• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Real Salt Lake-Toronto FC Preview

Oct 17, 2009 - 1:12 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Real Salt Lake (10-11-7) at Toronto FC (9-10-9), 4:00 p.m. EDT

To keep their playoff hopes alive, Real Salt Lake and Toronto FC will have to spoil each other's chances.

If they are to reach the postseason, both teams likely need back-to-back wins and some help in the season's final two weeks, beginning with Saturday's matchup in Toronto.

Real Salt Lake (10-11-7) trails New England by one point for the league's final wild-card berth, and Toronto FC (9-10-9) is two points back of the Revolution.

RSL helped its cause with a 2-0 victory over visiting New York on Wednesday night, when Andy Williams and Fabian Espindola scored in the final 10 minutes of regulation. Nick Rimando needed to stop just one shot for his eighth shutout, which snapped a three-game winless slide that included back-to-back losses.

"It means we're still alive and we live to fight another day," coach Jason Kreis said. "Saturday's another Cup Final for Real Salt Lake."

Toronto FC, meanwhile, hurt itself by blowing a late lead at home in last week's 1-all draw with San Jose, one of the league's worst teams.

Defender Nana Attakora's goal in the 47th minute had Toronto on the verge of its second win in four games, but the Earthquakes' Cornell Glen scored in the 93rd minute on Brian Edwards, making his first start of the season for an injured Stefan Frei.

TFC has allowed an MLS-worst 15 goals after the 75th minute.

"By the numbers we're not out of it, but it definitely feels like it right now," forward Chad Barrett said. "Obviously, it's a huge loss, even though it was a tie."

The result didn't eliminate Toronto from postseason contention, but it needs a victory this week and a Chicago win or tie against the Revolution to keep its hopes alive. TFC wraps up its regular season at New York next Saturday.

A loss and a New England win would eliminate Real Salt Lake before its season finale - also next Saturday - against Colorado at home.

Toronto would seem to have the advantage in this matchup thanks to its 7-3-4 home record, second-best in the Eastern Conference behind Columbus. Toronto is 4-0-2 since June 13 at BMO Field while outscoring its opponents 11-5.

RSL, meanwhile, has the league's third-worst road mark at 2-10-2 and is winless in two previous trips to Toronto. It's dropped two straight away from home overall and has one win in its last six road games.

However, Salt Lake earned a 3-0 win in the teams' previous meeting this season, at Rio Tinto Stadium on June 27. Yura Movsisyan, Kyle Beckerman and Clint Mathis tallied goals for RSL and Rimando stopped a pair of shots to earn the shutout.

Toronto is expected to once again play without Frei, who is recovering from a dislocated finger. Midfielder Carl Robinson is out at least five weeks after breaking bones in his face during a collision with a teammate in practice, and defender Marvell Wynne is doubtful due to a thigh strain.

However, midfielder Amado Guevara is expected to return after playing with the Honduras national team in a pair of World Cup qualifiers.

Toronto FC won the season series 1-0-1 in its inaugural 2007 campaign, and the teams split their two meetings in 2008.