Real Salt Lake Head Coach Jeff Cassar knows about his club’s history with Sporting Kansas City. In the long term, the two clubs have played some incredibly heated matches in the 2013 MLS Cup final and the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinal, with both matches won by Sporting in Kansas City.
He also knows that in two heated matches this season at Children’s Mercy Park, Real Salt Lake has emerged victorious, with RSL winning in April despite missing several key starters to injuries and suspensions and then following that up with another road win in May.
Most importantly, Cassar knows that neither RSL’s successes or failures against Kansas City in the past will mean much when the two teams square off in Salt Lake’s regular season home finale on Sunday at Rio Tinto Stadium, as both teams are vying for playoff positions in the compact race in the Western Conference.
“Past history, that really doesn’t do anything for us now. Each team knows what’s at stake. Playoff spot, playoff position, home games,” Cassar said after training on Tuesday. “This is a huge game and I know each team knows that.”
With those stakes, RSL welcomed a bye week last week in order to get players healthy heading into the final two matches of the season. RSL has been able to do more in training as players have worked back into health after nursing injuries.
There is plenty on the line, as RSL is looking to climb out of a five-match winless streak that has left the team on the cusp of clinching a postseason berth for the last several weeks. With Seattle Sounders FC heating up in the late months of the season, a win becomes crucial if RSL hopes to hold on to home field advantage in the Knockout Round. Kansas City, meanwhile, is just 1-2-2 in the last five matches and is holding on to the sixth and final playoff spot in the West.
But just like his feelings toward previous matchups with Kansas City, Cassar is keeping his focus on the task at hand and not on anything in the rearview mirror.
The past is the past. We really can’t dwell on something that already happened,” Cassar reiterated. “We have a big opportunity in front of us on Sunday. The group is confident.”
