Fresh off the greatest performance in team history, Real Salt Lake is headed to play the Seattle Sounders on the road Tuesday night in a U.S. Open Cup qualifying game -- and it's taking nearly a top-flight squad in its bid to reach the tournament field.

That marks something of a departure for RSL, which typically has treated U.S. Open Cup games and qualifiers practically as reserve games.

But with valuable spots in the CONCACAF Champions League and SuperLiga open to teams that play deep into the U.S. Open Cup, only a few regular starters are expected to stay home from the game at the Starfire Sports Complex in suburban Tukwila, after RSL destroyed New England 6-0 at Rio Tinto Stadium last weekend to remain perfect at home this season.

RSL must beat Seattle and then Colorado to reach the main tournament field, something it has not done in the two years since the tournament format changed and required it to try to qualify. The U.S. Open Cup is the oldest cup competition in the United States, and is open to both professional and amateur teams at all levels.