Real Playing Spoilers
Real Salt Lake is in an unfamiliar position on the outside looking in as the playoffs begin later this week. With one last match on the regular season slate, RSL can play spoilers for Seattle, but would need a lot of things to fall in place for the Sounders to miss the postseason for the first time in club history. A Real Salt Lake win on Sunday at CenturyLink Field combined with a San Jose Earthquakes win at FC Dallas and a Sporting Kansas City win or draw against the LA Galaxy would result in Seattle missing out on the playoffs.
While it isn’t the sole goal of RSL to knock Seattle out of the playoffs, the opportunity to play spoilers ranks right up there with the professionalism that comes with stepping out on the field and playing for the RSL shield.
Turf Monsters
To say Real prefers real grass is an understatement. Playing on fake turf, such as the worn-down plastic at CenturyLink Field, Salt Lake is 8-22-6 across all competitions in club history. That includes an 0-3-1 record in league play this year, the lone draw coming in the opening match of the season in a scoreless tie with the Portland Timbers. With 4-0 losses to both New England and Vancouver, that also features two of the most lopsided results of the season this year.
There are some good memories from CenturyLink Field, including winning the 2009 MLS Cup final. So RSL will look to rekindle some of those emotions on Sunday.
The Martins/Dempsey Combo
One of the more lethal pairs in MLS over the last two years has been Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins. The duo combined for 32 goals and 23 assists in leading the Sounders to the Supporters’ Shield in 2014, towering over the totals of 23 goals and 14 assists they have amassed together this season. Part of that is due to injuries, international duty and Dempsey’s midseason suspension for tearing up a referee’s notebook in the U.S. Open Cup, but the chemistry that was so prevalent in 2014 has taken a hit this year.
While Martins has caught fire to close out the season with nine goals in his last 10 matches, Dempsey hasn’t scored since September 5, spanning five scoreless matches and has just one goal in his last 11 league matches. Dempsey was not available for Seattle last time RSL and Seattle met in August and Martins was limited to just two shots on 39 touches – his lowest total of the season in a starting role.
One Last Ride
Sunday is the regular season finale and could be the last match in Claret and Cobalt for some. It certainly will be the final match of the season, though, and the aim of the team is to leave everything on the field and play for themselves, each other and the fans that have supported the club all season through thick and thin, Open Cup semifinal runs and clinching a berth in the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals. It’s been a wild year, but one that RSL can build on for 2016 and that starts with the team finishing on a strong note.
