George Frey
Neither Salt Lake nor Vancouver looked like they wanted to be out there in a scoreless draw between two teams that appeared to have their eyes already on the playoffs.
Both Real Salt Lake and the Vancouver Whitecaps had clinched playoff spots heading into Saturday's clash at Rio Tinto Stadium and it showed. Neither team looked interested in actually playing as they presumably had their sights set on the playoffs and the 0-0 mark on the scoreboard was an accurate summation of the play.
Salt Lake didn't even bother to take the match seriously, resting Nick Rimando, Nat Borchers, Jamison Olave, Javier Morales and Will Johnson. Vancouver played their first team, but it didn't do them much good.
Alvaro Saborio was the only player who looked capable of breaking through at any point in the match, but he either missed the mark or the crosses aimed at him missed. It left him scoreless and RSL without any reward for their huge advantage in possession, which was deserved considering their lack of ambition.
The Whitecaps actually had the best chance at goal and put the ball in the net, but Darren Mattocks was ruled offside so the goal was disallowed. Besides that, Vancouver didn't offer much.
Vancouver was already locked into fifth place in the West, which will send them to Los Angeles for a Wild Card Round playoff match on Thursday. Salt Lake is now one point ahead of Seattle for second place in the West, but the two sides are already locked into playing each other in the conference semifinals. If the Sounders win or draw on Sunday they will move past RSL and host the second leg, otherwise the second leg will be at Rio Tinto Stadium.
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