Real Salt Lake will be without suspended coach vs. Rapids (Jul 20, 2018)
Real Salt Lake has claimed supremacy over the Colorado Rapids in the Rocky Mountain Cup each of the last two seasons.
Salt Lake can add a third straight cup with a win over Colorado when the Rapids come to Sandy, Utah, on Saturday night.
RSL already has one win in the first leg of the rivalry series this season, taking down the Rapids 3-0 on April 21 behind a barrage of late goals. All three scores for Salt Lake came in the final eight minutes plus stoppage time.
Real Salt Lake (9-9-2) will be without coach Mike Petke when Colorado comes to town. Petke received an automatic one-game ban after being ejected during RSL's 3-2 loss to Minnesota on Saturday.
MLS officials announced Wednesday that Petke will be suspended an additional game and fined $10,000 for abusive and profane language directed at officials, uncontrollable behavior during his ejection and public criticism of officials in a postgame press conference. Real Salt Lake also received an additional $10,000 fine for social media posts critical of the officials and the league.
"The only thing I get from the MLS is 'stop criticizing the referees.' I want to know where the referees are at now?" Petke said after the loss to Minnesota. "Why can't we ask the referees a question? Why can't we do that? Why can't we ask 'Why didn't you go to VAR?' 'Why when the studs are coming up, you just give a yellow card?'
"That would make them more human. To the MLS, it would be better for the league. For the fans, for the owners, for the coaches, for the players, to hear from them. And hear their side of the story."
Petke will not return to the sideline until Salt Lake's match against Chicago on Aug. 4.
His absence may not be enough to change Colorado's fortunes in Utah.
The Rapids have not beaten RSL on the road since 2007. They have 12 losses and four draws in their last 16 Rocky Mountain Cup road matches.
Colorado doesn't seem poised to rewrite that script this season. The Rapids have struggled to stay out of the Western Conference cellar because of an anemic offense.
In 19 matches, Colorado (4-11-4) has generated just 22 total goals. Only Seattle has scored fewer goals among the rest of the MLS teams this season. A lack of scoring has made it tough for the Rapids to take advantage of good defensive performances.
That proved to be the case on Saturday when Colorado snapped a two-game losing streak with a 0-0 draw against Houston. Tim Howard made two saves and claimed his second clean sheet in the last four games.
Colorado coach Anthony Hudson sees some progress from the Rapids in the last few weeks, but also acknowledges there's much work to still be done.
"I think we did enough to get three points tonight," Hudson said after Saturday's match. "But I think 3-4 weeks ago, we might have lost that game. We've strengthened up as a team."
