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Sandy • There's no such thing as an easy game in Major League Soccer.

Or an easy win, for that matter.

That's how midfielder Ned Grabavoy described Real Salt Lake's approach to Sunday afternoon's match at Chivas USA in Carson, Calif. RSL, per usual, is in the thick of the Western Conference playoff hunt. With a win against the stumbling 6-18-6 Goats, RSL punches their ticket to a seventh consecutive postseason. Chivas is statistically the worst team in MLS, having dropped a league-high 18 matches and conceding a league-high 58 goals through 30 matches.

No matter, said Grabavoy.

"Sometimes teams like this can be dangerous because they can push guys forward," he said. "They can go for it and take more risks than maybe some other teams at this point of the season can. We need to be well-organized."

RSL faces Chivas twice in its last four games — the two sides also meet in the season finale Oct. 22 at Rio Tinto Stadium — and if RSL (13-7-10, 49 points) is to fend off fourth-place FC Dallas (14-10-6, 48 points), a win at StubHub Center is a must.

Especially considering RSL is one of six teams Chivas has managed to beat in 2014.

"We have to come out with the mentality that we're coming out for a win," defender Chris Wingert said. "Sometimes, when you're on the road and it ends up a tie, that's great, but our mentality needs to be keep pressing forward as much as we can."

International duty

There's a chance RSL could be without as many as six players next week due to the FIFA international window opening for two upcoming friendly dates on Oct. 10 and Oct. 14.

Leading scorer Joao Plata (13 goals) has already been called into Ecuador's camp for upcoming friendlies against the United States in East Hartford, Conn., and against El Salvador in East Harrison, N.J.

RSL's all-time leading scorer, Alvaro Saborio, is returning to Costa Rican national team duty and is expected to travel with Los Ticos to friendlies in Oman and South Korea. On Thursday, defender Carlos Salcedo has received another call into Mexico's U-21 camp.

And the hits could conceivably keep on coming. Jurgen Klinsmann is expected to announce his roster for the U.S. friendlies against Ecuador and Honduras Sunday, which means Nick Rimando, Kyle Beckerman and potentially Luis Gil could be gone briefly as well.

"We're just focused on Chivas," RSL coach Jeff Cassar said, "and then on the sixth, when all those players leave, we'll focus on the players we have here."

Temper, temper

Cassar received his first official fine as a head coach Wednesday when the MLS Disciplinary Committee fined him an undisclosed amount for "improper bench conduct" in the club's 2-1 loss at Vancouver on Sept. 27.

"There's no excuse for what I said," Cassar said this week. "It was frustration. I need to do a better job of controlling my tempter. I asked the guys to control theirs, so I've got to control mine. But I'm passionate. I'm passionate for our team and our club. There's just better ways to do it." —

RSL at Chivas USA

O Sunday, 5 p.m.

TV • CW30