Two sides in contention for MLS playoff qualification lock horns in this weekend’s season finale as Real Salt Lake play host to Los Angeles Galaxy at America First Field on Sunday morning.

Separated by just two points, both sides are among six teams in a heated race for the final three playoff spots in the Western Conference, setting up a thrilling encounter on Decision Day.

Match preview

Having turned their fortunes around in recent weeks, Real Salt Lake’s playoff ambitions suffered a huge blow last Saturday when they fell to a 2-1 defeat against San Jose Earthquakes at PayPal Park.

With Pablo Mastroeni’s men failing to finish off several goal-scoring opportunities, Ousseni Bouda and Benjamin Kikanovic struck in a 15-minute spell to put San Jose two goals up, before Juan Sanabria slashed the deficit with a close-range header in the 23rd minute.

Real Salt Lake had picked up consecutive victories over Sporting Kansas City, St. Louis City and Austin FC in their previous three outings, scoring eight goals and conceding twice, having managed just one win from 13 matches preceding this run.

The Claret and Cobalt’s five-year MLS playoff streak now hangs in the balance heading into this weekend’s finale, as they sit 11th in the Western Conference standings with 42 points from 33 games, one point off ninth-placed Colorado Rapids in the final qualifying spot.

While Real Salt Lake will need results across the league to swing their way, a strong performance will also be required against an opposing side who are unbeaten in eight of the last 10 meetings between the two teams, claiming four wins and four draws since October 2022.

Los Angeles Galaxy, on the other hand, turned in a dominant team display last weekend when they cruised to a 4-1 victory over Austin FC at the Dignity Health Sports Park to keep their playoff qualifying hopes in their hands.

Four different scorers were on the scoresheet for the hosts, as Joao Klauss, Hirving Lozano, Robert Taylor and Sergi Roberto hit back of the net to cap off a dominant team display, with Ervin Torres pulling one back for Austin in the 54th minute.

The performance against Austin further highlighted Los Angeles' growing momentum at the business end of the season, with Greg Vanney’s men unbeaten in seven of their most recent eight matches, picking up four wins and three draws since September 13.

Having missed out on the playoffs last season, the Galaxy’s late resurgence has put them in contention for a berth heading into Decision Day, as they sit seventh in the West with 44 points from 33 games, one point above 10th-placed Sounders just outside the final qualifying spot.

Despite their recent improvement, Los Angeles’ away record remains a concern, having managed just one win from their last eight games on the road since July, meaning work still needs to be done at America First Field if they are to avoid a final-day heartbreak and seal their first playoff ticket since their run to the title in 2024.

Real Salt Lake Major League Soccer form:

Los Angeles Galaxy Major League Soccer form:

Team News

Real Salt Lake will be without several key names heading into Decision Day, with the American trio of Emeka Eneli (knee), Griffin Dillion (foot) and Zach Booth (shoulder) all recuperating from injuries.

Colombian defender Juan Jose Arias has been sidelined since sustaining a hamstring injury against New York City FC in September and will also sit out this weekend’s tie while Diego Luna continues his recovery from a knee problem.

As for Los Angeles Galaxy, Spanish midfielder Riqui Puig continues his lengthy spell on the sidelines through a knee injury, while Isaiah Parente has been ruled out due to an ankle problem.

Veteran defender Maya Yoshida missed the game against Austin FC last weekend due to a leg injury and the 38-year-old is also a major doubt for the trip to America First Field.

Real Salt Lake possible starting lineup:

Cabral; Fougerolles, Glad, Quinton; Marczuk, Spierings, Caliskan, Junqua; Lobzhanidze, Sanabria, Solans

Los Angeles Galaxy possible starting lineup:

Marcinkowski; Miller, Garces, Haak, Nelson; Ruiz, Reus, Roberto; Lozano, Klauss, Paintsil

We say: Real Salt Lake 2-2 Los Angeles Galaxy

Given the stakes of Sunday’s matchup, we expect Real Salt Lake and Los Angeles Galaxy to go all out at America First Field as they look to secure maximum points and extend their season.

While the Galaxy boast superior quality and experience across the pitch, their away form has been a major sticking point, and we predict Mastroeni’s men will hold out for a share of the spoils in front of their home supporters.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.