Real Salt Lake defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 at America First Field on Saturday, coming from behind to clinch third place in the west. The Claret and Cobalt have had an up-and-down season with big wins, stunning draws, and tough losses. RSL suffered a 2-0 loss to Lionel Messi and Inter Miami in the MLS Season Opener in February. After a bumpy start, RSL exploded, winning a club-record 15 straight matches before losing to the LA Galaxy 2-1.Â
Since the loss to the Galaxy at home, RSL struggled to get results, losing leads and failing to defend all over the field. Hard results included the 3-2 loss in Commerce City to rival Colorado, giving the Rapids the Rocky Mountain Cup, and losing two-goal leads against Austin and Portland. The Claret and Cobalt need to tighten their defense and take advantage of their opportunities to stay alive in the postseason.Â
Real Salt Lake will be facing Minnesota United FC in the best-of-three series. The Claret and Cobalt will have home-field advantage in the first round. This season RSL tied Minnesota twice, with RSL giving up a one-goal lead in Saint Paul and a scoreless draw in Sandy. RSL has tied the Loons in four consecutive matches, with the last win belonging to Real Salt Lake, thrashing Minnesota 3-0 at America First Field. Of course, this game will have to have a winner, even if it comes down to penalties. RSL and Minnesota United seem to have figured each other out, but neither side can gain an advantage. Now, as first-round playoff opponents in the MLS Cup Playoffs, both sides will be trying even harder to gain an advantage and exploit the opponent’s weaknesses.Â
Real Salt Lake’s biggest weakness is defending. Injuries to the backline mixed with untimely suspensions have hindered the RSL defense, forcing players to play extra minutes. This increases injury risks as well as lowers long-term stamina as the season progresses. RSL will have to make some moves in the winter transfer window to get more depth in the backline.
RSL’s biggest strength is their attack. They have scored 65 goals this season and have had some magical moments such as Christian “Chicho” Arango’s midfield banger and Diego Luna’s long-range golazo to beat San Jose. This RSL attack is clicking and a potent blend of Diego Luna, Anderson Julio, and Chicho Arango (once he finds his form) will be hard for the opponents to keep at bay. Plus RSL plays at 4,450 feet of elevation, which has proven to be a difficult obstacle for visiting teams to overcome.
Overall, RSL has a strong look heading into the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs. If they can fix their defending and get Chicho back in form, this could be a dangerous team to play in the Playoffs.
2024 MLS Cup Playoffs Best-of Three Schedule:
Game 1: Minnesota Untied at Real Salt Lake
Tuesday, October 29th
7:00pm at America First Field
MLS Season Pass and FS1
Game 2: Real Salt Lake at Minnesota Untied
Saturday November 2nd
7:00pm at Allianz Field
MLS Season Pass
Game 3 (if necessary): Minnesota Untied at Real Salt Lake
Friday November 8th
7:00pm at America First Field
MLS Season Pass
