MLS Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake Update

October 14, 2013 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


Real Salt Lake (15-10-7, West #2) returns to MLS action this Saturday when it takes on the Portland Timbers (13-5-14, West #1) in a crucial top of the table clash at 8:30 p.m. MT at JELD-WEN Field.

Real Salt Lake will clinch a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs with a win or tie on Saturday. RSL has qualified for the playoffs in five-consecutive seasons, the longest such active streak in the league. RSL's current five-year streak of postseason qualification is tied with D.C., LA Galaxy, Chicago Fire and Sporting Kansas City for the third-longest run of consecutive years of playoff qualification in league history. The New England Revolution and New York Red Bulls had eight-year and six-year streaks of playoff qualification, respectively.

RSL and Portland have already met twice this year in MLS regular season play, with the Claret-and-Cobalt recording a 3-3 tie on August 21 at JELD-WEN Field, and defeating the Timbers 4-2 on August 30 at Rio Tinto Stadium. RSL and Portland met for the first time this year on August 7 in the U.S. Open Cup semifinal, where the Claret-and-Cobalt went on to win 2-1 to advance to the final.

Real Salt Lake will need a win on Saturday in order to have a shot at winning the Western Conference. The Claret-and-Cobalt will win the Western Conference if it defeats the Timbers and Chivas USA on Oct. 23. Real Salt Lake currently sits in second-place in the West with 52 points, one point behind first-place Portland who leads with 53 points. Seattle is now in third-place with 51 points, one point behind the Claret-and-Cobalt. All three teams are now on even footing with 32 games played by all.

In the Supporters' Shield race, RSL finds itself in third-place behind the New York Red Bulls and the Portland Timbers. New York leads Portland on the total wins tiebreaker by notching two more wins than the Timbers; both teams are tied with 53 points total. A win on Saturday would keep RSL competitive in the Supporters' Shield race.

Portland enters Saturday's contest coming off a significant 1-0 win over Seattle Sounders FC on October 13, which saw the Timbers move into first-place in the Western Conference and second-place in the Supporters' Shield race. Portland is unbeaten in its last 14 home games at JELD-WEN Field, which is the second-longest home unbeaten streak in MLS this season, trailing only San Jose's current 15-game home unbeaten run.

Saturday's match will be broadcast live on CW30, ESPN700 and 102.3 La Gran D FM/1600 AM. CW30 will air the 30-minute Ford Postgame Show immediately after the match; ESPN700 will air an hour-long pregame show before the game and will broadcast an hour-long postgame following the contest.

REAL SALT LAKE'S FINAL MATCHES HOLD MASSIVE SUPPORTERS' SHIELD AND WESTERN CONFERENCE TITLE IMPLICATIONS

The Portland Timbers' 1-0 win over Seattle Sounders FC on Sunday has increased the significance of Real Salt Lake's final two MLS regular season matches. Real Salt Lake needed the Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders FC to tie in order for the Claret-and-Cobalt to remain in first-place in the Western Conference by virtue of the goals scored tiebreaker, and remain in second place in the Supporters' Shield race. Sunday's results now put an extra emphasis on recording a win against the Timbers when they face each other on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 8:30 p.m. MT at JELD-WEN Field.

With the Timbers' win over Seattle, Real Salt Lake now finds itself in second-place in the West with 52 points, one point behind first-place Portland who leads with 53 points. Seattle is now in third-place with 51 points, one point behind the Claret-and-Cobalt. All three teams are now on even footing with 32 games played by all.

In the Supporters' Shield race, RSL is in third-place behind the New York Red Bulls and the Portland Timbers. New York leads Portland on the total wins tiebreaker by notching two more wins than the Timbers; both teams are tied with 53 points total.

In what has turned out the be one of the tightest playoff races in MLS history, no team in the Western Conference has clinched a playoff berth with two games remaining in the regular season (except LA who have three). A win or tie on Saturday for Real Salt Lake would clinch its sixth-consecutive playoff berth, with a win guaranteeing at least fourth-place in the West. If RSL defeats Portland and Chivas USA on Oct. 23, the Claret-and-Cobalt would win the West.

RSL's position might become clearer after the LA Galaxy take on the Montreal Impact on Wednesday, Oct. 16 at the StubHub Center at 8:30 p.m. MT. An LA loss would guarantee RSL at least third-place in the West if the Claret-and-Cobalt win on Saturday. A win plus a New York Red Bulls loss or tie to the Houston Dynamo on Sunday would allow Real Salt Lake to retake the lead in the Supporters' Shield race.

BECKERMAN, RIMANDO AND SABORIO REMAIN WITH RESPECTIVE NATIONAL TEAMS FOR FINAL CONCACAF WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS

RSL captain Kyle Beckerman (U.S.), GK Nick Rimando (U.S.), and FW Alvaro Saborio (Costa Rica) will have one more opportunity to feature for their respective national teams in World Cup Qualifying on Tuesday. The final CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers will feature the U.S. traveling south to take on Panama at Estadio Rommel Fernandez and Costa Rica hosting Mexico.

The U.S. and Costa Rica have already qualified for next summer's 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

One of three Real Salt Lake internationals saw action last Friday night, with forward Alvaro Saborio starting and playing 70 minutes for Costa Rica in Los Ticos' 1-0 World Cup Qualifying loss at Honduras. RSL's U.S. internationals Kyle Beckerman and Nick Rimando did not play in the Americans' 2-0 win over Jamaica at Sporting Park in Kansas City.

Friday's results clinched first-place in the CONCACAF Hexagonal for the U.S., which has now won the Hex in three-straight World Cup Qualifying cycles. Costa Rica sits in second in the six-nation group with 15 points, four points behind the U.S.'s 19

Beckerman, Rimando and Saborio will all return to RSL following Tuesday's matches. All three players are expected to be available for selection in the Claret-and-Cobalt's next match on Saturday, Oct. 19 at the Portland Timbers.

MLS PARTNERS WITH SPECIAL OLYMPICS TO PROMOTE ACCEPTANCE AND INCLUSION THROUGH SPORT

MLS WORKS, Major League Soccer's community outreach initiative, has announced a partnership with Special Olympics to bring soccer, the world's most popular sport, to more athletes with intellectual disabilities.

The partnership will leverage the strength of Major League Soccer to promote awareness, respect, inclusion and acceptance of Special Olympics athletes throughout the soccer community.

Support from the MLS community will help raise awareness about the opportunities available to athletes with intellectual disabilities, increasing the number of participants, coaches, and fans needed to grow the sport of soccer within Special Olympics North America programs.

Unique to this partnership is an exchange program for Special Olympics Unified Sports soccer teams, which are comprised of players both with and without intellectual disabilities.

These Special Olympics Unified Sports soccer teams, supported by their respective home-state MLS clubs, will not only receive training from their own MLS players and coaches, but will also travel to other MLS markets to train alongside their Special Olympics counterparts.

In addition to training sessions, the Unified Sports soccer teams will also compete in games as part of the exchange program. These Special Olympics Unified Sports soccer matches, scheduled in conjunction with MLS home games, will be played between the two Unified teams clad in their MLS clubs' uniforms.

The exchange program not only provides Special Olympics athletes with top-level training and competitive experiences, but also offers MLS fans an opportunity to witness the talents and abilities of Special Olympics soccer players first-hand.

REAL SALT LAKE INJURY REPORT

OUT: GK Josh Saunders (L ACL reconstruction), DF Kwame Watson-Siriboe (R ACL reconstruction), DF Brandon McDonald (L hamstring strain)

QUESTIONALBE: None

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