RSL Looks To Rebound Wednesday In Must-Win Affair

SALT LAKE CITY – Riding high off the emotions of last Wednesday’s dramatic and emotional finish at Dallas, resulting in a 2-1 comeback victory and control of its postseason destiny, Real Salt Lake returned Saturday for the first of consecutive matches at Rio Tinto Stadium to close out its 2021 regular season, playing 30 minutes of its finest soccer all season.

Leaders Lead

RSL (now 13-13-6, 45 points) saw Captain Albert Rusnák find the back of the net for the 9^th time this year in the 9^th minute, a 1-0 lead that might’ve been 4-0 after a half-hour were it not for stellar saves from San Jose GK J.T. Marcinkowski and desperation defending from his Earthquakes teammates.

RSL conceded four unanswered goals to San Jose in the next 50 minutes, before substitute Mikael Chang gave RSL a lifeline in the 85^th minute. Rusnák later scored three minutes into second-half stoppage for his 2^nd goal of the match, becoming the first RSL player since 2006 (Jeff Cunningham) to notch double-digit totals in goals (10) and assists (11) in a single campaign.

ICYMI the Captain joined the double digits club yesterday. Well done, Albert 👏 pic.twitter.com/gj9WMSPtsU

— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) October 31, 2021

The inability to finish those early chances means that RSL suffered a 3-4 home loss – snapping a seven-game win streak, the longest in the Club’s 17-year MLS history, and a nine-game unbeaten run in Sandy (10 games if the 4-0 “road” victory against former tenant Vancouver on July 7 is included) – and ultimately relinquished the “game in hand” it had in its back pocket, still mired in a glut of six teams (Portland, Minnesota, LA Galaxy, Vancouver, LAFC and RSL) within five points challenging for the final four Western Conference postseason berths.

Let the MLS scoreboard watching commence, as LA Galaxy visit Seattle Sounders Monday night, prior to LAFC hosting Vancouver Whitecaps on Tuesday in a pair of games involving three teams that could greatly affect the collective Claret-and-Cobalt mood for Wednesday night’s home match against the Portland Timbers, currently in fourth place with 48 points.

To an extent, RSL doesn’t actually need a preponderance of help or particularly specific results from the Monday/Tuesday MLS Western Conference matchups. According to http://www.sportsclubstats.com/USA/MLS/West.html, RSL would emerge from a win on Wednesday over Portland with a 95% chance of qualifying for the 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs for the 11^th time in the last 14 seasons.

However, a loss drops the current 60% probability to 17%, while a draw leaves the Utah side with only a 25% chance of qualification.

Bounce Back King

RSL enters Wednesday’s match with a perfect 5-0-0 record following losses in the last 60 days, the entirety of Interim Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni’s tenure. However, the loss continued an eight-game run of alternating results dating back to September 18 – W-L-W-L-W-L-W-L – a pattern, if continued Wednesday, should allow the Club and its supporters to breathe a little easier entering Sunday’s MLS “Decision Day” at rival Kansas City.

"It's as disappointing as it comes."#RSLvSJ | @AFCU pic.twitter.com/ESM9nWuqpG

— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) November 1, 2021

But the waters are turbulent entering Wednesday; Saturday’s surprising loss to San Jose was it’s first at home under Mastroeni, the Club now 4-1-0 at Rio Tinto Stadium with Pablo at the helm, and 9-3-4 overall this season. In their last meeting, Portland decimated visiting RSL 6-1 back on September 25

All-time, RSL has been dominant at home since moving into Rio Tinto Stadium in its history, with a 123-34-55 won/loss/tie mark since moving into the Sandy venue 13 years ago this month. Across all competitions, RSL is 158-50-71 (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 11 following his opening 1-4 loss at Vancouver. The former Colorado Rapids mainstay has posted a 6-6-0 overall record (W-L-T), with a sparkling 4-1-0 mark at its Rio Tinto Stadium home and a dismal 2-5-0 road record as part of its overall 4-10-2 away ledger this season. However, RSL is a perfect 5-0-0 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.

These stakes arriving on a night in which RSL will honor Club icon Kyle Beckerman for his stellar career in a match televised nationally on ESPN2, with 8:00 p.m. pregame festivities including various in-stadium and on-field ceremonies featuring Beckerman, who changed the Club’s culture and competitive makeup upon arrival on the Wasatch Front in July, 2007.

Win Wednesday, and Sunday’s venomous, vitriol-filled trip to Kansas City becomes slightly less so. Fail to capture the full three points in a true “must-win” over Portland, Sunday’s “Decision Day” trip to the site of a heartbreaking MLS Cup 2013 loss and the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Semifinal setback could loom overwhelmingly large.