After nearly eight months of matches, the MLS season has reached Decision Day.
For Real Salt Lake, it’s a simple scenario: Win and you’re in. Tie or lose and you might be out of luck.
It will try to keep others out of the equation Saturday night when it closes the regular season at St. Louis City SC.
RSL (12-17-4, 40 points) could have sealed its postseason berth on October 11 in Seattle but conceded in the fourth minute of a 1-0 loss to the Sounders. That kept Dallas (41 points) and Colorado (40 points) in contention for the final two playoffs spots, although both have tough matches against West-leading Vancouver and LAFC, respectively.
“We all know what’s on the line right now,” said defender Justen Glad. “It’s that time of year where it’s going to take a little more to win games. You’re going to get defeated every once in a while and it’s how quick you can bounce back.
“I think we’ve shown that we’re quite resilient in the matter. We know what we have to do.”
While RSL is fighting for survival, St. Louis (8-18-7, 31 points) is finding some of its best form after being eliminated from playoff contention. It went to Austin on Oct. 4 and scored a 3-1 win, improving to 3-1-1 in its last five matches.
Marcel Hartel posted a brace and Simon Becher added insurance in the third minute of stoppage time. St. Louis has struggled to score most of the year, leading to the firing of first-year coach Olof Mellberg in late May, but has tallied nine times in the last five fixtures.
Veteran midfielder Eduard Lowen, who sat out due to injury at Austin, said the team needs to think only about being a playoff side next year.
“St. Louis City is a club that wants to be a playoff team and I think we should be,” he said. “This club gives us all the resources. And I think we, this club, have so much potential.”
RSL earned a 3-2 win over St. Louis in the teams’ first meeting on July 5.
–Field Level Media
