Real Salt Lake Clinch 2025 Playoff Berth, Journey to Portland Wednesday

Four Wins in Last Eight Down Stretch Allow RSL to Clinch Ninth in West;

Winner of Wednesday’s West Wild Card Match Advances to First-Round Series w/ San Diego;

RSL Clinches Western Conference-Best Fifth Consecutive Postseason Appearance w/ 2-2 Draw in St. Louis;

RSL Win Wednesday Secures First Round Audi MLS Cup Playoff Leg Two at America First Field on Saturday, Nov. 2;

RSL w/ Eight Wins, Two Draws in Last 13 at Home Since June 1;

Tickets Will Be Available at ***www.RSL.com/tickets*** IF RSL Advances

HERRIMAN, Utah (Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025) – Real Salt Lake (12-17-5, 41 factors, 9^th West / 19^th Shield) completed its 2025 Major League Soccer common season with a 2-2 win at St. Louis CITY SC on Saturday’s MLS “Decision Day,” clinching its Conference-best fifth consecutive postseason berth, advancing to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for the seventh time in eight seasons (2020 the lone exception), and for the 15^th event within the final 18 campaigns since first qualifying in 2008 (the 2015 and 2017 non-playoff years are the opposite outliers).

This Wednesday, RSL travels to face Portland Timbers FC (11-12-11, 44 factors, 8^th West / 17^th Shield) at Providence Park close to downtown Portland, with the winner advancing to take part within the best-of-three sport First-Round Series in opposition to San Diego FC, this yr’s Western Conference reg. season champion and the No. 1 general West seed. Should RSL get previous Portland, it could play Leg One of the First Round sequence Sunday, Oct. 26 at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego (7:30p MT kickoff), with the lone potential dwelling RSL playoff sport this yr occurring on Sat., Nov. 1 at America First Field (additionally a 7:30p MT kickoff, with tickets out there at www.RSL.com/tickets with a Wednesday victory or shootout win).

Wednesday’s RSL contest is obtainable by way of Apple TV+ / MLS Season Pass, with Tony Husband and Ross Smith (ENG) joined by Andrew Wiebe on the decision, as are Carlos Suarez and Jesus Acosta (SPN). Iconic RSL voice David James will name the sport dwell from Portland for KSL Sports Radio (1160 AM / 97.5 FM), with Nelson Moran in his 21^st season as RSL’s Spanish radio dwelling on each 102.3 KDUT FM / 106.3 FM KBMG.

Real Salt Lake and Portland have met on three prior Audi MLS Cup Playoff events, the final occurring within the 2021 Western Conference Final performed at Providence Park, a 2-0 Timbers victory. RSL eradicated Portland from the MLS postseason in each 2019 (a 2-1, single-game elimination within the West Semifinal stage) and 2013 (a 4-2 mixture aim sequence win after 180 minutes, together with a 1-0 highway victory within the second leg of the West Final).

RSL is unbeaten in its final three video games performed in opposition to the Timbers, drawing twice at dwelling in 2024 and 2025 and profitable within the Pacific Northwest earlier this season. Back on July 16, RSL gained 1-0 at Portland, using a late game-winner from Diogo Goncalves, arrange by an help from substitute Ari Piol. The defensive clear sheet that evening was the seventh of 9 general on this 39-game marketing campaign, with excellent RSL goalkeeper and Captain Rafael Cabral showing in each one among 3,510 minutes performed this yr throughout MLS regular-season, Leagues Cup and Champions Cup. Cabral stopped 4 of the 9 penalty kicks he confronted this season in regulation, together with an excellent efficiency within the dramatic PK shootout in opposition to Club América on July 30.

Real Salt Lake striker Victor Olatunji was named to MLSSoccer.com’s newest MLS “Team of the Matchday” for his two-goal efficiency Saturday in RSL’s 2-2 “Decision Day” draw at St. Louis. Olatunji’s brace Saturday evening was RSL’s fourth of the 2025 marketing campaign, with two beforehand in MLS reg. season motion (each by Diego Luna) and one by Braian Ojeda in Leagues Cup.

Both of Olatunji’s objectives got here within the first 32 minutes on a wet evening at Energizer Park, giving RSL a 2-0 lead simply previous the half-hour mark. Taking a exact through-ball from playmaking DP Diogo Gonçalves to interrupt open the protection, Olatunji’s 60-yard dash onto the ball enabled him to calmly slot dwelling his second of the match for his first-ever MLS profession brace.

In simply the 17^th minute of the match, Olatunji scored his third of what’s now 4 objectives in eight video games for RSL, streaking in alone on the keeper on a sequence begun by Paraguayan worldwide Braian Ojeda. Olatunji stayed simply onside in a perfectly-timed run, taking the centering cross from teenage homegrown Zavier Gozo and working to the suitable put up, reducing his low line-drive shot again throughout aim, previous St. Louis GK Roman Bürki.

Olatunji’s opening aim Saturday enabled RSL to attain first for the twenty third time in 39 video games throughout all competitions this yr, with the draw enhancing RSL to 11 wins and 5 attracts in opposition to seven losses when drawing first blood. RSL’s July 26 dwelling victory over San Jose was its lone come-from-behind win all through 2025 in MLS reg. season, Leagues Cup and Champions Cup motion.

The 2-1 win at dwelling again on Sept. 13 in opposition to Kansas City snapped a three-game dropping streak for RSL, its longest of the yr and the longest since August, 2023; since former USMNT star and MLS veteran Pablo Mastroeni seized the Claret-and-Cobalt head teaching reins in August, 2021, RSL has dropped consecutive video games simply 17 occasions in 181 matches through the Mastroeni period, profitable 31 and drawing 16 in video games following a loss, together with Saturday’s draw at St. Louis CITY, once more displaying RSL’s xDAWG / “bounce-back” resiliency.

The 3-1 victory at San Diego on April 26 marked Mastroeni’s 100^th profession teaching win throughout all competitions for the 2 Rocky Mountain Cup rivals, RSL (2021-present) and Colorado (2014-17). The former U.S. World Cup stalwart has now amassed 108 wins, 121 losses and 81 attracts throughout all competitions for the Utah/Denver-based sides. Last June in Kansas City, Mastroeni earned his 50^th win throughout all competitions with RSL in a wild 4-3 highway resolution, with the 2-0 reg. season win over LA Galaxy on April 5 marking his 50^th MLS victory with RSL. Since August, 2021, his arrival in Utah, Mastroeni’s all-time RSL teaching report is now 71-65-45 (W-L-T).

With this yr’s qualification for the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs, Mastroeni grew to become simply the sixth supervisor out of 205 all-time within the 30-year historical past of MLS to advance his group to the postseason in every of his first 5 seasons on the helm.

During every of Pablo’s earlier three full seasons on the RSL helm, the Club elevated its annual level complete (47 in 2022, 50 in 2023 and 59 final yr), whereas growing its Western Conference desk place as nicely (7^th in 2022, 5^th in 2023 and three^rd final yr). The 2024 MLS common season reached an all-time excessive of 59 factors for RSL, which completed third within the Western Conference and sixth general within the then-29-team MLS Shield race, whereas additionally establishing a brand new all-time scoring excessive of 65 objectives.

— ***www.RSL.com*** —