Real Salt Lake ready to hand Timbers rare home loss

Real Salt Lake will try to extend a modest four-match unbeaten streak on Wednesday night when they visit a Portland Timbers side that hasn't lost at home since the season's opening weekend.

Salt Lake (7-10-4, 25 points) earned a gutty 1-0 home victory over the Houston Dynamo on Saturday night on the strength of William Agada's first-half goal -- his second of the season -- and some resolute second-half defending.

Houston outshot RSL 13-3 after halftime but forced goalkeeper Rafael Cabral into only one save to preserve his fifth clean sheet.

And as 11th-place Real Salt Lake try to surge above the Western Conference playoff line, it's a resolute display RSL manager Pablo Mastroeni believes will have to be replicated.

"I think as we head forward toward the end of the season, these performances should build confidence when the game isn't going your way," said Mastroeni, whose team begins Wednesday two points back of the ninth and final West playoff spot.

"Instead of absolving yourselves of defensive responsibilities, you've got everyone on the field working their tails off to keep the three points. And I think that's a big step for us."

Fifth-place Portland (9-6-6, 33 points) may feel more comfortable. And the Timbers have posted a 6-0-4 home record since their 4-1 loss to Vancouver back on Feb. 23.

But Portland manager Phil Neville is growing uneasy after recent results from a group that lost 2024 leading scorer Jonathan Rodriguez to season-ending knee surgery and is currently playing with 2025 scoring leader Antony (leg) still sidelined.

It's been worse away from home, where Portland lost 3-0 to Toronto three matches ago and then gave back an early lead against St. Louis City in Sunday's 2-1 loss.

Neville suggested his team has been good enough at responding to adversity.

"It's something that we have to keep developing and learning," Neville said. "And sometimes through these learning moments, ... you've got to suffer. At this moment in time, these last two away games, we've suffered, we're all angry and we're all frustrated, and we're all challenging ourselves to be better, myself included."

If there's reason for optimism, it's 2025 preseason signing David Da Costa scoring in back-to-back games to bring his season total to four. He also leads Portland with eight assists.

--Field Level Media