SANDY, Utah (Thursday, December 8, 2011) – In conjunction with Arizona-based FC Tucson, Real Salt Lake has announced that the Utah side will take part in the 2nd Annual FC Tucson Desert Diamond Cup, which will be played at Kino Veteran Memorial Stadium in Tucson fromFebruary 22-March 3. Real Salt Lake will be one of four Major League Soccer clubs participating in the FC Tucson Desert Diamond Cup, as the LA Galaxy, New England Revolution and New York Red Bulls will also head to “The Grand Canyon State” to play in the newly-expanded preseason tournament.
“Real Salt Lake is honored to be invited to the FC Tucson Desert Diamond Cup tournament, a competition that should provide an outstanding opportunity for our squad to wrap up the 2012 preseason,” Real Salt Lake General Manager Garth Lagerwey said. “The strong field assembled will ensure a solid test from a competition standpoint and should spark interest from our fans, whom we encourage to make the trip to Tucson to grow the tournament and get a sneak peek at their Claret-and-Cobalt in advance of the MLS regular season.”
The event will feature four doubleheader matches on Wednesday and Saturday nights during the two-week span. The round-robin tournament will crown a champion on the final evening through a point accumulation system. All teams will be making their final preparations for the 2012 MLS regular season by training on the world-class fields and facilities of the Kino Sports Complex. Real Salt Lake continues to finalize its plans for the early portion of its 2012 preseason calendar and expects to announce the details of its full preseason itinerary in the coming weeks.
“FC Tucson is proud to host these four legendary MLS teams to compete in this year’s FC Tucson Desert Diamond Cup,” FC Tucson Managing Partner Chris Keeney said. “These highly successful franchises have visionary owners, tremendous athletes, and passionate fan bases. We look forward to welcoming them to Tucson to train, compete and enjoy our world-class amenities. This tournament will be a celebration for soccer fans throughout the great state of Arizona, Northern Mexico and all across the United States.”
2012 FC Tucson Desert Diamond Cup Schedule (all times MST)
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
6:00 p.m. New England Revolution vs. LA Galaxy
8:00 p.m. New York Red Bulls vs. Real Salt Lake
Saturday, February 25, 2012
6:00 p.m. LA Galaxy vs. Real Salt Lake
8:00 p.m. New York Red Bulls vs. New England Revolution
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
6:00 p.m. Real Salt Lake vs. New England Revolution
8:00 p.m. LA Galaxy vs. New York Red Bulls
Saturday, March 3, 2012
6:00 p.m. MLS 3rd Place vs. MLS 4th Place
8:00 p.m. MLS 1st Place vs. MLS 2nd Place
* All game dates and times are subject to change
FC Tucson Desert Diamond Cup Ticket Information
Fans can purchase “Fantastic Four” ticket plans to lock up their favorite seat for all four dates (eight games) and receive a discount on each ticket. Prices for these special packages start at just $72, or $9 per match. “Fantastic Four” ticket plans will go on sale next Monday, December 12 at 12:00 p.m. MT at www.ticketreturn.com.
Prices for the matches are as follows:
$75 VIP Center Field
$40 Premium
$30 Sideline
$20 Endline
Visit www.fctucson.com to order seats and print tickets at home in time for the holidays. You can also visit www.fctucson.com or FC Tucson’s Facebook page to find a pricing map of the stadium. Fans interested in group sales of 20 or more, suites or corporate hospitality can call 520-335-1115 for more information.
About FC Tucson
FC Tucson, established in 2010, is committed to bringing the highest caliber of competitive soccer to Tucson and establishing a successful and long-lasting source of pride for city, county, state and country. FC Tucson owns FC Tucson Soccer, Tucson’s top-level soccer team and the FC Tucson Desert Diamond Cup, a Major League Soccer pre-season tournament. Our owners, coaches, players and staff will play to win in sport, business and community connection. We recognize that our quality, commitment and passion for the game will guide our success and establish deep bonds with our stakeholders as we strive to be recognized and respected locally, nationally and internationally.
www.RealSaltLake.com / www.RioTintoStadium.com / www.ESPN700Sports.com
