REAL SALT LAKE LEARNS FIRST TWO GROUP A FIXTURE DATES FOR 2010-11 CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Defending MLS Cup Champs Kick Off International Tournament August 18 at Rio Tinto Stadium vs. Panamanian Titliest Arabe Unido

SANDY, Utah (Friday, July 9, 2010) – Real Salt Lake’s path for its first-ever foray into meaningful international competition – the 2010-11 edition of the CONCACAF Champions League – became clearer today after soccer’s governing body for North America, Central America and the Caribbean announced the initial pair of fixture dates and sites for the upcoming edition of the regional club championship. Utah’s home side, as the defending MLS Cup champions, will host Panamanian champion Arabe Unido on Wednesday, August 18, 2010. Kickoff at Rio Tinto Stadium for the first of six group matches is 8:00 p.m. MT.

“We are thrilled to learn our CONCACAF slate and we consider this to be our World Cup,” said RSL General Manager Garth Lagerwey. “When Real Salt Lake was founded in 2004, part of the franchise’s promise was to further integrate Utah into the global community and make it a gateway to the world.  With upcoming games now confirmed with teams from Panama, Canada or Honduras and Mexico, that pledge is now a reality. The CONCACAF Champions League is a major step in raising the profile of RSL on a regional level.  We hope our fans support us in this ‘Utah against the World!’ endeavor.”

All RSL season ticket holders are assured of their current seats for the Wed., Aug. 18 match vs. Arabe Unido (Panama) by utilizing “CONCACAF Game A” tickets and have the ability to purchase a select number of additional, specially-priced tickets. Tickets go on sale to the general public via www.RioTintoStadium.com SATURDAY morning at 10:00 a.m. MT.

One week later, Real Salt Lake will travel to either Mexico City or Panama City for its second of six Group A games, depending on the Preliminary round results of the two-leg series between Cruz Azul (Mexico) and San Francisco FC (Panama). RSL’s road contest against the winner of that series will be played on Wednesday, August 25, just four days prior to the team’s only 2010 MLS visit of the season to Toronto FC (Canada), which could ultimately enter RSL’s CONCACAF Group A, should it win its preliminary series with Motagua (Honduras).

All-time, RSL has posted a 7-4-3 mark against international squads, with all 15 games played as a “friendly” on Utah soil, and RSL owning a positive goal differential (19 goals for / 16 goals against). Arabe Unido joins some of the planet’s most revered clubs in facing Real Salt Lake, as Spain’s Real Madrid (2006), Argentina’s Boca Juniors (2007), England’s Everton FC (2007/09) and Mexico’s Club América and Chivas de Guadalajara (2009) have previously blazed the trail to Utah.

Ticket prices for the Wednesday, August 18 Real Salt Lake vs. Arabe Unido (Panama) match begin at $14 for those purchasing KFC vouchers. Arabe Unido (Panama) stand-alone prices start at just $15 for Upper Deck seats and continue at $18 and $20 in the North and South Goals,$30 in the Lower Sideline area, $40 at East Side Midfield and $60 in the Front Row and West Side Midfield areas.  For more information, please visit www.RealSaltLake.com or www.RioTintoStadium.com.
As Major League Soccer’s champion last season, Real Salt Lake earned a bye into the Group Stage portion of the tournament, where it was drawn into Group A. Four other squads from Major League Soccer, North America’s top-flight league, will also take part in the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League, beginning with the team vanquished by RSL in MLS Cup 2009 – the Los Angeles Galaxy – facing last year’s tournament upstart, the USSF Division II’s Puerto Rico Islanders – the current home of RSL defender David Horst, who was sent on loan to the Islanders in April. Defending Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup winner Seattle Sounders FC will also enter in the Preliminary Round against Salvadoran club Metapan, while last year’s MLS Supporters Shield holder Columbus Crew will forgo the opening round and enter as part of the Group B pool, which currently includes Guatemalan powerhouse Municipal.
RSL’s Group A includes another automatic qualifier, Panamanian titlist and 2009-10 tournament quarterfinal participant Arabe Unido (Panama). Those two squads welcome into Group A another pair of qualifiers, which will be determined when the Preliminary Round is contested over two legs on July 27-29 and August 3-5. As the winner of the Canadian Nutrilite Championship – a fifth MLS side, Toronto FC – will take on the Honduran champion Motagua for the right to enter Group A, with the other spot to be determined between the most recent tournament runner-up, Cruz Azul of Mexico, and another outfit from Panama, San Francisco FC.
Group play follows a round-robin format, with each team competing home and away against the other three teams in the group, with the top two teams from each of the four groups advancing to the Championship Round. Played in Feb., March and April, 2011, the Championship Round features two-leg, home-and-away series at the Quarterfinal, Semifinal and Final stages, with the 2010/11 CONCACAF Champion crowned in late April and earning a berth to the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan in December, 2011, where it will face the club champions from each of the other confederations: UEFA (Europe), CONMEBOL (South America), AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa) and Oceania (South Pacific).
The 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League will begin in late July with the first leg of the Preliminary Round, which wraps up with the second leg a week later. Those winners will advance to the Group Stage, with the first of its six matchweeks to be contested from August 17-19, with the second just one week later on August 24-26. Details for the remaining four Group Stage fixtures will be determined and announced in the upcoming weeks, with matchweeks three through six competing during the heart of the MLS Cup Playoff chase on: Sept. 14-16; Sept. 21-23; Sept. 28-30; and Oct. 19-21.
The full schedule for both the Preliminary and Group Rounds, as well as the Championship Round fixture dates, are as follows:


2010-11 CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES    (as of July 6, 2010, 6:14 p.m.)

QUALIFIERS
North America (9)
            United States (4): Real Salt Lake (MLS Cup 2009 winner), Columbus Crew (2009 Supporters Shield),   Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS Cup 2009 runner-up), Seattle Sounders FC (U.S. Open Cup winner)
            Mexico (4): Monterrey,Toluca, Cruz Azul, Santos
            Canada (1): Toronto FC

Caribbean (3)
            CFU Club Champions Cup (3): Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR), Joe Public (TRI), San Juan Jabloteh (TRI)

Central America (12)
            Costa Rica (2): Saprissa, Brujas
            El Salvador (2): CD FAS, Metapan
            Guatemala (2): Municipal, Xelaju
            Honduras (2): Olimpia, Marathon, Motagua@
            Panama (2): Arabe Unido, Tauro, San Francisco#

* Teams in italics qualified automatically for Group Stage
@ Berth reallocated from Belize

Berth reallocated from Nicaragua

PRELIMINARY ROUND – July 27-29 (Leg 1)
(Home Team listed first; MLS teams in italics)
Tuesday, July 27:

            Toronto (CAN) vs. Motagua (HON) – 6:00 p.m. MT

            San Juan Jabloteh (TRI) vs. Santos (MEX) – 6:00 p.m. MT
            San Francisco (PAN) vs. Cruz Azul (MEX) – 8:00 p.m. MT

            Los Angeles Galaxy (USA) vs. Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR) – 8:00 p.m. MT

Wednesday, July 28:
            Tauro FC (PAN) vs. Marathon (HON) – 6:00 p.m. MT
            Brujas (CRC) vs. Joe Public (TRI) – 8:00 p.m. MT
            Seattle Sounders (USA) vs. Metapan (SLV) – 8:00 p.m. MT
Thursday, July 29:
            CD FAS (SLV) vs. Xelaju (GUA) – 8:00 p.m. MT


PRELIMINARY ROUND – August 3-5 (Leg 2)

(Home Team listed first; MLS teams in italics)
Tuesday, August 3:

            Motagua (HON) vs. Toronto (CAN) – 6:00 p.m. MT
            Cruz Azul (MEX) vs. San Francisco (PAN) – 6:00 p.m. MT
            Metapan (SLV) vs. Seattle Sounders (USA) – 8:00 p.m. MT
Wednesday, August 4:
            Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR) vs. Los Angeles Galaxy (USA) – 6:00 p.m. MT
            Marathon (HON) vs. Tauro (PAN) – 8:00 p.m. MT

            Santos (MEX) vs. San Juan Jabloteh (TRI) – 8:00 p.m. MT

Thursday, August 5:
            Joe Public (TRI) vs. Brujas (CRC) – 6:00 p.m. MT
            Xelaju (GUA) vs. FAS (SLV) – 8:00 p.m. MT

GROUP STAGE – August 17-19 / August 24-26 / Sept. 14-16 / Sept. 21-23 / Sept. 28-30 / Oct. 19-21 (TENTATIVE: confirmed sites/times TBA after prelim results; (Home Team listed first; MLS teams in italics)

Group A
Real Salt Lake (USA)            San Francisco (PAN) / Cruz Azul (MEX) winner
Arabe Unido (PAN)                 Toronto (CAN) / Motagua (HON) winner

Group B
Columbus Crew (USA)           San Juan Jabloteh (TRI) / Santos (MEX) winner
Municipal (GUA)                     Brujas (CRC) / Joe Public (TRI) winner
Group C
Monterrey (MEX)                    Seattle Sounders FC (USA) / Metapan (SLV) winner
Saprissa (CRC)                      Tauro (PAN) / Marathon (HON) winner

Group D
Toluca (MEX)                         Los Angeles Galaxy (USA) / Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR) winner
Olimpia (HON)                        CD FAS (SLV) / Xelaju (GUA) winner

MATCHWEEK ONE:
Tuesday, August 17:
Motagua (HON)/Toronto (CAN) winner v. Cruz Azul (MEX)/San Francisco (PAN) winner – 6:00 p.m. MT
Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR) v. Olimpia (HON) – 6:00 p.m. MT
OR

Los Angeles Galaxy (USA) v. Olimpia (HON) – 8:00 p.m. MT

Monterrey (MEX) v. Saprissa (CRC) – 8:00 p.m. MT
Wednesday, August 18:
Joe Public (TRI)/Brujas (CRC) winner v. Santos (MEX)/San Juan Jabloteh (TRI) winner – 6:00 p.m. MT

Columbus Crew (USA) v. Municipal (GUA) – 6:00 p.m. MT

Real Salt Lake (USA) v. Arabe Unido (PAN) – 8:00 p.m. MT

FAS (MEX)/Xelaju (GUA) winner v. Toluca (MEX) – 8:00 p.m. MT

Thursday, August 19:
Marathon (HON)/Tauro (PAN) winner v. Seattle Sounders (USA)/Metapan (SLV) winner – 8:00 p.m. MT
MATCHWEEK TWO:
Tuesday, August 24:
San Juan Jabloteh (TRI) v. Columbus Crew (USA) – 6:00 p.m. MT
OR
Santos (MEX) v. Columbus Crew (USA) – 8:00 p.m. MT
Arabe Unido (PAN) v. Toronto (CAN)/Motagua (HON) winner – 8:00 p.m. MT
Wednesday, August 25:
Cruz Azul (MEX)/San Francisco (PAN) winner v. Real Salt Lake (USA) – 6:00 p.m. MT
Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR)/Los Angeles Galaxy (USA) winner v. FAS (SLV)/Xelaju (GUA) winner – time TBD

Seattle Sounders (USA)/Metapan (SLV) winner v. Monterrey (MEX) – 8:00 p.m. MT

Thursday, August 26:
Toluca (MEX) v. Olimpia (HON) – 6:00 p.m. MT
Saprissa (CRC) v. Marathon (HON)/Tauro (PAN) winner – 8:00 p.m. MT
Municipal (GUA) v. Joe Public (TRI)/Brujas (CRC) winner – 8:00 p.m. MT

CHAMPIONSHIP STAGE – 2011 (top TWO teams from each group advance)

QUARTERFINAL SERIES
Feb. 22-24       (Leg 1)
March 1-3       (Leg 2)
SEMIFINAL SERIES
March 15-17   (Leg 1)
April 5-7           (Leg 2)
FINALS
April 19-21       (Leg 1)
April 26-28       (Leg 2)