Real Salt Lake v Minnesota United: Mastroeni urges mental reset

Pablo Mastroeni has urged his young Real Salt Lake team to be mentally ready for the challenge of facing Minnesota United, following their weekend slip-up at Austin FC.

RSL let a two-goal advantage slip in the final 10 minutes as they drew 2-2 in Texas, a result that represented a severe dent to their hopes of topping the Western Conference.

They sit third in the standings but have played a game more than Los Angeles FC in second, while the Colorado Rapids and Seattle Sounders are breathing down their necks.

“It was a point on the road but again, I think what we’re chasing is performances,” Mastroeni said. “I think it’s a learning curve.

“We have a really young group and these are experiences that unfortunately, you have to go through to learn from. There’s no other way.

“If we had 30-year-olds across the backline I’d be disappointed, but we’ve got a really young group and in this particular moment in the season it’s about making plays.

“We’ve got a quick turnaround for Wednesday so we’ve got to make sure our heads are right.”

Minnesota, meanwhile, have won four of their last five matches to climb into playoff contention, routing the Rapids 3-0 in a deeply impressive performance last time out.

Head coach Eric Ramsey believes that is the best he has seen his team, saying: “It think it’s the best [performance] of the season, for sure. We’ve stood here and talked about the need for complete performances countless times.

“We were dominant in all phases of the game, you saw a really, really accomplished performance against a team right at the top of the table, that is a real threat.”

training at its peak pic.twitter.com/UHdaOJ8mAv

— Minnesota United FC (@MNUFC) October 1, 2024

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Real Salt Lake – Diogo Goncalves

Goncalves has come off the bench to score in each of Real Salt Lake’s last two matches. Only Anderson Julio (2023) and Jeff Cunningham (2006) have scored on three straight substitute appearances for RSL in the club’s MLS history.

Minnesota United – Kelvin Yeboah

Yeboah is the first player in Minnesota’s MLS history to score on four consecutive league appearances.

His six appearances to reach seven goals, meanwhile, equals the second fastest to that mark in MLS history, with only Adama Diomande in 2018 doing so faster (five games).

MATCH PREDICTION – REAL SALT LAKE WIN

Minnesota have won three straight away matches in all competitions for the third time in club history. However, the Loons have never won four straight away from home before.

Real Salt Lake have won 10 of their 15 home games in MLS this season, with only the LA Galaxy (41), Inter Miami and the Portland Timbers (39 each) bettering their 36 goals on their own turf.

They go in as favourites with home advantage behind them. Their last home match ended in a 3-3 draw with Portland, but they have not gone two home games without a win in over a year, enduring a six-match winless run from April to June 2023.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Real Salt Lake – 50.5%

Minnesota United – 24.5%

Draw – 25%