Major League Soccer rivals Real Salt
Lake and Colorado meet with their playoff lives on the line at Rio Tinto
Stadium on Saturday night.
Both teams have a shot at the playoffs, with the Rapids controlling their own
destiny and RSL needing some help.
A Rapids (10-9-10) win and they are in.They can make it to the second season
with a draw as well, but would need help.
RSL needs to defeat Colorado on Saturday and hope that no more than
one of the teams four teams tied at 39 points wins this weekend. If all four
teams with 39 points lose, RSL need to defeat Colorado by more than a one-goal
margin because a win leaves them tied on points and in head-to-head (1-1-1),
so goal differential could decide their fate.
Colorado is coming off a 2-1 loss to FC Dallas last week, forcing it to wait
until the last week of the regular season to try and clinch for the second
straight year.
"It's not the way we planned it, is it? But we're still in it," Rapids coach
Gary Smith. " ... There are so many different angles and ways of looking at
it. Maybe that grief that we experienced last year will be replaced by
adulation, but it doesn't always work out that way."
RSL (10-12-7) is hoping to clinch a playoff spot at the expense of their Rocky
Mountain rivals for the second straight year even though it is coming off a
1-0 loss at Toronto last week.
"First and foremost, you have to take care of your own business," RSL
midfielder Will Johnson told The Salt Lake Tribune. "You have to win the game.
That should be our only focus right now, not trying to calculate every
different scenario. ... You win your game and then you cross your fingers."
RSL is relatively healthy heading into the match, with forward Fabian
Espindola, midfielder Nelson Gonzalez, and defender Chris Wingert are listed
as probable. The Rapids will be without midfielder Colin Clarks, Jacob
Peterson and Jamie Smith because of injuries.
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