RSL has clinched a playoff spot; seeding will be on the line in regular season finale at Vancouver

Herriman • Now that Real Salt Lake has clinched a playoff berth, all that’s left to play for is its actual position among the seven qualifying teams in the Western Conference. RSL currently sits fifth with just one game left, but has the opportunity to jump to third if results — its own and others — go its way.

There are myriad scenarios that place RSL in one of the three spots, but it can’t drop any lower than fifth. And, depending on what happens Sunday around the conference, Real could face the L.A. Galaxy, Seattle Sounders, Minnesota United, Portland Timbers, FC Dallas or San Jose Earthquakes.

If Salt Lake finishes either third or fourth, it hosts the first round of the playoffs. If it finishes fifth, it starts the postseason on the road.

RSL is rooting for a home playoff game, of course. Beyond that, however, they’re just happy to be a playoff team.

“We’re on house money. House money,” captain Kyle Beckerman said. “So I don’t feel any pressure. Nothing. We’ve got everything to gain and nothing to lose.”

RSL ends the season Sunday on the road against the Vancouver Whitecaps, who are already eliminated from playoff contention. Salt Lake has 50 points, just three back from Minnesota and Seattle, and one behind the Galaxy.

But of the six teams RSL can possibly face in the first round, players and coaches say it doesn’t matter which one falls into their bracket.

“There’s really not a preference,” interim coach Freddy Juarez said. “Actually we prefer to host a game, and anyone that comes to us, we like our chances. But if not, we’re going to have to do it like we did it last year and go on the road and get a win.”

Salt Lake beat LAFC on the road in the first round of the playoffs last year, a result thought to be improbable. Real were eventually eliminated by Sporting Kansas City in aggregate scoring.

During the regular season, RSL beat only two of the six teams it could possibly face in the first round of the playoffs — one win each over Seattle and San Jose. It went winless against Dallas, L.A., Minnesota and Portland.

But the results in those games don’t matter as much as how Real played in them, defender Nedum Onuoha said.

“We’ve played all the teams throughout the year and I think we’ve played well against them,” Onuoha said. “Obviously we’ve not necessarily gained the three points — or the six points — against all the teams. But the games have been really competitive — that’s home and away. So for me personally, I’m not really too concerned. … But whoever we come up against, I think we can give them a good game.”

Juarez said every potential matchup will be a difficult game against a good team. And if it’s on the road, it will be that much tougher. But he’s not thinking much about the teams either because they all play a similar system, with the exception of San Jose, he said.

It’s clear, though, that RSL is anxious to get going on the postseason.

“Anybody who we play, we’re fine with,” Beckerman said. “We don’t want to see somebody, we don’t not want to see somebody. We’re in, and now this is the best part of the season.”