VANCOUVER -- The Vancouver Whitecaps are looking for their lost confidence as they close out the Major League Soccer regular season. In terms of the standings, Saturdays road contest against Real Salt Lake means nothing to the Whitecaps (11-13-9). They have already become the first Canadian franchise to make the MLS playoffs and can finish no better than fifth in the Western Conference. But the regular-season finale offers Vancouver an opportunity to make amends for an embarrassing 1-0 loss to the Portland Timbers last Sunday. It also gives the Whitecaps a chance to improve their poor road play and prepare for a do-or-die playoff game in Los Angeles against the defending MLS-champion Galaxy on Thursday. "Its a great achievement to get into the playoffs," said Whitecaps coach Martin Rennie. "Its tainted a little bit by a disappointing result in that (Portland) game, so we need to get back on track against Salt Lake in the next game." Despite the loss to Portland, the Whitecaps made history after the Seattle Sounders beat Dallas later Sunday, eliminating the Texas club and ensuring Vancouvers fifth-place position. The playoff berth came after the Whitecaps placed last overall in their 2011 expansion season. But the Caps are just 3-10-3 away from B.C. Place Stadium and have not posted a road victory since July against the Colorado Rapids. Vancouver has scored only 10 road goals compared to 25 at home. Real Salt Lake (17-11-5) cant afford to take the game lightly either, because its battling for second place in the West and home-field advantage in a second-round playoff series against Seattle. (The top three teams earn first-round byes.) Vancouver and Real Salt Lake split their first two meetings this season, but the Caps posted their win at home. Rennie, who does not plan to rest his chosen playoff starters, said RSL will help his club tune up for the Galaxy. "Theres definitely similarities between how Salt Lake play and how L.A., play, and both games are on the road," said Rennie. "I do think (a road game against RSL) is a little advantage to just get in that (playoff) mindset. Itll probably be a similar way of playing both games." The Whitecaps began the season by posting two wins and a tie in their first four league road games. But lately, Rennies crew has looked like the squad that went winless on the road in 2011. The road struggles have coincided with a drop in overall play. After beginning the season with considerable promise, the Whitecaps have posted only two wins in their last 10 games while dealing with injuries, inconsistency, suspensions, national team commitments and the introduction of several new players through trades and signings. With their early success, said Rennie, the Caps got away from playing their compact style and tried to open up and score more goals. While the play was more entertaining, it did not produce the desired results. The Whitecaps also struggled while placing greater expectations on themselves after being an early-season underdog. "It is kind of ironic, based on coming from where we were, to get into the playoffs," said Rennie. "At the start of the season, it would have been a massive achievement, and something wed all have been ecstatic about. "But because we havent finished it as we should have, we feel a different way. And, honestly, I dont think thats a bad thing going into the playoffs. Were definitely not going in over-confident, thats for sure." The coach wants his players to appreciate their achievement of qualifying for the playoffs, recognize and correct things they did wrong against Portland and execute a clear game plan against RSL. He has called for his club to start winning big games after the poor outing against the Timbers followed a crucial Canadian final series game to lowly Toronto that enabled the Reds to take the title. Vancouver goalkeeper Brad Knighton said he and his teammates have to approach the game positively after they "didnt show up" last weekend. "Weve locked up the playoff spot, and you can pretty much just write off this last game, but thats not the way were approaching it," said Knighton. "Were approaching it as: This is a huge tuneup for us. We feel like they play similar styles; and if we can do the things that we want to do right defensively this weekend, its going to bode well for Thursday night (in L.A.) So were looking for a good foundation defensively, and the rest will take care of itself." Noting the clubs recent losses have been by close scores, Knighton said the struggles in high-pressure games have left players scratching their heads. 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The Montreal mixed martial arts star, who beat Carlos Condit two weeks ago to defend his welterweight title at UFC 154, tweeted a picture of himself in Paris on Friday.The NHL is already seeing major revenue losses just a couple weeks into the lockout. And the numbers being thrown around now will likely end up looking like chump change by the time the sports latest labour dispute is settled. Talks broke off quickly between the league and NHL Players Assocation on Tuesday morning and deputy commissioner Bill Daly emerged from the meeting saying he didnt have "any progress to report." For the first time, he also revealed the extent of the damage the lockout has inflicted so far -- "close to" $100 million after the cancellation of the entire pre-season schedule. "That is not going to be recouped and thats going to cost both sides," Daly told reporters in New York. "Thats unfortunate but its a reality of where we are." The revelation didnt elicit much sympathy from the union. Executive director Donald Fehr pointed out the sides could have continued negotiating past the Sept. 15 expiry of the last agreement. "If this is a loss, this is a loss that is entirely of their own making," Fehr told The Canadian Press in an interview. "Theyre the ones that did this, nobody told them to." The $100 million lost so far represents approximately three per cent of the total amount of hockey-related revenue generated last season -- essentially the pool of money the sides need to agree to split up. And the 17-day lockout hasnt yet resulted in the cancellation of any meaningful games. However, with the regular season scheduled to begin on Oct. 11, its only a matter of time before that happens. "Its something we obviously have to focus on in the short term and make an appropriate decision in the appropriate time," said Daly. "Were still focused on doing what we can to minimize the damage." There are currently no other bargaining sessions planned. Fehr spoke with commissioner Gary Bettman by phone on Tuesday afternoon and is hopeful negotiations could resume in Toronto before the end of the week. The talks have seemed troubled since the beginning. A wide gulf has been evident since the NHL tabled an initial proposal that called for a flip in the way revenues are divided -- with players receiving 43 per cent rather than owners -- and included changes to rules governing contracts. The league has since proposed seeing the players share reduced to 47 per cent over the course of a six-year deal. Meanwhile, the NHLPAs latest offer would see it fall to approximately 52 per cent during the contract. They received 57 per cent last season. "They started out with a massive reduction in player salaries proposed and a massive reduction in player negotiating rights,&quuot; said Fehr.dddddddddddd. "Theyve sort of inched backwards a little bit after having run away from us about as far and as hard and as fast as they could. "Thats not the way to start out to try and make an agreement." The league is growing frustrated with the unions unwillingness to table a new offer that includes more concessions. Daly has said repeatedly that the ball is in the NHLPAs court. "Were looking for a long-term deal thats fair for the players, fair for the teams and good for the fans," he said. "Thats what we want out of this negotiation and we need a negotiating partner to get there." There are now more than 100 locked-out NHL players who have deals in Europe, with Zdeno Chara (HC Lev Praha, KHL), Patrice Bergeron (HC Lugano, Switzerland), Matt Duchene (Frolunda, Sweden) and Jamie Benn (Hamburg, Germany) among those signing deals on Tuesday. The Russian-based KHL also announced plans to televise five games in the U.S. on ESPN3 later this month -- three involve Alex Ovechkins Moscow Dynamo -- and a league executive indicated similar plans are in the works with a Canadian broadcaster. "(Were) working on it," KHL vice-president Ilya Kochevrin told The Canadian Press via text. Meantime, frustration continued to boil over among players left skating informally back in North America. Any of the excitement Zach Parise felt after signing a $98-million contract with his hometown Minnesota Wild this summer has disappeared, with the forward again levying pointed criticism in the direction of the commissioner. "You hope (the lockout) doesnt go too long, but its tough to grasp when youve got a guy in Gary Bettman bragging every year that were making record revenue, record revenue, record this, and all of a sudden they want to take a quarter of what youve made away," Parise told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. With no progress being made, the situation is turning toxic. Daly indicated that he doesnt believe a mediator would help the process along because there is no misunderstanding between the sides at the negotiating table. At this point, he thinks they both understand what the other is trying to accomplish. "I dont think that we have a lack of communication in this negotiation," said Daly. "They understand what our position is. To this point we certainly understand what their position is. "We just wish it was different." Despite the doom and gloom in the air, Fehr vowed to forge on. "You never give up and you always keep trying and you hope that lightnings going to strike one day," he said. "Well see." ' ' '