Real Salt Lake Limping Through Final Regular Season Stretch
Sep 12, 2022, 1:56 PM | Updated: Oct 5, 2022, 1:54 pm
Anderson Julio during the 0-0 draw at America First Field against DC United on September 10, 2022. (Photo by Laura Dearden/Real Salt Lake)
(Photo by Laura Dearden/Real Salt Lake)
SALT LAKE CITY – Real Salt Lake is limping towards the playoffs as the club falls to the seventh position in the Western Conference with just four games remaining.
Over the past 14 games, Real Salt Lake has only won on 3 occasions. No team in the league has recorded fewer wins over that stretch, four other teams have also only won three games over the 14-game period.
Most recently, RSL settled for a goalless draw at home against the worst-placed team in the Eastern Conference; DC United.
Fortunately, Real Salt Lake still has enough games remaining where it can make up ground on those teams above them in the West. Conversely, if the club is not able to turn things around, it could quickly find itself on the wrong side of the playoff line.
RSL is in the seventh position in the west, but the LA Galaxy, who RSL plays in Los Angeles on October 1st in the penultimate game of the season, is just three points shy with a game in hand sitting in eighth.
"It's disappointing at this point." #RSLvDC | @AFCU pic.twitter.com/t8mR0HTjHc
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) September 12, 2022
Above Real Salt Lake in striking distance includes Minnesota, Portland, Nashville, FC Dallas, and Austin. Minnesota and Austin, much like RSL, have played 30 games to date while Portland, Nashville, and FC Dallas have all played 31 games.
Cutting It Close
The final four-game stretch to conclude the 2022 MLS regular season is not easy, however. RSL travels to Austin on Wednesday evening for a midweek affair against the second-best team in the conference. They will return home for a must-win encounter against Eastern Conference for Cincinnati on Saturday, September 17.
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Cincinnati is trending upwards, as they currently sit in the sixth position in the East and are undefeated over their previous nine games.
A road trip to the Galaxy on October 1st and a decision day clash at home against Portland will conclude the regular season.
It would appear that if RSL will make the playoffs, they must win at home against Cincinnati and will likely have to pick up at least four points over the remaining three games.
Nevertheless, RSL continues to play without key contributors Damir Kreilach and Bobby Wood who have spent large portions of the 2022 season sidelined with extensive injuries.
Next Real Salt Lake Fixture
Real Salt Lake will next travel to Austin, who currently holds the second spot in the West, for a midweek affair.
Kickoff is slated for 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday, September 14, and will be available to stream for free via the KSL Sports and KSL 5 TV apps or on KSL Sports dot com.
