Real Salt Lake: RSL, Rapids to resume heated quest for the Cup

Pablo Mastroeni couldn't help himself. Following 90 minutes of heckling by Real Salt Lake's staunchest supporters, in a match Colorado ultimately won to retain the Rocky Mountain Cup in 2006, the fiery midfielder gave RSL fans a piece of his mind.

Waving a jersey above his head in celebration, Mastroeni didn't hold anything back as he taunted the Rice-Eccles Stadium patrons.

One fan in particular wasn't going to stand for it. RSL owner Dave Checketts confronted the gloating Mastroeni as he trotted off the field, and a shouting match quickly ensued. Before it escalated to a moment either individual regretted, Clint Mathis — then with Colorado after a disappointing inaugural season with RSL — stepped in and played the role of peacemaker.

With that one heated taunt and confrontation, one of the best rivalries in Major League Soccer was born.

"That sparked a little more fire to the Rocky Mountain Cup, a guy like Dave who really cherishes this team a lot and shows he puts his heart out there and takes it personal when other players come in here and do things like that," said Mathis.

The rivalry has gotten better and better with each meeting, and RSL coach Jason Kreis expects emotions to be running high tonight at 7:30 when the teams battle at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo.

This is the two teams' first meeting since Yura Movsisyan's 90th-minute equalizer in the regular-season finale last year. That goal not only secured the first playoff berth in franchise history for RSL, it did so at the expense of Colorado — the second straight year the Rapids were eliminated from playoff contention by their rivals on the final day of the season.

"I think it threw a little more salt on the wound at the end of that game," said Mathis.

More dramatic twists and turns are likely inevitable in 2009.

Real Salt Lake's lone trip of the season to Colorado tonight represents the 16th all-time regular-season meeting between the clubs and 18th overall in all competitions. The Rapids lead the series history with a 7-5-3 record, but RSL owns a slight 3-2-2 advantage the past two seasons and has claimed the Rocky Mountain Cup each of the past two seasons.

As much as geography and the Mastroeni-Checketts feud played a role in building the rivalry, there were plenty of other factors. Both teams' respective fan clubs deserve a great deal of credit by creating the Rocky Mountain Cup when Real Salt Lake joined MLS back in 2005. It helped routine regular-season matches seem like a big deal.

Then there's Fernando Clavijo. It's hard to imagine the rivalry being as special as it is today without Clavijo's curious personnel decisions through the years, decisions largely responsible for his departure as Colorado head coach in the middle of last season.