On Saturday, Real Salt Lake and the Colorado Rapids will meet for the 48th time in MLS regular season play since RSL’s entry into MLS in 2005.
As with each matchup between the two clubs, Saturday’s meeting will count for more than just three crucial points in the standings. Although the match will be their third clash of the season, it will be the second and conclusive match in the quest for the Rocky Mountain Cup.
After posting a 4-1 win in Colorado on August 22, RSL holds a distinct advantage going into the decisive match. A win or draw will clinch the trophy for the 12th time in the last 14 seasons. As will a loss by three or fewer goals – in the event that the two teams earn the same number of points in matches included in the Rocky Mountain Cup competition, the tie-breaker is aggregate goals. If the teams are still tied, the trophy is awarded to the previous winners. In this case, Real Salt Lake won both meetings in 2019 and would retain the trophy.
Real Salt Lake has won the Rocky Mountain Cup in four consecutive seasons, last dropping the season series in 2015. Colorado won the Cup in 2005 and 2006 before RSL rattled off six straight series wins from 2007-2012. Since then, Colorado won in 2013 and 2015, with RSL retaining the trophy in each other season.
A fan-created trophy that celebrates the rivalry between the league’s only two clubs in the Mountain time zone, the trophy is typically awarded to the winning team on the field by the supporters each year. However, due to COVID-19 restrictions, other accommodations are being made to deliver the trophy to the winning team.
