Whitecaps FC-Real Salt Lake Preview

Real Salt Lake went unbeaten in its first five games last season, then failed to qualify for the playoffs. It's a reminder not to celebrate that accomplishment once again.

The Vancouver Whitecaps ended that run in 2015, and they'll look to do the same this season by winning a fifth straight meeting Saturday night in Utah.

Salt Lake is off to a 3-0-2 start and stands as the only unbeaten club in MLS. It's the third straight campaign it hasn't lost this far into the season, but RSL is hoping 2016 turns out better than last year, when it finished ninth in the Western Conference and missed the playoffs for the first time in eight years.

"We're just trying to collect as many points as we possibly can throughout the year," coach Jeff Cassar said. "Obviously it shows that we're doing some things right. At the end of the day we should be 5-0, but we're looking to improve all over the place. We can still continue to still get better and that's important for our group going forward."

Joao Plata continued his tear in last Saturday's 1-0 win over Colorado. He scored in the 72nd minute, giving him four goals and three assists while factoring into at least one goal in all five matches.

Plata had four goals and four assists while playing in 19 games last season.

"Every time he comes to the stadium, he believes he's going to score," midfielder Kyle Beckerman said. "He's flying with confidence. I think we all have the belief too that if he has a chance he's going to bury it.

"We just want to keep it going, get some other guys in form, get scoring and keep improving."

Vancouver ended RSL's 2-0-3 start last season and outscored it 7-1 while winning all three meetings. The Whitecaps (2-3-1), though, have been blanked in their last two and were dominated in last Saturday's 4-0 loss at D.C.

They had a 2-0-1 stretch snapped and were outshot 24-7, including 13-1 in shots on target. Pedro Morales and Octavio Rivero sat out with hip flexor strains and Christian Bolanos (left quad contusion) and Nicolas Mezquida (right knee sprain) also missed that contest, leaving their status for this one uncertain.

Matias Laba served a one-match suspension and will return against Salt Lake.

The Whitecaps are 4-0-2 during their unbeaten streak against RSL, but coach Carl Robinson isn't putting too much stock into the previous meetings. They were winless in their previous six trips to Salt Lake before a 1-0 victory there April 18.

"It will be a tough game for us," Robinson said. "We'll go there and have a go. We know we're a good team. We know they're a very good team. There has to be a team that beats them eventually and hopefully we can be that team."

Javier Morales didn't start last weekend's match because he was recovering from a broken rib, though he came on as a substitute in the 64th minute. It's unclear if he'll be in the starting XI for this match.