Aaron Herrera didn’t know what to expect going into last season’s MLS Cup playoffs. It was first postseason rodeo, so to speak, after an up-and-down start to the year for the then-rookie eventually turned into a regular starting role at right back for Real Salt Lake.
It’s not just Herrera, though. It seems that for many of the players who experienced their first MLS playoff run last year — featuring an unlikely win at LAFC followed by being eliminated by Sporting Kansas City after two legs — there’s a much more even-keel feeling going into Saturday’s matchup against the Portland Timbers.