I bid you the warmest return to Storylines.
The continuous, unrelenting churn and grind of the MLS fixture calendar falls inevitably upon us again. But for a final time this regular season, we go uninterrupted — barring a handful of bye weekends — into the annual Decision Day.
Sunday’s harsh and chaotic defeat away at New York Red Bulls marked a chastening return to domestic action in the aftermath of the team’s Leagues Cup group stage elimination, despite its unbeaten run against its Liga MX opposition. Concurrently, Sunday’s affair also kick-started what will predictably be a grueling run of nine games over an equal number of weeks, to essentially close out the regular season — all of which will undeniably provide the most grueling of examinations of RSL’s target credentials.
The objective? Playoff qualification.
The method? By any means possible — blood, sweat, and toil, and everything in between.
Next on that road, thus, sees RSL travel East yet again for an impending weekend clash with Eastern Conference outfit Charlotte FC at the Bank of America Stadium, in what will be only the second-ever meeting between both sides in MLS history.
The end is nigh, while the stakes remain high and rapidly closing.
Last week, New York. This time? North Carolina. Storylines runs the rule over some of the biggest narratives to consider ahead of this latest edition of yet another contest of rarity and repercussions.
A legacy on the brink?
John Ellinger? … Jason Kreis? … Jeff Cassar?... Mike Petke? … Freddy Juarez? … Pablo Mastroeni?
Six men have managed RSL in its 21-year history, but the topic of RSL’s accomplishments, relating to the legacy of its managers and which ones might form its nexus of greatness, when properly dissected, invites ripples of debates and contention, with there being few unanimous choices amongst the Claret-and-Cobalt supporters.
Kreis, both a former player and manager, sits on the throne on that list by primary virtue of securing the Club’s first and currently lone MLS Cup title in 2009, along with heartbreaking losses in three other finals. If for nothing else, his influence remains eternal (at least in an RSL context) for the trophy alone.
Current Head Coach Mastroeni finds himself the latest to be thrust amongst such rarefied company, and for more than a fair few reasons.
The 2024 season, being Mastroeni’s fourth at the helm, saw the 48-year-old preside over one of RSL’s most successful campaigns in the club’s history, reaching a new record for the most points won and goals scored in regular-season history, amongst others. The end of the term also saw the Club’s sixth-place Shield finish amongst 29 teams qualify RSL for the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup again for the first time in nine years, as well as being seeded as a “Tier One” team in the 2025 Leagues Cup under Mastroeni’s stewardship.
Indeed, whilst the selection of RSL’s greatest-ever managers might represent slim pickings, contextually, the facts and figures underlining the 48-year-old across more than four seasons on the Wasatch Front all speak for themselves.
It makes for a solid legacy further bolstered by an even more impressive fact — in no fewer than four years at the club, RSL have never failed to qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs under Mastroeni, while advancing to both the 2021 West Final and the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Semifinal, RSL’s deepest runs in more than a decade.
Since taking the managerial reins at America First Field, first as an interim head coach, in August 2021, Mastroeni’s teams have consistently qualified for every new domestic postseason (four qualifications in four years).
That legacy, however, now finds itself in peril in 2025.
When the Claret-and-Cobalt line up at the Bank of America Stadium on Saturday, Mastroeni and Co. will do so safe in the knowledge that they remain just one point behind the 9th-place playoff line, and three out of seventh-place, and with one game in hand over the teams currently sitting just ahead (Colorado and San Jose).
The rules of the division explicitly state that the first seven placed teams in each conference gain automatic playoff qualification, while the 8th and 9th teams go up against each other in a single head-to-head clash to determine the right to advance into postseason contention.
Last season, the Vancouver Whitecaps managed to advance all the way to the Western Conference quarterfinals of the Audi MLS Cup playoffs, following an eighth-place league table finish, via a victory over 9th-placed Portland Timbers in the customary “play-in” precursor to determine which of the two positions gets the reward of post-season contention.
Mastroeni’s side currently sit in 10th on 31 points, San Jose, Colorado, and Austin (7th) being the teams ahead of them each on 32, 33, and 34 points, respectively. RSL’s point tally and games played place the team only two points behind their Mountain West rivals in 8th, although Texan side, Austin FC, themselves equally boast a one-game advantage over Mastroeni’s men, and two points over their currently closest competitors in 9th and 8th.
RSL have unceremoniously gone from the euphoria of last season’s general successes and performance, and a highly impressive third-place West finish, to the earth-setting realities of the current year. Salvation, however, or at least vestiges of it, remains in the form of retaining a playoff berth for another year. Mastroeni’s teams might have always successfully qualified for the playoffs in all the manager’s years at the helm, but this year’s mission will surely face an uphill battle if RSL fail to capture maximum points in each of the five remaining home games, particularly after failing to capitalize with a crucial victory last time out.
With nine games left now until the end of the regular season, the stage is surely set for what promises to be a riveting Playoff pursuit. Mastroeni might feel little cause for disheartenment, however, despite last weekend’s away defeat, with his Claret-and-Cobalt side enjoying something of a general domestic renaissance as of late, culminating in five wins in the team’s previous eight MLS outings on the back of a swathe of impressive performances, a recent return to positive form, and new encouraging signings.
The tempest is lifted, and optimism looks to be rife in the air again, or so it seems at least. Recent head-to-head meetings, as well, against Saturday’s opponent (no matter how inconsequential in this case) will only serve to increase confidence and bolster such positive feelings. RSL and Charlotte have only met once in Major League Soccer, in both sides’ history, occurring in 2023, where goals from Pablo Ruiz, Anderson Julio, and Jefferson Savarino inspired the hosts to a come-from-behind 3-1 thrashing of the visitors at America First Field. Eight of the members from that squad still remain at the club to this day.
Militating against RSL’s favor, however, will surely be the absence of star midfielder Diego Luna, who will be forced to serve a suspension after suffering a red card in New York as part of the catastrophic series of events that led to the visitors surrendering an early lead and eventually falling to defeat. In his no 8’s absence, Mastroeni will be looking to youngster Zavier Gozo (who scored RSL’s only goal at the Sports Illustrated Stadium) to continue his stellar season, alongside the ability and greater experience of other cast members such as Emeka Eneli, Braian Ojeda, Diogo Gonçalves, Johnny Russell, and William Agada, amongst others.
As far as alternatives also go, new signing Rwan Cruz could potentially be in line for a start or an appearance after being introduced as a substitute last weekend, while Nigerian striker Victor Olatunji could also be set to make his debut either from the start or at some point on Saturday.
Nine games remain on the calendar — for the attainment of salvation, and the preservation of history.
Certain legacies endure and survive the beatings of time; others wilt and crumble under the sacrifices it demands. It is no easy feat. RSL’s head coach will gird his loins, and clutch his pearls, and pray to the gods that he be granted legacy perpetuity — or at least for one more year.
