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SANDY — It was nothing but a waiting game for Real Salt Lake last week and into the weekend following its regular season, but once Sunday rolled around, the Salt Lake based club knew who it would face first in the playoffs this coming weekend as the MLS regular season came to a close.
Enter two-year consecutive Major League Soccer Cup holders, the Los Angeles Galaxy.
“I think realistically, if we’re going to win the MLS Cup we’re going to have to go through L.A., and you might as well face them in the first round, and if you can’t beat them in the first round, then we obviously don’t deserve to go,” RSL defender Nat Borchers told ESPN 700 Monday.
The Galaxy has been a rival of RSL over the past few years, but the Salt Lake team has yet to face the L.A. based club in the MLS playoff semifinal round yet, and they have only met in the playoffs twice before — the Western Conference final in 2011 and the MLS Cup match in 2009.
However, it’s a matchup the club has no issues with.
“I’m absolutely, absolutely fine with it,” said Borchers. “In fact, I prefer it. You look at the history of our two teams and how successful we’ve been, you definitely want to go after the biggest fish in the pond, and I think that’s L.A.”
With a full week before the first leg with the Galaxy, RSL is already focused on what it needs to do when it travels to face L.A. on Sunday.
“We definitely have to worry about Landon Donovan, Robbie Keane — the MLS’ most fearsome strike force. I think they’re just so dangerous when they work well together up top,” said Borchers. “When they’re clicking and they’re working well together, it’s really, really tough to stop those two. But I think that’s primarily what we need to do to be successful in this series, and then on the other side we definitely have to create some chance against this team.”
RSL will begin its playoff season on the road in L.A. for the first leg of the MLS Western Conference Semifinals and then will return to Rio Tinto to host the Galaxy next week in the second leg of the series, with the exact date yet to be determined.
And even with a week left, the Salt Lake club is ready for the playoff atmosphere.
“I’m ready for some playoff soccer. Absolutely,” said Borchers. “I got all fired up watching these games this weekend.”
RSL finished its regular season in second place in the Western Conference with 56 points and a 16-10-8 record, the most wins in the West this season. The Salt Lake club faced the L.A. Galaxy three times this regular season and went 1-2-0 in the series. Kira Terry is a sports writer covering Real Salt Lake for KSL.com. Follow her on Twitter, @kiraterry.
