As the MLS regular season winds down to its final month, people around the league – fans, media, players and coaches alike – speculate on just what it will take for some teams to make the playoffs and how the seeding might look when things kick off in the last week of October.
As Real Salt Lake goes into the final five matches of the regular season, forward Devon Sandoval has it broken down to a simple formula.
“We win all five, we’ll be in the playoffs,” he laughed in an appearance on The Bill & OC Show on Monday.
Sandoval has been key to RSL’s recent resurgence, scoring three goals in the last two MLS matches – both victories as Real has climbed to within three points of a playoff spot in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. That leap in production coincides with the arrival of Juan Manuel Martinez, who has contributed to five of the last six goals RSL has scored and drew an additional penalty in his debut off the bench against FC Dallas.
“He’s a great player and he makes everybody around him better,” Sandoval said. “For me, he was the missing piece to the puzzle and he’s kind of bringing it all together for us.”
Although the addition of Martinez has been a boon for RSL, Sandoval also thinks that the break after losing 2-0 at FC Dallas was a good opportunity to refocus ahead of the final stretch of games. Since then, RSL has outscored its opponents 6-1 to earn six points from two MLS games.
“I think, honestly, we got the weekend off a few weeks ago and it kind of recharged the batteries for everybody. Everybody came back excited and ready to go,” he said. “Since then, I think it’s shown in our play. We’re back to ourselves. We’re playing the way we want to play. We’re moving the ball. It’s exciting. It’s fun to be a part of.”
While RSL is having fun and scoring goals, it’s not at the expense of the intensity and focus needed to accomplish the team’s goals of reaching the playoffs and advancing in CONCACAF Champions League.
That attitude is exemplified in Sandoval.
“It’s do or die right now. I’m in playoff mode right now,” he said. “If we want to make a run at it, we’ve got to keep on winning.”
To hear the full interview, click here.
