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Real Salt Lake-Whitecaps FC Preview

Real Salt Lake has an opportunity to extend MLS' longest active playoff streak this weekend and is visiting a scuffling opponent in that attempt.

It's unclear, however, who will be in the lineup Saturday against the Vancouver Whitecaps, who will try to avoid their longest losing streak in two years.

Salt Lake (13-6-10) needs a win or a tie in British Columbia to secure its seventh consecutive trip to the postseason. While the club wants to get that accomplished quickly, coach Jeff Cassar might rest some players or give others fewer minutes on the artificial turf at BC Place.

"We need a result. We're going to put the best team out there that we feel is going to give us a result, but at the same time, we have to be smart, since we're getting toward the end of the year," he told the league's official website.

Last year, former coach Jason Kreis did not take a full first-choice squad to Vancouver but still came away with a 1-0 victory for its first win in four tries there.

"For us, it's hard on the body, and the bounce isn't as true," defender Chris Wingert said. "And if you're not used to it, it's probably a little bit of an advantage for the home team. But it just is what it is. No big deal. We've had some success on turf, and it's not something that we can be too concerned about."

Salt Lake is coming off its most lopsided victory of the season, a 5-1 rout of Colorado on Sept. 19. Joao Plata scored his seventh goal in 11 games, while Javier Morales added his fourth in sixth contests.

RSL, though, is winless in its last three MLS road games and 1-5-2 in its last eight.

Vancouver (8-8-13), which trails by two points in the postseason race, has dropped its last two matches and is 1-4-2 in its last seven. Last Saturday's 3- loss at Portland dropped the Whitecaps into sixth place in the West, and they're now trying to avoid their first three-game skid since a franchise-worst, five-game skid Aug. 15-Sept. 15, 2012.

"There's not much more the coaching staff can do for us," midfielder Russell Teibert said. "There's not much more the fans can do for us, because they've been great all year long. It's now down to us, however many guys in the locker room, to battle together, to fight for each other and to really push for a playoff spot."

A lack of offense has contributed to Vancouver's recent swoon. The Whitecaps have scored only three goals in their last seven league matches, getting shut out in five of them.

RSL is 2-0-4 in its last six games against Vancouver and posted draws in both meetings this season. Plata scored the tying goal in the 81st minute in a 1-all tie July 19, his second in as many matchups, and Sebastian Fernandez's 94th-minute tally gave Vancouver a 2-all draw April 26.

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