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Sandy • What does the future hold exactly for Jeff Cassar? Beyond the halfway point in the final year of the three-year contract he signed when named head coach at Real Salt Lake in December 2013, Cassar can't help but wonder himself. The calendar is only drawing Cassar — and the club — closer toward an eventual decision day.

"At the end of the day, we need to win to get that extension," the 42-year-old coach told the Tribune. "I think I have full confidence in myself, the staff and the team that we will get that done."

Cassar said he's made it clear to owner Dell Loy Hansen and general manager Craig Waibel that he wants to continue to lead RSL in the coming seasons. RSL, Cassar believes, remains headed "in the right direction" on the heels of the formation change implemented a year ago and the respective roster pieces brought in to complement the move. With the looming addition of a planned $50 million soccer facility in Herriman expected to completed in August 2017, Cassar said he wants to remain part of the fold and help usher in that next era of the franchise.

"I would love to be here to keep growing that and keep growing our club," he said.

The question remains: Will he get that chance?

Waibel said conversations between Cassar and the RSL front office haven't begun — at least not yet.

"I think it's safe to say summer is a good time to start conversations, but I don't think summer is the time we end the conversation," Waibel said. "I think there's a long way to go."

In his two-and-a-half seasons at the helm, Cassar has guided RSL to an overall record of 34-29-25. In Year 1, RSL steamrolled through the regular season, finishing third in the West with 56 points at 15-8-11. The team fell on hard times in 2015. The MLS Expansion Draft struck. Veterans were moved. Injuries slammed the club week after week. For the first time in seven years, RSL did not make the MLS playoffs.

But Waibel and the front office fortified the RSL roster over the past year by signing Designated Players such as forwards Burrito Martinez and Yura Movsisyan. It later added two-way Nigerian midfielder Sunday Stephen, who had an immediate impact in the starting lineup before suffering multiple facial fractures that have left him out of the fray. RSL started off 2016 with a bang, entering early June 7-2-4 after playing nine of its first 13 on the road. In the scorching summer months, RSL has cooled off, going 1-2-4 in its past seven league outings — five of which have been at home.

Despite the struggles, Cassar believes a playoff berth is imminent for this group.

"Right now, it's a busy time of the year," he said. "It's a time where we need to get results and get points and put ourselves in a position for the playoffs. I fully believe that if we take care of that, the other things will fall into line."

A priority for Cassar heading into these final three months of the regular season is keeping an open line of communication between himself, Hansen, Waibel and the remaining powers-that-be at RSL. Despite the state of uncertainty, he says his attention and energy remain solely on the team.

"I would be cheating them if I didn't do that — that's not me," he said. "I give everything I have to this club and to the players."

Waibel hummed a familiar tune, saying the evaluation process always remains ongoing at a club-wide level moving forward.

"Jeff's doing a good job on the field and we're doing a good job in the front office and success will take us where it's going to take us," Waibel said.

No matter how it's sliced, Cassar is the latest face of the franchise to find himself in a contract year at RSL. In 2013, it was Jason Kreis, In 2014, former GM Garth Lagerwey. Last year, longtime team president Bill Manning saw his contract expire in the summer before later joining Toronto FC in the same capacity.

"I think they're all different situations, but I would be naive if that did not come into my mind," Cassar said. "I think when you have plans for the future, you need to have plans for the future. You can't have a four-year plan on a six-month plan.

"It's important for the staff to have that certainty. But with that being said, it's a results business. But I sure don't want to be going into September not knowing, because if the team is doing well, I don't see why there would be change."

Twitter: @chriskamrani —

By the numbers

Jeff Cassar's coaching records midway through his third year with RSL:

MLS • 34-29-25

U.S. Open Cup • 3-2-2

CONCACAF Champions League • 3-1-2, lost to Tigres UANL in CCL quarterfinal round

2016 • 8-6-6, 30 points, 29 goals scored, 30 conceded, currently fourth in Western Conference

2015 • 11-15-8, 41 points, 38 goals scored, 48 conceded, missed postseason for first time in seven years

2014 • 15-8-11, 56 points, 54 goals scored, 39 conceded, third overall in Western Conference, lost in semifinal round to L.A. Galaxy —

San Jose Earthquakes at Real Salt Lake

P At Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy

Kickoff • Saturday, 9 p.m.

TV • KMYU

Radio • 700 AM

Records • RSL 8-6-6, San Jose 6-6-7

Last meeting • San Jose 1, RSL 0 (Sept. 27, 2015 at Avaya Stadium)

About RSL • RSL is 1-2-4 in its last seven league matches since returning from the Copa America break. … In its last five home outings, RSL is just 1-0-4. … Captain Kyle Beckerman was chosen as RSL's lone MLS All-Star to represent MLS against Arsenal on July 28 in San Jose, Calif. … In its last seven matches, RSL has scored just six goals after averaging nearly two goals per game the first three months of the year. … RSL lost to Inter Milan 2-1 in Tuesday's international friendly.

About San Jose • The Earthquakes are coming off a 2-1 win over Toronto FC at home despite playing much of the second half down to nine men. … San Jose midfielders Anibal Godoy and Alberto Quintero each had their red cards against Toronto FC rescinded by MLS and will be available against RSL. … San Jose is yet to win on the road in 2016 at 0-5-4. … The Earthquakes sit in eighth place in the Western Conference. … Forward Chris Wondolowski leads the Quakes with seven goals. … Midfielder Shea Salinas leads San Jose in assists with four.