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Sandy • There were a handful of moments in which Luke Mulholland broke away from his thousand-yard stare inside the Real Salt Lake locker room Sunday afternoon. But each time the RSL midfielder was asked about the team's latest missed opportunity to cement a postseason slot, he formulated another answer and fell back into the stare.
Are there nerves now that RSL, in second place and in striking range of a Supporter's Shield run two months ago, remains on the outside looking in? RSL is winless in its last six following Sunday's 0-0 draw with Sporting Kansas City, has scored one goal in its last five and managed just three points in its last four home matches of 2016.
"If we don't make the playoffs then we say to ourselves, 'We weren't good enough because we didn't win in any of our last seven games of the year,'" Mulholland said bluntly. "So I think if that's the case then you hold your hands up."
They'll cross that bridge when the final whistle blows inside a frenzied CenturyLink Field Sunday afternoon in downtown Seattle. Just not yet. A win or draw gets RSL into the MLS Cup playoffs on Oct. 23. A win secures the No. 4 seed and a midweek home game at Rio Tinto Stadium. A draw gets RSL in — then they'd wait to see how other results shake out.
A loss leaves RSL rooting hard for two teams totally out of the postseason picture as Vancouver hosts Portland Sunday and San Jose travels to Sporting KC. So if you're interested in hitting the road with RSL should it make it as the No. 5 or No. 6 seed, start booking hotels in L.A., Seattle, Portland or Kansas City.
"Once we book ourselves a spot in the playoffs, we've got all to play for," Mulholland said. "We're not out of it yet."
Not yet. But RSL is riding a five-game losing streak in Seattle dating back to 2013 in which it has conceded a combined 14 goals. RSL's last win in the Emerald City came in the spring of 2012. A result is much easier said than done at this juncture of this downward slide. RSL's lone goal since Sept. 7 came on an awkward deflection off a goalkeeper's back in San Jose. That was off a similarly awkward shot from center back Justen Glad.
The once high-scoring, dynamic front line has been silenced by both the opposition and itself. When golden chances pop up, they aren't being converted. Neither Yura Movsisyan, Joao Plata or Burrito Martinez have scored since that 3-3 draw against the Galaxy on Sept. 7. Kyle Beckerman said it plainly after the draw, "We're just not sharp in front of goal right now." But the RSL captain added that they're doing everything in training that would be expected when a team is in the middle of struggle scoring goals.
"And we'll do it again this week and hopefully it'll turn out better for us next week," he added.
RSL coach Jeff Cassar said being shutout again won't work any wonders for the club in the short-term. Players aren't going to look back on that game glowingly, so the already low-confidence level will remain. What awaits now is one last test, in game No. 34, to halt an ugly, lopsided losing skid and ensure the goal drought of the last two months doesn't define an entire season.
"That is part of our job as coaches is to now, this week, put them in positions to make them feel that they can score in anytime they touch the ball," Cassar said.
Twitter: @chriskamrani —
Real Salt Lake at Seattle Sounders
Sunday, 2 p.m.
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