REAL SALT LAKE ANNOUNCES 2012 PRESEASON SCHEDULE
Arizona to Serve as Claret-and-Cobalt’s Home Base for Both of Squad’s Spring Training Camps across February and March;
League to Announce Full 2012 Regular Season Slate Thursday at Noon MT on MLSsoccer.com
SANDY, Utah (Wednesday, January 4, 2012) – Real Salt Lake has finalized plans for the club’s 2012 preseason schedule, which, for the second consecutive year, will include a pair of training camps based in Arizona across February and March. The Claret-and-Cobalt will officially kick off their eighth season three weeks from today on Wednesday, January 25, when players will report to Salt Lake City for entrance physicals.
After five days of physical testing and training sessions in Utah to finish off January, Real Salt Lake will head to the Phoenix area for the start of its opening leg of spring training on Jan. 31. The Claret-and-Cobalt will spend two weeks in the same familiar surroundings they called home during last year’s preseason, practicing first at the Reach 11 Sports Complex in Scottsdale from Feb. 1-8 before moving south to settle in at the home of the RSL-Arizona Academy, the Grande Sports World facility outside of Casa Grande, from Feb. 9-14. RSL has penciled in its first two scrimmages of the 2012 preseason for Feb. 10 & 14 at Grande Sports World, with opponents and times to be announced in the upcoming weeks.
After a short spell back in Utah during the middle of February it will be back down to “The Copper State” on Feb. 20, this time for a two-week stint in Tucson for the FC Tucson Desert Diamond Cup preseason tournament. The round-robin competition, pitting RSL against fellow MLS sides LA Galaxy, New York Red Bulls and New England Revolution, will kick off on Wednesday, Feb. 22 and conclude with the Championship and 3rd Place matches onSaturday, Mar. 3. Fans interested in watching the premiere MLS preseason tournament of 2012 in person can visit www.FCTucson.com to secure their seats at the Kino Sports Complex.
Following the squad’s return from Arizona, Real Salt Lake will begin preparations for its MLS First Kick 2012 contest, which will see the Utah side hit the road on Saturday, March 10 to take on an opponent that will be revealed when Major League Soccer announces the regular season schedule on MLSsoccer.com tomorrow afternoon at 12:00 p.m. MT. Click here to visit MLSsoccer.com for the latest preseason schedules for all 19 MLS clubs.
The following Saturday, March 17, Real Salt Lake will open up the home portion of its 2012 schedule with a 7:00 p.m. MT kickoff at Rio Tinto Stadium. Currently, the only ways for fans to guarantee their seats on Opening Night in Sandy is to “Join the Pride” by becoming an RSL Season Ticket Holder or by purchasing a 10-Game Flex Voucher Pack, both of which can be fulfilled by visiting the "TICKETS" section of www.RealSaltLake.com or calling 801-727-2700.
Real Salt Lake 2012 Preseason Schedule (subject to change)
Wednesday, Jan. 25 – Entrance physicals in Salt Lake City
Jan. 26-30 – Physical testing/training sessions in Salt Lake City area (times/locations/media access TBA)
Spring Training Trip #1 – Scottsdale/Casa Grande, AZ
Tuesday, Jan. 31 – Travel to Scottsdale, AZ
Feb. 1-8 – Training sessions at Reach 11 Sports Complex in Scottsdale, AZ
Thursday, Feb. 9 – Travel day to Casa Grande, AZ
Friday, Feb. 10 – Scrimmage #1 vs. TBA at Grande Sports World (time/opponent TBA)
Feb. 11-13 – Training sessions at Grande Sports World
Tuesday, Feb. 14 – Scrimmage #2 vs. TBA at Grande Sports World (time/opponent TBA); Return to Utah
Feb. 15-19 – Training in Salt Lake City area (times/locations TBA)
Spring Training Trip #2 – FC Tucson Desert Diamond Cup at Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, AZ
Monday, Feb. 20 – Travel to Tucson, AZ
Tuesday, Feb. 21 – Training session at Kino Sports Complex in Tucson
Wednesday, Feb. 22 –Match #1 vs. New York Red Bulls – 8:00 p.m. MT
Feb. 23-24 – Training sessions at Kino Sports Complex
Saturday, Feb. 25 – Match #2 vs. LA Galaxy – 6:00 p.m. MT
Feb. 26-28 – Training sessions at Kino Sports Complex
Wednesday, Feb. 29 – Match #3 vs. New England Revolution – 6:00 p.m. MT
Mar. 1-2 – Training at Kino Sports Complex
Mar. 3 – Championship/3rd Place Match vs. TBD – 8:00 p.m./6:00 p.m. MT
Mar. 4 – Return to Utah
2012 Major League Soccer Regular Season Openers
Saturday, Mar. 10 – MLS First Kick 2012 – Opponent/time TBA
Saturday, Mar. 17 – RSL 2012 Home Opener at Rio Tinto Stadium vs. TBA – 7:00 p.m. MT
* Full 2012 MLS Regular Season schedule to be released Thursday on MLSsoccer.com at 12:00 p.m. MT
www.RealSaltLake.com / www.RioTintoStadium.com / www.ESPN700Sports.com
