Real Salt Lake anticipates a playoff atmosphere when it takes on the Portland Timbers on Wednesday night at Rio Tinto Stadium and if the last month and a half is any indication, that’s just how RSL wants it.
Salt Lake is 3-1-0 in its last four MLS matches, 4-1-1 overall, and remains within three points of the Timbers and San Jose Earthquakes for the sixth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. With that momentum following a stretch of 10 days without a match and an upcoming period of four matches in 12 days, ending with the regular season finale on October 25 against Seattle Sounders FC, Head Coach Jeff Cassar is full of confidence.
“I really like where we’re at. These last 10 days have just been fantastic,” he said on Tuesday on his weekly interview with The Bill & OC Show on ESPN 700. “We’re rolling right now and I want to play games. I don’t want any days off. I want to keep these games going and keep this momentum that we have going.”
The final four matches of the season are all critical results for RSL.
Starting on Wednesday with Portland then continuing on Saturday against FC Dallas in the final regular season home match of the year, RSL has a pair of matches at Rio Tinto Stadium that present opportunities to climb above the red line and into the top six in the West entering the finale against Seattle. Add in the CONCACAF Champions League match against Municipal in which RSL needs a win or a draw to clinch advancement to the Quarterfinal Round in February and it’s a busy schedule, but one ripe with prospects for RSL.
The fact that RSL has played so many critical matches in recent weeks just adds to Cassar’s confidence heading into the final phase of games.
“If you look at it, the last month-and-a-half have all been must-wins. Our guys have responded really well to the pressure,” he said. “We had a setback against San Jose, but the performance has been there in all the games and we’re really excited about this.”
To hear the full interview, click here.
