Real Salt Lake (13-14-6, 45 points, 8th West) enters Major League Soccer’s “Decision Day” reeling from back-to-back losses for the first time in the two-month Pablo Mastroeni era. That the consecutive setbacks resulted at home – a rare occurrence, just the third such in 95 Utah-based games spanning the last six seasons – provides a special kind of pain over and above the lost opportunities of advancing to the postseason for the 11th time in 14 seasons, which could have been achieved simply by winning against already-eliminated San Jose or celebrating an electric “Kyle Beckerman Night” against Portland with three points.
For a third consecutive match, RSL faces a “win and you’re in” reality, as the Claret-and-Cobalt remain mired amongst a glut of five teams within three points of each other battling for the final three Audi MLS Cup Playoff spots in the Western Conference. Win in Kansas City, get to 48 points, advance to fight another playoff day on the strength of the WINS tiebreaker over Minnesota, LA Galaxy, Vancouver or LAFC, based on the body of work accomplished over the course of this 34-game season.
Due to the MLS tiebreaker hierarchy – 1) wins, 2) goal difference and 3) head-to-head, Interim RSL Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni’s team still has life, heading to Children’s Mercy Park with a simple job: win at Kansas City, extend the season and prepare for the 2021 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, kicking off in two weeks on November 20.
RSL fans are likely quick to remember heartbreaking losses in massive games in America’s Heartland, most notably the 20-round penalty-kick loss in sub-freezing temperatures of MLS Cup 2013. RSL lost the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Semifinal at Kansas City, as well.
However, RSL did win in its last visit to Kansas, back in August, 2019, riding a Corey Baird brace in the 38th and 70th minutes to erase an early Sporting lead courtesy of Johnny Russell. Since MLS Cup 2013, RSL is 3-1-3 (W-L-T) at Children’s Mercy Park, the Club’s second-best road mark over the last eight seasons. Overall, RSL is 8-2-5 against Vermes & Co in that time, not including an Orlando “bubble” loss in 2020.
In both 2008 and 2009, RSL earned the needed result on “Decision Day” against rival Colorado to qualify for the postseason. In each of these seasons, RSL also received the help required from other results in order to advance.
In recent campaigns, RSL has only entered “Decision Day” on two occasions with its postseason fate in the balance. Back in 2017, RSL won at home over Kansas City to get the three points it could control, but did not see other results go its way, finishing that year on the outside looking in.
One year later, in 2018, RSL traveled to Portland and lost its “Decision Day” tilt 0-3 to the Timbers, but a simultaneous LA Galaxy loss at Houston allowed RSL to advance to that year’s Knockout Round, where the Claret-and-Cobalt so memorably won away at LAFC in a game remembered for Damir Kreilach’s amazing Karate Kid goal.
Wednesday’s 1-3 loss against Portland snapped RSL’s perfect 5-game win streak following losses in the last 60 days guided by Mastroeni, while last Saturday’s 3-4 loss to San Jose had snapped a 5-game home win streak with Pablo at the helm. The back-to back home losses drop RSL to 4-2-0 at Rio Tinto Stadium under Mastroeni, finishing 9-4-4 overall this season. Earlier this year, RSL dropped nine points from winning positions at home under former head coach Freddy Juarez; giving up the 1-0 lead last Saturday led to the only dropped home points (3) under Mastroeni, from a winning position.
All-time, RSL has been dominant at home since moving into Rio Tinto Stadium in its history, with a 123-35-55 won/loss/tie mark since moving into the Sandy venue 13 years ago. Across all competitions, RSL is 158-51-71 (W-L-T) at the place known affectionately as the “RioT,” with a 6-2-3 mark in the MLS Cup Playoffs, 8-1-2 in CONCACAF Champions League, 8-4-2 in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, and 0-1-0 in Leagues Cup. In international exhibition play, RSL is only 13-8-9 (W-L-T).
During Mastroeni’s two-month tenure, Real Salt Lake has won six of 12 following the opening 1-4 loss at Vancouver, for which he was coach of record 36 hours after the Juarez resignation. Mastroeni, the former Colorado Rapids mainstay, has posted a 6-7-0 overall record (W-L-T), with a dismal 2-5-0 road record as part of its overall 4-10-2 away ledger this season.
As mentioned, RSL is now an admirable 5-1-0 under Mastroeni in games immediately following a loss, rebounding to capture the full three points in the 90 minutes after each setback, feats emblematic of the grit, guile and poise exhibited by the current group.
Win on Sunday in a venomous, vitriol-filled trip to Kansas City, and RSL returns to the postseason, where anything can happen in the “Big Dance.” Most likely outcome with an RSL win is a 7-seed and a return trip to KC on November 20 when the 2021 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs kick off.
Although, RSL grabbing the 6- or 7-seed and ending up with its other rival – the Colorado Rapids – for a first-ever playoff edition of the Rocky Mountain Cup, could be a tantalizing and much-anticipated matchup. Especially with Pablo Mastroeni donning the Claret-and-Cobalt, and Robin Fraser now at the Rapids helm.
Find a way to dig deep, capture three points, celebrate RSL Captain Albert Rusnák becoming the Claret-and-Cobalt’s first-ever 3000-minute player and believe in the group that has brought us so many memorable moments this 2021 season, and it could all be there for the taking in Major League Soccer’s postseason tourney.
