The Houston Dynamo and Real Salt Lake are fighting for their postseason lives, and there likely isn't enough room in the Western Conference playoff picture for both.
The Dynamo will look to deliver a virtual knockout blow to RSL's chances Saturday by extending its road woes.
Houston (9-10-8) is eighth in the West, six points back of the sixth and final playoff spot. Salt Lake (8-11-8) sits in last place and nine points back of sixth.
"Realistically, we got to get three points every home game and at least one point on the road. It's so tight in the West - teams are going to start beating each other up," said Will Bruin, Houston's leader with 10 goals. "That's just how it goes at the end of the season."
Houston hasn't played since a 2-0 win over Vancouver on Aug. 29, which came after an 0-2-1 stretch on the road. The Dynamo are 5-0-1 in their last six home tilts while outscoring opponents 15-5, but they've scored only 20 goals in their 21 other contests this year.
"For whatever reason I think we come out with a little more swagger (at home)," Bruin said. "Obviously we've got the fan support and the heat to help us. For some reason, there's that kind of silent confidence walking on the field when you're at home - you know, 'Hey, we're going to take care of business today.'"
The Dynamo are 8-1-1 all-time at home against RSL, though it lost the last meeting there 5-2 on May 11, 2014. Salt Lake matched its goal total from its previous four visits to Houston. Javier Morales scored three times, including the fastest goal in club history 15 seconds in.
That was the second of three straight losses in the series for the Dynamo, who also fell 2-0 at Salt Lake on July 18. Morales and Joao Plata scored and assisted on each other's goals.
Salt Lake is 2-4-0 since that victory, getting blanked in three of its last four and most recently losing 2-0 at FC Dallas on Aug. 29.
RSL has a minus-18 road goal differential, the league's second-worst, compared to minus-seven at home. The club has been outscored 23-7 during an eight-match road losing streak, its longest since a franchise-worst 14-game slide in its inaugural 2005 season.
"Our players know the urgency of this game and what it's going to take," coach Jeff Cassar said. "We're going to need three points, but we're also not going to have to throw caution to the wind early down there. We have to be smart."
Cassar will be without defender Tony Beltran and midfielder Luke Mulholland due to yellow card accumulation. Both have played in all but one of RSL's matches.
