Match Previews

RSL Preview & Notes vs. Chicago

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RSL MATCH PREVIEW:  REAL SALT LAKE v. CHICAGO FIRE – WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
Details on How to Follow Tomorrow’s Match in Sandy;
MLS Game Guide for RSL v. Fire Now Available Online

SANDY, Utah (Tuesday, September 27, 2011)Real Salt Lake (15-8-6, 51 pts.; 3rd in West) will continue its hectic stretch drive and look to climb back into a share of second place on the Western Conference table alongside Seattle tomorrow, Wednesday, September 28, when the Utah side will play host to a Chicago Fire (6-8-15, 33 pts.) side desperately looking to climb its way into the MLS Cup Playoffs picture. Wednesday’s match will begin the second half of RSL’s six-game, 20-day gauntlet and will also mark RSL’s last appearance at Rio Tinto Stadium until its regular season finale on Oct. 22 vs. Portland.


Tomorrow night’s contest will kickoff at 7:00 p.m. MT, and those fans that can’t make it out to Sandy for the match and Hispanic Heritage Night festivities can follow the action live on RSL’s radio partners – ESPN 700 Sports (English) and Juan 1600-AM (Spanish). Tickets for the RSL-Fire showdown are selling fast but remain available and can be purchased over the phone at 801-727-2700, online at www.RealSaltLake.com or in person at the Rio Tinto Stadium Box Office until 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday and beginning at 10:00 a.m. on gameday,


How to Follow Real Salt Lake v. Chicago Fire


MLS Game Guide for RSL v. Fire Now Available Online

Following are links to the MLS Game Guide (Game Notes) in advance of Wednesday’s MLS regular season contest between Real Salt Lake and the Chicago Fire at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. If you have any problems viewing the document, would like the document sent as an attachment or are seeking more information on the match, please contact John Koluder in the RSL Communications Department via email at jkoluder@RealSaltLake.com.


Click here to download the PDF version of the MLS Game Guide

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RSL “Game Note” of the Match: Saborío Special for RSL Strike Force

RSL’s predatory striker Álvaro Saborío gained sole possession of the team’s 2011 scoring lead with his 10th goal of the year Saturday night in Washington, surpassing by one this year’s MLS output for his forward partner, Fabian Espíndola … “Sabo” came off the bench to score his fourth goal in his last five MLS games – and his 10th since June 25 – to put together just the fourth double-digit goal season in RSL’s seven season history (Jeff Cunningham, 16, 2006; Robbie Findley, 12, 2009; Saborio, 12, 2010) … Espindola is just one goal away from joining that group with five games remaining on the regular season …


The early 2nd-half game-winner two weeks ago at Seattle was the 9th GWG for Saborio in his now 46 MLS games over the last two seasons – placing him in a 1st place tie with Robbie Findley’s 9 game-winners in 96 career MLS games – while Wednesday’s pinpoint header at NY was the 21st MLS goal overall for the Costa Rican international … “Sabo” was also RSL’s leading scorer during the historic CONCACAF Champions League run, scoring 8 goals in 11 games …


When Saborío – the first DP in RSL’s seven-season history – finds the back of the net, Jason Kreis’ team is a dominating 19-2-4 in all competitions (only loss prior to 9/24 at DC was the rain-soaked 4-5 loss at Cruz Azul), compared to the 11-12-13 mark when he plays and does not score, as well as RSL’s 7-3-4 record when Sabo is unavailable …


RSL History v. Chicago

Overall, RSL is 3-5-5 against Chicago and has not lost to the Fire since August of 2009, Chicago’s only win in the last eight meetings between the teams … The two sides’ first meeting ended in a scoreless deadlock at Toyota Park back on June 22, marking the fourth straight match in which RSL shutout the “Men in Red” … RSL emerged from the 2009 Eastern Conference Final at Chicago, winning a PK shootout after 120 minutes of scoreless action at Toyota Park … Last time the Fire visited Rio Tinto Stadium, RSL established a new MLS mark for consecutive unbeaten home games (22 straight, set last September) … It has been more than four years and eight meetings since a team in this series scored multiple goals against the other, with only 23 goals scored in 14 all-time games between RSL and the Fire …


www.RealSaltLake.com / www.RioTintoStadium.com / www.ESPN700Sports.com