RSL Finishes Third In West, Will Host Portland In First Round Of Playoffs

VANCOUVER, B.C. – Real Salt Lake beat the Vancouver Whitecaps 1-0 on the road in the regular season finale. With other results going RSL’s way, they will host the Portland Timbers in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs.

In order to host a playoff match, RSL needed Los Angeles to draw or lose against the Houston Dynamo and they finished their match with Houston winning 4-2. Also, they needed Seattle and Minnesota to not tie and the Sounders picked up a 1-0 win, giving RSL the No. 3 seed in the playoffs.

Portland needed to win to get into the playoffs and they beat the San Jose Earthquakes 3-1.

The playoffs are headed to the RioT!
With all #DecisionDay results final, we have clinched the 3rd seed & a matchup with @TimbersFC.
Date, time & ticket info will be made available when @MLS finalizes broadcast information. pic.twitter.com/nhZcsalxUC

— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) October 6, 2019

It’s the second time in history that Portland and RSL will face each other in the playoffs. The first time was in 2013 in the Western Conference Finals. RSL won the first leg 4-2 at home and a 1-0 win in Portland to advance to the MLS Cup Final, where they lost to Sporting Kansas City in penalty kicks.

In 2019, RSL lost both matches against the Timbers, losing at home on May 4, 2-1 and fell on the road in Portland on August 31 by a final score of 1-0.

In the match against Vancouver, the only goal came in the 29th minute when forward Corey Baird was given the ball on the left side of the field from midfielder Kyle Beckerman, who served the ball deep into the box and Kreilach put his head on in and into the back of the net.

It’s the sixth goal of the season for Kreilach and the Baird picked up his fourth assist in 2019.

The date, time and broadcast information for the playoff match at Rio Tinto Stadium against Portland is to be determined.