With just five regular-season games left, second place is on the line this afternoon when United and Real Salt Lake play at 4:30 p.m. on a perfect late-summer day at Allianz Field.
United plays without starting left back Chase Gasper, who is suspended today for one too many yellow cards accumulated.
Veteran French defender Wilfried Moimbe-Tahrat will start in Gasper's place.
Loons coach Adrian Heath's lineup also puts star Darwin Quintero back in the starting 11 line on his way back from a hamstring injury, but leaves Thomas Chacon and Angelo Rodriguez out of the 18 in uniform. Miguel Ibarra, Ethan Finlay and Abu Danladi are the substitutes available to come off the bench instead.
Real Salt Lake and Seattle with 46 points each are second and third in the West, one point ahead of United's 45 points. All three teams will have played 29 games so far and each will have four left after all three play today.
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Here is United's starting 11 today:
                  23 Mason Toye
    16 Robin Lod  25 Darwin Quintero  7 Kevin Molino
            8 Jan Gregus  6 Ozzie Alonso
86 Wilfried Moimbe-Tahrat 15 Michael Boxall 3 Ike Opara 19 Romain Metanire
                        1 Vito Manone
Substitutes: Dayne St. Clair, Brent Kallman, Lawrence Olum, Hassani Dotson, Miguel Ibarra, Ethan Finlay, Aby Danladi
Real Salt Lake's lineup:
                           50 Sam Johnson
11 Albert Rusnak  8 Damir Kreilach  7 Jefferson Savarino
            5 Kyle Beckerman   25 Everton Lutz
4 Donny Toia  14 Nedum Onuoha  15 Justen Glad  22 Aaron Herrera
                             18 Nick Rimando
Substitutes: Kelyn Rowe, Luis Arriaga, David Ochoa, Joao Plata, Marcelo Silva, Brooks Lennon, Corey Baird
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