Salt Lake, Colorado prepare for a season-defining Rocky Mountain Cup

Real Salt Lake coach Pablo Mastroeni is no stranger to big games. He was a key player in the U.S. Men's National Team's 2002 World Cup quarterfinal run and spent 15 years as one of Major League Soccer's top-performing midfielders.

But when his team beat the Colorado Rapids 5-3 in front of a packed home crowd earlier this season, he was beside himself with joy.

"This is one of the most emotional games I've experienced," he said , per MLS.com. "The eruption after the goals... you felt it in your soul."

That's the Rocky Mountain Cup for you. The annual unofficial competition between Real Salt Lake and the Colorado Rapids since the former's inception in 2005 is one of the fiercest rivalries in MLS. Each year, the teams face each other at least three times in league play; each year, only one walks away with a winning record and bragging rights.

Real Salt Lake has been the clear victor over time, but Colorado's backroom fumbles and on-field confusion in the modern MLS era haven't made it a fair fight.

But this season, things have changed. Colorado, under the steady hand of coach Chris Armas — a former teammate of Salt Lake's Mastroeni — has risen from the bottom of the MLS rankings and become an MLS Cup contender. It's fifth in the Western Conference , six points behind Salt Lake in third.

Salt Lake and Colorado have met twice already this season. Colorado struck the first blow, winning 2-1 in March, but Salt Lake hit back with that emotional victory in May.

The Rocky Mountain Cup is tied for the first time in a long time, and Saturday's final clash will settle it for the season.

Salt Lake has the clearest path to victory: If it wins or draws, it will retain the Cup for a fourth straight season. (If records are identical after all league games, the Cup is decided by goal differential, and Salt Lake is ahead on that front 6-5.)

However, Salt Lake has the biggest handicap. It will be without Chicho Arango, MLS' Golden Boot leader and Salt Lake's undisputed 2024 MVP. Arango received a four-game suspension from MLS for violating its anti-harassment rules in a fight with Portland's Brazilian forward Evander last week.

Arango was the star of Salt Lake's last win over Colorado, so the team must find offense elsewhere in his absence.

Colorado, meanwhile, simply must win. A draw won't be enough to bring the Cup back to Denver.

The team has played well this summer and can win, but it's coming off a grueling mid-week away loss to the LA Galaxy and may still be feeling the effects.

Neither Salt Lake nor Colorado boasts a big-name international player; the stars they have are stars they've made. Nevertheless, their fierce competition with one another has lifted them to the same level as MLS' star-studded and more glamorous coastal franchises.

American soccer is led by Miami, Los Angeles and New York, but the Rocky Mountain Cup proves that the rest of the country is also doing its part in shaping soccer's future. Winning it isn't just about bragging rights — it's about who's pushing the game forward with the most vigor.

Saturday's match is at 9:30 p.m. ET at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Denver.