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Sandy • Players filed in and out of the fourth-story office Wednesday afternoon. Some sauntered in, heads down, peeking at their phones. Others walked in more gingerly, likely feeling the sudden effects of a taxing season finally caught up to them on the day each Real Salt Lake member would undergo an exit physical and shuffle into an offseason in late October.

As explained by those who'd been part of the seven-year postseason streak, it's not the time of year players are used to saying their goodbyes.

"I think this year for RSL was difficult," defender Tony Beltran said. "We were kind of blown apart a little bit the previous offseason. We were trying to put back the pieces, had ideas for the future, and sometimes that doesn't happen quite the way you think they will. I think, for now, RSL's in a little bit of a state of flux."

Less than four months now stands between RSL and its 2016 opening date — the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal series against Mexican club Tigres UANL the last week of February. Asked when he plans to commence studying Tigres, Javier Morales tipped his hand.

"To be honest, I'm already watching them," he said, smiling. "I like Mexican soccer, so I watch a lot and a couple months ago, they played the final of the Copa Liberatadores against River Plate … I already know them. It's going to be a tough game."

Morales and RSL are looking forward, sure. That's all they can do now as the MLS Cup postseason plays itself out over the course of the next six weeks.

» 'Players come and go'

As noted in an end-of-year retrospective on RSL's struggles in 2015, it's still worth noting the presences lost last offseason. Between Nat Borchers, Chris Wingert, Ned Grabavoy and Robbie Findley, RSL lost over 1,000 MLS appearances in a single offseason. Throw in another 130-plus from Alvaro Saborio, who was traded to D.C. United this summer.

That's a lot MLS experience gone in less than a year.

Beltran and Morales agreed, but refused to play the hypothetical game.

"We'd all done it before together," Beltran said. "I'm not going to sit here and say if they were here, we'd be in the postseason. That's not fair to the guys we have. I think we have very talented guys here who can get the job done and we're still trying to figure out why we couldn't. Of course losing people and players of that quality will always hurt."

"To be honest, I think that is my opinion, I didn't miss a lot [those] players [this year] because we know that this is a group sport and that is always going to happen," Morales added. "Players come and go."

Captain Kyle Beckerman didn't have much to say on the topic other than, "It was huge to lose them. It was a huge loss for us, for sure."

» 'It's not always going to be roses'

Second-year coach Jeff Cassar has taken heat from the RSL fan base for the way 2015 transpired. An segment want him out, blaming him for the setbacks that came with an 11-15-8 season.

But Beltran said the locker room is backing Cassar.

"Whenever [a team is] under pressure, immediately the coach is going to be under pressure, under the microscope," he said. "I think this is going to happen throughout everybody's career. It's not always going to be easy. It's not always going to be roses. When you're faced with adversity, that's when your true character shows. That's happening for all of us in the locker room, including Jeff, so of course we stand behind him."

» Beckerman, Rimando staying ready

As the days are cut short and temperatures dip, there's a chance you might see Beckerman taking laps or firing shots on goal at America First Field. The 33-year-old midfielder said he's planning on keeping up his fitness level in case U.S. men's national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann calls on him for upcoming World Cup qualifiers in November.

"I'm just staying fit, being ready if the call-up comes for the qualifiers, so I'll be out at the training field and just trying to keep this fitness we already have and be ready to go and hopefully get this qualifying campaign off to a good start," Beckerman said.

Goalkeeper Nick Rimando, who picked up a knee injury with the USMNT this summer during the Gold Cup tournament, said he's "a little banged up."

"A long season, for sure," he said. "Body's banged up. Kind of goes with the business in my position. … I'm looking forward to next year, that's for sure."

» Beltran's playoff predictions

A year ago, Beltran correctly predicted the 2014 MLS Cup final: The L.A. Galaxy over the New England Revolution. Both of those clubs were bounced from the postseason Wednesday evening. Beltran didn't have as precise of a guess this year.

He chose the Supporter Shield winners, New York Red Bulls, out of the Eastern Conference.

As for out West?

"It could be anyone," Beltran said. "I hope Borch wins it."

-Chris Kamrani

Twitter: @chriskamrani