the Columbus Crew for the first meeting this season Saturday, Aug. 24.
Kira Terry is a sportswriter covering Real Salt Lake for KSL.com. Follow her on Twitter, @kiraterry.
