Two Western Conference clubs fighting for their playoff hopes meet Saturday when the Houston Dynamo host Real Salt Lake (RSL) at the BBVA Compass Stadium.
The Dynamo will be having the momentum heading to their match against RSL after winning in their last Major League Soccer (MLS) match against Vancouver Whitecaps FC last Aug. 29.
Vancouver is currently on top of the Western Conference and Supporters' Shield standings with 48 points.
For Houston, the win ended a three-match winless streak, which saw the club lose to New England Revolution (2–0); have a draw with the Portland Timbers (2–2); and another defeat against the Colorado Rapids (2–1).
Midfielder Ricardo Clark and defender Raúl Rodriguez were the ones who scored the goals for the Orange men in the 2–0 victory over the Caps.
The Dynamo currently have 35 points (9–10–8), enough for the eighth spot in the West but six points behind the final playoff spot currently held by the Timbers who have 41 points tied with Seattle Sounders FC and Sporting Kansas City.
A win will give the Dynamo 38 points to tie with seventh placer San Jose Earthquakes, who can also improve their standings since they will play on Saturday as well against Seattle.
Meanwhile, the RSL are coming off a 2–0 defeat to FC Dallas in their most recent MLS outing last Aug. 29.
Before the loss to Dallas, the Royals won 2–0 against the Sounders to snap a three-match losing slide.
Now, they are looking to be back on the winning track against the Dynamo and keep their playoff chances alive because they are dead last in the West with 32 points, currently nine points behind the final playoff spot.
A victory will be huge for RSL because it will be giving them a total point tally of 35 points, which will then level them with Saturday's opponents and inch them closer to the sixth spot.
RSL will also have the edge in the match since they won their first meeting against Houston in the MLS this season.
The match between the Houston Dynamo and Real Salt Lake will be held on Saturday, Sept. 12, at 8:30 p.m. EST. To watch via live stream, click here.
