This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Sandy • The chatter tends to fade in and out as the season presses on, but as the dog days of summer transition to early fall in Major League Soccer, it's getting louder. The race for the Supporters' Shield, and playoff seeding is under way in earnest.
And right in the middle of the chase: Real Salt Lake. RSL can clinch its seventh consecutive MLS Cup playoff appearance with a result at Vancouver on Saturday. More notably, a win would thrust RSL right back into the conversation for both the Supporters' Shield and the Western Conference regular season title.
"If we get three points [at Vancouver], now we're nipping on some heels and causing a little bit of ruckus," RSL coach Jeff Cassar said. "That's always a good thing."
Entering the 30th week of the season, RSL (13-6-10, 49 points) sits five points behind league-leaders Seattle and L.A., both of whom have 54 points and have clinched playoff spots. But the regular-season schedule heavily favors RSL as it simultaneously tries to chase the top two clubs atop the table and fend off fourth-place FC Dallas.
Following the trip to Vancouver, RSL twice faces Chivas USA, the league's worst team, the lowly San Jose Earthquakes and the Portland Timbers, who currently occupy the fifth and final playoff spot out West.
"Every point makes a difference, for sure," defender Chris Wingert said. "Maybe it's nicer than playing away at Seattle and L.A., but at the same time, it doesn't mean anything unless we take advantage of it. Still, we know every week's going to be tough."
Following its 5-1 beating of Colorado Friday at Rio Tinto Stadium, the talk of winning the Supporters' Shield returned to the forefront. Cassar's believes earning three points allows teams to make big jumps in the standings, especially late in the season. Seattle's 4-1 loss at New York allowed RSL to stay close. The Sounders play at FC Dallas Wednesday in a game Cassar said firmly, "I'm always rooting for ties."
He continued: "I know what our schedule is, but we have five games that we have to try to get three points and play good soccer, so we'll see what happens."
RSL is currently stuck in sort of a standings purgatory: Needing three points out each time to avoid the Wild Card match, but also knowing a potential chase for the Supporters' Shield is controlled by conference foes.
"I know we're getting closer, but still I think it's just something that talking about and worrying about is not going to change the reality of the way the table is set up," Wingert said. "We just need to keep focusing on earning points every week, and then with a game or two left, we'll see. Hopefully we'll be in a position to get in that top three, and if we're in a position to possibly win the Supporters' Shield, of course we'll be gunning for it."
RSL at Vancouver
O Saturday, 5 p.m.
TV • CW30 —
Supporters' Shield race
1 • x- Seattle Sounders (17-8-3, 54 points)
2 • x- L.A Galaxy (15-5-9, 54 points)
3 • Real Salt Lake (13-6-19, 49 points)
4 • D.C. United (14-9-6, 48 points)
5 • Sporting Kansas City (13-10-6, 45 points)
x-Clinched playoff spot —
2014 MLS Cup playoff schedule
Conference Knockout Round: Oct. 29-30
Conference Semifinal: Leg 1, Nov. 1-2; Leg 2, Nov. 8-9
Conference Championships: Leg 1, Nov. 22-23; Leg 2, Nov. 29-30
MLS Cup Final: Sun. Dec. 7, 1 p.m. MDT