Years after it was promised, left for dead and then painstakingly resurrected into a gleaming landmark near the freeway, the controversial $110 million Rio Tinto Stadium opens tonight when Real Salt Lake plays the New York Red Bulls on national television - ushering in a new era for the soccer team that hopes to finally reach the Major League Soccer playoffs for the first time.

"Our guys have been waiting for this for a long, long time," general manager Garth Lagerwey said. "They're going to be really excited and it's certainly going to be a really good game. All that rolled together makes for a pretty phenomenal atmosphere."

Team officials are expecting a sellout crowd of 20,008 at tonight's game, and are entertaining a flurry of activity already, hours before kickoff. Local radio shows are expected to broadcast from the site, and grounds crews and other workers are still hustling to take care of last-minute details.

But for RSL, the game is about more than just the stadium.

The team is locked in an historic playoff race, with 11 of the league's 14 teams still fighting for the five remaining playoff spots. Six are positioned within two points of one another in the standings, making every game crucial.

"Really, it doesn't get much better than this," defender Chris Wingert said. "This is what everybody plays for, and with the stadium full, it's going to be really exciting."

"Emotions are going to be running high, there's no doubt about that," he added, "and it's going to be key to be able to channel your energy a little bit. But I think everybody's pretty focused on just trying to win . . . By far our first priority is trying to get into the playoffs and three points is essential right now."

RSL has never beaten the Red Bulls, who are among the teams fighting with it for a playoff position.

And if the stakes were not high enough already, RSL's Dema Kovalenko said he's desperate to get back on the field after an injury so he can beat New York coach Juan Carlos Osorio, who traded Kovalenko to RSL just two months after taking over the Red Bulls late last year.

"I was thinking all year about these two games," Kovalenko said. "There and home, just against this team, because I don't like the guy, at all. And I don't care if I say it. I don't like him. I don't respect him. And I want to play this game, because I want to help my team to win. That's the most important thing, to get three points."

Kovalenko has played only briefly in the past eight games because of a calf injury - he missed the game at New York, among them - but is one of three injured players who were getting closer to returning to the lineup. Coach Jason Kreis said it's possible that either Kovalenko, striker Fabian Espindola - injured on a celebratory back flip last month - or midfielder Nathan Sturgis could return against the Red Bulls.

Defender Jamison Olave also is back, after serving a one-game yellow-card suspension, though midfielder Andy Williams will miss the game, having been suspended for his red-card ejection last weekend at New England.

Meanwhile, Kreis anticipates an emotional game.

The first player in RSL history, the former striker could hardly believe he was standing in his team's new home when it ran through a workout under the lights Monday.

"It's just awesome," he said. "It's unbelievable. Just being in here is electric, so fill this place with people and some noise, and it will probably put me over the top. I expect myself to be pretty emotional on the sideline."

"We're exactly where we kind of set out to be at the beginning of the year," he added. "We envisioned opening our stadium at the end of the year, and we envisioned these being extremely meaningful games. And so we're here. We're here now. . . These are very meaningful games in a very meaningful stadium."

mcl@sltrib.com