Minnesota United out to defeat RSL, lock up playoff bid

Minnesota United can clinch an MLS Cup playoff berth with a victory when it faces Real Salt Lake on Wednesday night in Sandy, Utah.

The Loons (13-12-6, 45 points) enter the contest in eighth place in the Western Conference, eight points ahead of 10th-place FC Dallas with three matches remaining. Minnesota could also clinch a playoff spot with a Dallas loss or draw at last-place San Jose.

Minnesota has won four of its last five matches and comes in off arguably its best win of the season, 3-0 over the fourth-place Colorado Rapids last Saturday in Saint Paul, Minn.

Forward Kelvin Yeboah, a designated player signing in July from Genoa of Serie A, had a brace in the victory. Yeboah has scored a goal in four straight matches and has seven goals in six contests. Hassani Dotson scored the clincher in the 82nd minute.

"I said to the players I loved everything about the performance from start to finish," Minnesota coach Eric Ramsay said. "The energy that subs came in with, the tactical discipline, it was a really good performance."

Real Salt Lake (14-7-10, 52 points) are in third place and have already clinched a playoff spot but are trying to lock down a top-four finish so they can host the first round of the playoffs in the tightly-bunched West. Just seven points separate second-place Los Angeles FC and the ninth-place Portland Timbers.

RSL, who are 10-3-2 at home this season, have won just twice in their last five matches and come in off back-to-back draws. Last Saturday at Austin FC, they blew a 2-0 second-half lead on the way to a 2-2 tie.

Matt Crooks scored in the 48th minute on a rebound of a Chicho Arango shot and Diogo Goncalves converted a penalty kick in the 65th minute, but Austin rallied for goals in the 81st and 89th minutes to earn the draw.

Salt Lake has allowed 11 goals in its last four matches. Arango leads the team with 17 goals.

"For 70 minutes we were a really good team," RSL coach Pablo Mastroeni said. "I thought we started getting sloppy with the ball in the latter stage of the game which ended up stretching our team out a little bit."

Minnesota leads the all-time series 5-3-8, with the last three matches all ending in draws.

--Field Level Media