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SANDY — Following a lengthy two-week break, Real Salt Lake returns to the pitch Saturday night in Portland as it begins its final regular season two-game stretch and faces Major League Soccer Western Conference opponent the Portland Timbers at JELD-WEN Field.
Sitting currently in second place in the West with 52 points, the Salt Lake club’s hopes for a Western Conference title and a Supporters' Shield victory are still alive, and the road to those trophies continues Saturday’s in Portland.
It’s a match with crucial result implications and could see the Salt Lake side clinch a playoff berth for a sixth consecutive season — something the club can do Saturday night with a handful of different situations playing out in its favor.
A victory in Portland for RSL would hand the Claret and Cobalt the berth outright. However, a loss or draw could also hand the Salt Lake side a playoff berth by the end of the weekend if two Western Conference foes’ games play out as follows: the Colorado Rapids lose or draw with the Vancouver Whitecaps Saturday, or the San Jose Earthquakes lose or draw with the L.A. Galaxy on Sunday.
An additional option for the Salt Lake club to clinch a playoff berth, if the above doesn’t play out in its favor, could still be possible with a draw in Portland on Saturday. A draw would put RSL at 53 points, and while West opponent the San Jose Earthquakes could finish the season tied with Salt Lake in points, RSL would win a second tiebreaker situation with far more goals scored than the Earthquakes — handing RSL a playoff slot to end the regular season.
The Claret and Cobalt enter the weekend match just one point behind the Portland side and with a 15-10-7 record on the season thus far. The Portland Timbers enter the match atop the West table with 53 points and a 13-5-14 record on the season.
The weekend match will be the third regular season match between the two sides this year, but the fourth meeting between the two in all competition this season. In conference play, RSL is 1-0-1 against the Timbers and in all competition, 2-0-1 this season.
Although they didn’t miss any RSL action, three players returned to the Salt Lake club this week after being on international duty with their respective countries for World Cup qualifying this week and last. RSL captain Kyle Beckerman, goalkeeper Nick Rimando and forward Alvaro Saborio will all be available for head coach Jason Kreis in Portland.
The Claret and Cobalt will, however, be without two players Saturday due to suspension — midfielder Javier Morales and defender Abdoulie Mansally. RSL midfielders Beckerman and Ned Grabavoy, defender Chris Wingert and forward Olmes Garcia all sit on yellow card warning for Saturday’s match. A yellow card for any of the four would hand them a suspension for the Salt Lake club’s final regular season match next week at home.
Following Saturday night’s match in Portland, RSL will return to its home pitch Wednesday, Oct. 23, as it hosts Western Conference opponent Chivas USA in its final regular season match. Kira Terry is a sports writer covering Real Salt Lake for KSL.com. Follow her on Twitter, @kiraterry.
