Real Salt Lake

[LiveCoug]

Well, it's about to be 1 goal in 5 games and their first MLS loss at home in a very long time. This is sucky.

[Portland Ute]

Talk about falling off a cliff.

Sad.

[BoylenOver]

I thought Saturday was their best offensive performance since the loss to Monterrey. The red card to Olave is an understandable call, but he could've easily given him a yellow since Borchers was closing in. We would've continued the unbeaten streak if it's 11-on-11 the entire game.

We've missed Espindola. He has a high work rate and good touch. But we're going to miss Will. Thankfully Vancouver has been awful this year (especially away from home), and they just fired their head coach.

[BoylenOver]

Great to see Saborio back and scoring goals. Toronto is really, really awful, but RSL did exactly what they needed to do.

[LiveCoug]

RSL has been playing very well the last month. Tonight should be 5 wins in a row, with majority of those on the road.

Morales may be ready to go just in time for the playoffs too... Good times!

[BoylenOver]

RSL had a 7-game unbeaten streak going into the home Columbus fixture on July 30th. Since then, they're 6-1-8. They're currently 0-2-4 in their last 6 matches.

On the bright side, since they finished 3rd in the MLS, and LA and Seattle already clinched CCL berths, RSL would earn a CCL berth if the Galaxy or Sounders make it to the MLS final.

BTW the MLS playoff structure is absolutely horrible.
-the top 3 teams from each conference make it.
-the remaining top 4 (regardless of conference) are seeded and play a one-game wilc card playoff at the higher seed's stadium.
-Once those games are played (Wednesday), the remaining 8 teams (2w/3w, 2e/3e, 1w/lowest-seeded WC, 1e/highest-seeded WC) play a home-and-home tie with the lower seed hosting the first game (Saturday 10-29/Wednesday 11-3).
-The highest seeds remaining in each conference then host a one-game conference final (Sunday 11-6). The Cup final is on November 13th.

I hate it. The top 8 teams in the league should be seeded 1-8, and the 3 rounds leading up to the Cup final should be home-and-home. Or, even if you decide that's too many games, they should be single elimination. None of this "some rounds are knockout, some are home-and-home".

Oh well. Go RSL!!!

[LiveCoug]

Go RSL! Big game tonight!

All they have to do is not lose by 3 and they are in the Western Conference finals.

If LAG beats NYRB (and they should), RSL is then guaranteed a return trip to the CONCACAF championship league.

[LiveCoug]

15th minute. Rain night in Seattle. Sounders players dropping like flies.

[LiveCoug]

30 minutes to go... Seattle up 2-0. This is going to be a scary final 30 minutes... Ugh.

[LiveCoug]

And RSL hangs on. Sheesh that was an intense 2nd half.

On to the Western Conference Finals!!!

[USUC]

Well... that was tense. Geeze.

[HawkeyeUte Scads]

Hmmm, think we could use Borchers and Olave next week?

[Surfah]

So they lost, but advance? What is the playoff format? Points? Is this how all soccer works? Lame.

[hostile]

So they lost, but advance? What is the playoff format? Points? Is this how all soccer works? Lame.

2 game series. One home game for each team. Winner is based on aggregate goals for the entire series. If there is a tie at the end of both games then there is 30 min of OT. Penalty kick after that if the tie persists. Don't know if this is the playoff format everywhere.

[pellegrino]

2 game series. One home game for each team. Winner is based on aggregate goals for the entire series. If there is a tie at the end of both games then there is 30 min of OT. Penalty kick after that if the tie persists. Don't know if this is the playoff format everywhere.

this is the same playoff format used for the UEFA Champions league. The only difference being that UEFA's final is a winner takes all game played on a neutral field.