Real Salt Lake: For RSL, it's all on the line tonight

Real Salt Lake defender Chris Wingert admits there's a lot of pressure associated with this weekend's winner-take-all match with Colorado, but it's better than the alternative.

"This is the kind of pressure you want. The only other time we'll have pressure like this is if we make it to the conference final or final, and wouldn't that be great," said Wingert. "If you don't want stress you could be on a team like we were last year, and it would be nice and easy this week."

Instead of it being nice and easy though, RSL is fighting for its playoff life tonight at 7:30, a match that will be televised on HDNet.

The scenario is pretty simple for RSL. With a win or a tie it clinches the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. If Colorado wins, it clinches the last playoff berth and Real Salt Lake would be sitting out the postseason for the fourth consecutive year.

"This is our season; it comes down to one game. You couldn't ask for more against our biggest rivals in MLS," said defender Nat Borchers, who is expected to start after missing his first game of the season last week with a neck strain.

Tonight is also the rubber match for the Rocky Mountain Cup. With the teams splitting their first two meetings with identical 2-0 victories, the winner isn't just assured a playoff berth but the Rocky Mountain Cup as well.

RSL was minutes away from securing the playoff spot last weekend, but the Rapids scored a late winner at Chivas USA to remain within striking distance of RSL's 39 points in the standings with 37 of their own.

"Unfortunately we aren't already there, but we go into a situation where it's in our hands, we don't have to worry about what results matter in the rest of the league. It's a good situation for us to be in," said RSL forward Clint Mathis.

Even though RSL dropped a 2-0 game at Dicks Sporting Goods Park earlier this year, it appears to be playing slightly better soccer than Colorado heading into the regular season finale. Despite leaving some points on the table recently, RSL is on a four-match unbeaten streak, which includes a 1-0-1 record on the road. A similar result tonight would be enough to put the club through to the playoffs.

Colorado, meanwhile, is 2-0-2 in its past four games. Prior to rallying for the late win against Chivas last Sunday, the Rapids were a defensive mess, losing at home to Houston 3-1 and then at Los Angeles 3-2.