Win and you're in: It's (essentially) as simple as that for Real Salt Lake's playoff hopes in Decision Day trip to St. Louis
Win, and the club’s streak of five consecutive MLS Cup Playoff berths remains intact. Lose, and for just the second time in seven seasons, the visitors will face the possibility of a long offseason.
For Real Salt Lake, the options are simple.
The club’s 1-0 loss at Seattle in the penultimate match of the 2025 regular season left it with only one option Saturday night on the road against St. Louis City SC: win, and you’re in.
Simple as that, right?
Win, and the club’s streak of five consecutive MLS Cup Playoff berths remains intact. Lose, and for just the second time in seven seasons, the visitors will face the possibility of a long offseason.
“Obviously, there’s a lot riding on this game — more than any regular-season game,” striker Johnny Russell said. “You kind of have to treat this like a playoff game: you win, and you’re in. You lose, and you leave it up to other people to do you favors.”
But history is on Salt Lake’s side: RSL has advanced to at least one round of the postseason 14 times in the last 17 seasons since first clinching a playoff berth in 2008.
Sure, there are alternate routes to back into the playoffs, if you want to go down that road. A draw combined with a win or draw by LAFC (against Colorado) or a loss by Dallas to Vancouver would also do it.
Salt Lake can even get in with a loss, the club will still be in the Western Conference play-in round with a loss/draw by San Jose and a Colorado loss to LAFC.
But keep it simple, right? Win, and you’re in.
“The good thing about it is we still have it in our hands,” Russell added. “We know if we win the game, we’re in the playoffs. Simple as that; I know there will be a lot of emotion on it. But you need to try not to get carried away with it.
“We have to just play our game, keep calm, and if we play the way we’re capable of playing, I’m sure we can go there and get a result.”
Decision day kicks off at 7:15 p.m. MT on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, with talisman Diego Luna, breakout midfielder Braian Ojeda and forward Zavier Gozo all returning from international duty.