But don't expect Real Salt Lake to sit back and simply try to protect its lead in the second leg of its two-game Major League Soccer playoff series tonight against Chivas USA at the Home Depot Center.

"I don't think we're talking about preserving anything," coach Jason Kreis said. "I think we're looking at this as a separate game that we want to win. That's really been our mentality all year long - that we're going out for points. This is no different. It's just that this is a playoff game, so it seems different to everybody else."

Just a little.

RSL has never been in the playoffs before, but now is riding a six-game unbeaten streak and sits just 90 minutes away from reaching the MLS Western Conference final - a game that would be played at Rio Tinto Stadium next weekend if New York wins at Houston on Sunday, as well.

Having won the first leg of the series at home 1-0 last weekend, RSL needs only a tie to advance on aggregate; the team with the most goals combined in the two games wins. Yet it expects to face a far different team on the road than it faced at home.

"We're definitely going to see a different Chivas mentality," midfielder Will Johnson said. "I can guarantee you that. They're going to come out hard, aggressive. I think the way they're looking at it, they think they would have had to score a goal at home, anyway, so it didn't really matter that we scored. They still think they have to win at home. Nothing's changed."

The Goats could be better equipped tonight, though.

Goalkeeper Dan Kennedy is eligible to return from a red-card suspension, though coach Preki Radosavljevi could keep veteran Zach Thornton in goal after a "solid" performance last weekend. Striker Alecko Eskandarian and midfielders Sacha Victorine and Atiba Harris could return, too, after missing the first leg of the series with injuries. Defender Claudio Suarez is not expected back, however.

"Most likely, they're going to be coming out trying to put pressure on us," RSL defender Chris Wingert said. "Hopefully, we can break the pressure and score."

That pressure rests squarely on Chivas, though.

While RSL is facing the same situation it did at Colorado in the regular-season finale two weeks ago, the Goats have not scored in their last four playoff games, and are facing their third straight first-round playoff exit, if they can't beat RSL. They faced the same situation last year against Kansas City - needing a win at home - and failed to score.

"Last year we clearly dominated the game here but we were just not lucky," Chivas' Ante Razov told mlsnet.com. "Sometimes you have to be lucky. We're hoping [today] doesn't come to that. If we put the same kind of effort into it as we did last year, we'll win the game."

mcl@sltrib.com

Scenarios for Real Salt Lake

* RSL needs a win or a draw at Chivas tonight to advance to the MLS Western Conference final for the first time.

* If RSL loses by one goal to tie the two-game series, the teams will play overtime and take penalty kicks, if necessary, to determine the winner.

* If RSL loses by more than one goal, it will be eliminated.

RSL at Chivas USA

At the Home Depot Center, Carson, Calif.

Kickoff: 8:30 p.m. MST

TV: Fox Soccer Channel

Radio: 700 AM, 1600 AM

Records: RSL 11-10-10, Chivas 12-12-7

Series: Chivas leads 8-4-3

Last Meeting: RSL 1, Chivas 0 (Nov. 1)