RSL MATCH PREVIEW & GAME NOTES:
REAL SALT LAKE VS. PORTLAND TIMBERS – SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22
Playoff Seeding on the Line for RSL when it Plays Host to Timbers for First Time;
Details on How to Follow Tomorrow’s Regular Season Finale in Sandy;
MLS Game Guide for RSL v. Timbers Now Available Online
SANDY, Utah (Friday, October 21, 2011) – Real Salt Lake (15-11-7, 52 pts.; T-3rd in West) will seek to finish its regular season on a winning note and secure the third automatic bid into the MLS Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference in the process tomorrow,Saturday, October 22, when it hosts the expansion Portland Timbers (11-14-8, 41 pts.; 6th in West) for their first-ever visit to the Wasatch Front. Kickoff for Saturday’s “Fan Appreciation Night” at Rio Tinto Stadium, presented by Molding Box, is slated for 7:00 p.m. MT, and fans that can’t make it down to Sandy can follow the action live on Rock 99.1-FM (English) and Juan 1600-AM (Spanish).
The scenarios for Real Salt Lake to secure the West’s #3 seed over FC Dallas are simple – a win over Portland gives the edge to RSL, as does any RSL result even with Dallas’ at the San Jose Earthquakes, courtesy of the Utah side’s head-to-head tiebreaker over FCD (1-0-1 in regular season play in 2011). Should RSL draw or lose on Saturday night, the scoreboard watching will begin shortly thereafter, as the FCD-Earthquakes contest begins in the Bay Area at 8:30 p.m. MT.
Should RSL claim the third seed it will enter the MLS Cup Playoffs next Saturday, Oct. 29 in Sandy in Leg One of a Western Conference Semifinal Series against Seattle Sounders FC. Meanwhile, a drop to fourth spot will result in RSL claiming the top of the four Wild Card slots and hosting on Wednesday, Oct. 26 against one of two teams currently tied on 46 points alongside defending champion Colorado – the New York Red Bulls (finished season with a 1-0 win over Philadelphia last night that eliminated Portland from postseason contention) or Houston Dynamo (Houston hosts LA on Sunday in the 2011 regular season finale).
How to Follow Real Salt Lake v. Portland
- TV: No local broadcast; MLS Direct Kick package(subscription required)
- Radio:Rock 99.1-FM (America First Credit Union Pre-game Show starts at 6:00 p.m.) (English) and Juan 1600-AM (Spanish)
- Online: Live updates via Official RSL Twitter Feed (@RealSaltLake) and MLS MatchCenter on RealSaltLake.com; live streaming video available feed via MLS MatchDay Live at MLSsoccer.com(subscription required)
MLS Game Guide for RSL v. Timbers Now Available Online
Following is the link to the MLS Game Guide (Game Notes) in advance of Saturday’s season finale matchup between Real Salt Lake and the Portland Timbers at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. If you have any problems viewing the document, would like the document sent as a PDF attachment or are seeking more information on the match, please contact John Koluder in the RSL Communications Department via email at jkoluder@RealSaltLake.com.
RSL “Game Note” of the Match: Another Aim at Home History for RSL
A win Saturday against Portland would give RSL the distinction as the team with the highest HOME winning percentage over any four-season span … RSL and Columbus would both boast a total of 39 wins from 2008-11, but RSL would end the 62-game run with half as many losses (5) as the Crew (10) … The list, courtesy Elias Sports Bureau:
Most HOME wins over 4 seasons [since elimination of OT (2004–11)]:
39 2008-2011 Columbus (39-10-13, .734)
38 2008-2011 Real Salt Lake (38-5-18, .771)
37 2004-2007 D.C. United (37-12-13, .702)
34 2006-2009 Houston (34-8-19, .713)
34 2008-2011 Los Angeles (34-12-16, .677)
RSL History vs. Timbers
Back on April 30 in Real Salt Lake’s first-ever foray with Portland at JELD-WEN Field, RSL dropped an 0-1 decision in the midst of suffering from the after-effects of the 0-1 loss just three days prior in the CONCACAF Champions League Final 2nd Leg at home to Monterrey … Against Portland, with some first-choice players missing (Espíndola, Johnson, Olave and Williams) and others reeling from disappointment at the lost opportunity, it was another late first-half goal – this time by Timbers FW Kenny Cooper – that doomed RSL … In the second half, RSL picked up its possession percentage yet was unable to create any real scoring chances … Including that loss at Portland, RSL won just twice in a 10-game span following the Monterrey disappointment, posting a 2-3-5 mark in MLS matches …
www.RealSaltLake.com / www.RioTintoStadium.com / www.ESPN700Sports.com
