As if enough things weren’t stacked against Real Salt Lake for its first-round playoff matchup with Seattle, we found out about 90 minutes before kickoff that they would be without team captain and top playmaker Albert Rusnak after he tested positive for Covid-19.

Add that to the list of reasons to where if RSL would’ve lost, no one would have blamed them for it. A loss seemed more than likely against one of the heavyweights of MLS on the road anyways, but there was no shame in that. At least they made the playoffs at all during what was a roller-coaster 2021 campaign, both on the field and off it. Reaching the postseason was an accomplishment the club could hang their hat on and build on for next year.

Instead, with their backs against the wall yet again, RSL found a way. Just like they did against Sporting Kansas City in the regular-season finale, they gave it everything they had with the season on the line.

Against all odds, they delivered.

After playing to a scoreless draw and keeping the 0-0 scoreline through a half-hour of extra time, RSL headed to a penalty kick shootout.

The defensive mentality of “bend don’t break” was on full display throughout, as the team decided that the game plan would be to clamp down and attempt to stop a potent Seattle offense.

The amazing thing is that it worked. The Sounders outshot Real 21-0. Yes, RSL had no shot attempts at all through two hours of soccer. They lost the possession battle 62 percent to 38 percent while conceding 15 corner kicks and taking just one of their own (in the 109th minute). This coming from the same defense that conceded seven goals in two games before Decision Day that had the team’s playoff hopes on life support.

Now it was up to them to deliver in the shootout, but even that seemed in doubt. 

After Seattle took a 2-1 lead in penalties, RSL’s Pablo Ruiz appeared to have his penalty saved by Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei but VAR (Video Assistant Referee) determined that he didn’t have a foot on the goal line when the kick was taken, so a redo was ordered. Ruiz stepped up, burying his second try to even the shootout.

After back-to-back makes by both teams made the score 5-5, RSL keeper David Ochoa made a diving stop to his right on Kelyn Rowe’s attempt to give the team a chance to advance.

Defender Justen Glad stepped up, sending his try to Frei’s left. The shot hit Frei, pinged off the post, and rolled over the line, giving RSL the win and one of the biggest upsets in MLS playoff history.

 

So in the most unlikely way in an equally unlikely season, Real Salt Lake found a way to prove the doubters wrong yet again. And while their playoff run might not end in lifting the MLS Cup, there are plenty of reasons to be proud of a resilient group that has given their all in the most difficult of circumstances. As fans, that’s all we can ask for.

RSL now faces third-seeded Sporting Kansas City in the Western Conference semifinals, who recorded a 3-1 win over Vancouver in round one. After upsetting SKC to reach the postseason, the Claret and Cobalt will be looking for a repeat performance on the road.

The semifinal match with Sporting takes place on Sunday, November 28 at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas. The game begins at 1 p.m. MT and can be seen on ABC.

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Spencer has always been passionate about sports, growing up playing and following various sports. He ran cross country in high school and began his journey in sports media in 2017 as a journalism intern at The Spectrum & Daily News. Since then, his work has been published in numerous outlets including Deseret News, Standard-Examiner, St. George News, Southern Utah Now, SUU's Thunderground, SB Nation's RSL Soapbox, FanSided's Venom Strikes, fan-insider.com, The Spurs Web, and Iron County Today. Spencer is the founder of Stadium Sportzz and both the Sportzz with Spencer and Mountain States Sports Report podcasts. His experience extends to public address announcing, having first served as the PA announcer for Southern Utah University soccer in 2017 and as a high school sports PA announcer. He is now entering his fourth year as a PA announcer at Utah Tech University, where he also occasionally takes on the role of in-game emcee. Spencer's versatility also extends to radio, where at The Fan Sports Network he produced high school and Utah Tech athletics broadcasts, hosted the weekly Region 9 Football Tailgate Show, and appeared daily on The Drive. Now working towards completing his Bachelor's degree in Media Studies, Spencer was recently named the Sports Director at Utah Tech University's 91.3 The Blaze for the 2024-25 year. He will host a weekly show and serve as a play-by-play broadcaster, continuing his dedication to sports journalism and broadcasting. When he isn’t talking, writing about, or watching sports, Spencer enjoys traveling and spending time with his amazing wife.