And so it begins, or shall I say, resumes?
Storylines returns this week in the countdown to a reckoning.
As the timer reads: eight matches, nine weeks, with plenty of drama and twists set to ensue, for the salvaging of redemption, the preservation of legacy.
The season’s business end is here. It’s now or it’s never.
RSL resume its pursuit of salvation this year — by means of playoff qualification — with a return home at the weekend for the visit of Supporter Shield-chasing Minnesota United to America First Field, in what will be the second meeting between both sides this season.
Sound the alarms, and ready the unfolding. Judgment Day is coming.
Storylines runs the customary rule on some of the biggest narratives on hand ahead of Saturday’s bitter duel between familiar foes.
The run-in picture: imposing, not implausible
Pablo Mastroeni took his seat and drew a breath as he prepared to formally address the media in the aftermath of his side’s defeat in North Carolina.
The eventual 1-0 loss proved to be narrow, and it was cruel — his players had put up a good fight, in fairness — but it was a defeat all the same. And on his seat, right in the thick of the media questioning, realization seemed to set in even more so.
“There's been a lot of performances this year where tactically it was well done, the effort was top. But what's been eluding us, I think, is making plays in that final third. There’s some great stuff in there, some really good opportunities. But there's a belief factor that needs to be a part of our psyche,” Mastroeni explained, “where we're believing as individuals that we're greater than what we really are — this alter ego that says, ‘I’m gonna put this in the top shelf.’ It just feels like there's a little bit of doubt, and the choice of shot, or the type of shot, needs more conviction.”
RSL’s head coach expressed a healthy dose of introspection and candor in his customary post-game conference, and it arrived at a necessary time.
When the Claret-and-Cobalt lined up against Charlotte last weekend, it did so on the back of a recent uptick in form that brought about five wins from the team’s previous eight matches. .
The conclusion of last weekend’s affairs, however, served to paint a more imposing look over the team’s playoff picture, combined with results from some of the other clubs around them. As Mastroeni and Co. now get set for what is a crucial homestand - six of its next seven at America First Field in Sandy - en route to their postseason aspirations, RSL does so still with the relief of a single-point deficit from the team above them, but with the margin to any of the other clubs further above in the table even more widened.
RSL currently sit 10th in the West standings, with 31 pts from 26 games, and still just one point behind rivals San Jose, who remain ninth, as well as the continued advantage of an extra game in hand. Beyond the pair, Austin FC sit in eighth, with 35 pts from 25 matches played, while Colorado (36 pts from 27 games) and Portland (37 pts from 26 games) sit in seventh and sixth respectively, all currently with a either a point or match-in-hand benefit over RSL heading into the final stretch of the regular season.
The task at hand to ensure postseason qualification thus looks imposing, but with eight more games left in the season’s regular phase, the mission is far from implausible.
Saturday’s contest against Minnesota United, therefore, presents itself essentially as a must-win (or at least draw) fixture if RSL hope to continue to retain any possibility of maintaining a feasible playoff push during the final games of the regular season. And in learning from the team’s previous two defeats, the key to doing that over the course of the final set of matches, in the manager’s words, is laid out clearly:
“And so, if we want to make a run at these playoffs, we've got to start believing that we are gonna make plays in these difficult moments that the best players make. We have a talented group, so that's my challenge to them: you've got to believe you're gonna score a goal before you receive the ball, and then everything comes into play.
“But if there's any doubt, or we're apathetic because things aren't going our way with the calls, then we're gonna struggle to win games. Because at the end of the day, the game is won and lost in milliseconds, and [last Saturday night] was the case.”
Remaining 2025 schedule
The aftermath of Saturday’s clash with head coach Eric Ramsay’s Loons will then see RSL take on a final seven opponents of the regular campaign in a grueling season-concluding run-in.
Saturday, September 13th: Home vs Sporting KC (13th West)
Wednesday, September 17th: Home vs LAFC (5th West)
Sunday, September 21st: Away vs LAFC (5th West)
Saturday, September 27th: Home vs Austin (8th West)
Saturday, October 4th: Home vs Colorado (7th West)
Saturday, October 11th: Away vs Seattle Sounders (4th West)
Saturday, October 18th: Away vs St. Louis (14th West)
Previous meetings, crippling suspensions, and… innovative solutions?
Minnesota might take confidence from the 2-0 victory they enjoyed at their home when the two sides last locked horns at the end of March, courtesy of a brace from striker Tani Oluwaseyi, who, with 10 goals and seven assists in MLS this season, has developed into one of the most bonafide frontmen the entire division, alongside strike partner Kelvin Yeboah (nine goals, zero assists).
On the Claret-and-Cobalt painted side of the tie, new signings Rwan Cruz and Victor Olatunji will be available again for selection after both making their debuts against New York Red Bulls and Charlotte FC, respectively.
Mastroeni does, however, have an unenviable personnel shortage to contend with, with multiple players all ruled out of participation at the weekend. USMNT midfielder Diego Luna no doubt headlines the list, serving out the final portion of his two-game suspension. The 21-year-old will be joined on Saturday by striker William Agada and winger Zavier Gozo, after the pair picked up separate bookings of their own during the defeat in North Carolina.
RSL’s head coach elected for a two-man strike partnership featuring Cruz and Olatunji during the team’s last outing, with the former showing sporadic positive touches, and the latter displaying a degree of industry and resourcefulness, which Mastroeni will no doubt be keen on utilizing, particularly with the tangible advantages of a familiar ground and home support.
Absences to Luna and Gozo also open the door for others, such as Johnny Russell, Dominik Marczuk, Tyler Wolff, among others, to make a mark, as Mastroeni shuffles across his options available.
RSL’s countdown towards a hopeful playoff destiny resumes with another opportunity at the Riot. The mission, as always, will be to try and seize the moment: blood, sweat, and toil, and whatever else it takes.
The timer starts now. Get your tickets for Saturday in Sandy at www.RSL.com/tickets.
