Sporting KC, RSL aim to improve playoff chances

Two clubs desperate to get back into the postseason picture meet Saturday when Sporting Kansas City visit Real Salt Lake in Sandy, Utah.

Salt Lake (9-14-4, 31 points) is four points behind the San Jose Earthquakes for the final Western Conference wild-card slot. The situation is even more dire for Sporting Kansas City (7-16-6, 27 points), who may need just about the maximum 15 points from their final five matches.

Kansas City is 1-6-1 with 21 goals allowed over its last eight matches. SKC's 59 goals conceded are the most of any team in MLS.

"In this game, in this league, you get punished when you shut off for a second," Kansas City defender Khiry Shelton said. "We've had too many games where ... a second here, a second there, and then we get scored on."

This shaky defense will meet a similarly inconsistent offense. Real Salt Lake have scored 28 goals, tied for the second-lowest total in the league.

Some reinforcements are coming for Salt Lake, as team scoring leader Diego Luna will return from a two-match suspension. Forwards Zavier Gozo and William Agada are also back from one-match suspensions.

Real Salt Lake as a whole are returning after an extended hiatus due to a bye week and the MLS international break. The team last played on Aug. 23, giving RSL plenty of time to re-evaluate and adjust following a three-match losing streak.

"The intensity has been incredible" during this extended stretch of training, midfielder Johnny Russell said.

"We have to make sure that the hard work that we have put in over the last few weeks doesn't go to waste, since this is what we've been working towards," he said.

Kansas City forward Dejan Joveljic has four goals over his last four matches and 17 for the season to rank third in league scoring. A tally Saturday would tie Joveljic for the second-highest single-season goals total in club history.

In their first meeting of the season, RSL and SKC played to a 1-1 draw in Kansas City on June 28.

--Field Level Media