REAL SALT LAKE MATCH PREVIEW & NOTES:
RSL AT VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC – SATURDAY, AUG. 11
RSL Seeks to Reverse Road Fortunes at Vancouver;
4:30 p.m. MT Pre-game Coverage/5:00 p.m. MT Kickoff from BC Place on ABC4
SANDY, Utah (Friday, August 10, 2012) – Real Salt Lake (13-8-3, 42 pts.; West #2) seeks to snap a four-game road losing streak across all competitions as it travels internationally to once again take on the Vancouver Whitecaps FC (9-7-7, 34 pts.; West #4) on Saturday, August 11. With just four home games for RSL in its final 10 remaining MLS regular-season games, RSL must seize the opportunity on the road to pressure the league-leading San Jose Earthquakes in the Supporters Shield race; needing only five points to set a new standard for road performance in the club’s eight-season history. Fans can watch Saturday’s kickoff from BC Place on ABC4 starting at 4:30 p.m. MT,and can listen live via the team’s official radio partners: ESPN 700/ESPN700Sports.com and La Gran D 102.3 FM.
Saturday represents a rematch of the July 27 clash between the sides at Rio Tinto Stadium, RSL emerging with a 2-1 home win as FW Álvaro Saborío notched both RSL goals, scoring on either side of Vancouver FW Darren Mattocks’ second-half equalizer. The Costa Rican international’s brace gave him six goals in July and moved the eventual MLS Player of the Week into a tie for 2nd place with NY FW Kenny Cooper in the MLS Golden Boot race with 13 goals, four behind San Jose leader Chris Wondolowski. The two-goal brace gave “Sabo” 47 goals in all competitions across 85 games, including 12 game winners and 12 multi-goal games in his three seasons with RSL.
The Claret-and-Cobalt enter Vancouver following a pair of 0-1 road losses last week against the Colorado Rapids on Saturday and at Costa Rican CONCACAF Champions League foe Herediano on the previous Tuesday. Vancouver has not played a match since its RSL loss, but it has changed up its roster, recently signing Brazilian Tiago Ulisses and English-Irish center back Andy O’Brien.
How to Follow Real Salt Lake vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC
- Kickoff: 5:00 p.m. MT at BC Place in Vancouver
- TV: ABC4 (pre-game coverage begins at 4:30 p.m. MT)
- English Radio: ESPN700/ESPN700Sports.com (pre-game coverage begins at 4:00 p.m. MT)
- Spanish Radio: La Gran D 102.3 FM & Juan 1600 AM with Nelson Moran & Fernando Hortal
- Online: Live updates via the @RealSaltLakeTwitter Feed and MLSsoccer.com MatchCenter
MLS Game Guide for Saturday’s RSL-VAN Match Now Available Online
Following is the link to the Adobe PDF version of the Major League Soccer Game Guide(media notes) in advance of Saturday’s contest between Real Salt Lake and the Vancouver Whitecaps. If you have any problems obtaining the document, would prefer to receive it as an attachment, or are seeking more information on the match, please contact Media Services Manager Sam Stejskal in the RSL Communications Department via email at sstejskal@realsaltlake.com.
Click here to download the PDF version of the MLS Game Guide
RSL History vs. Vancouver
In their last meeting on July 27, the Claret-and-Cobalt defeated the ‘Caps 2-1 thanks to an Álvaro Saborίo brace. RSL took the lead in the 34th minute, after Vancouver FW JayDeMerit’s challenged Captain Kyle Beckerman header which caused the VAN captain to make a handball, which resulted in a PK that RSL’s Costa Rican striker buried in the bottom-left corner of the net. Vancouver evened up the score in the second half, when FW Darren Mattocks received a chipped ball that went over the RSL defense, slotting home the chance. RSL secured the three points though, after getting a second goal from Saborίo, a header, crossed by MF Javier Morales on the left wing. After being down 2-1, Whitecaps FC’s misfortune increased as they went down a man when GK Joe Cannon was given a straight red in the 76th minute. DeMerit’s poor back pass to Cannon pushed RSL FW Fabian Espíndola to intercept the ball, beating Cannon outside the box and putting a touch around the veteran ‘keeper. Espíndola would have been in alone on goal, but Cannon handled the ball several yards outside the 18, giving referee Kevin Stott no choice but to show him a straight red.
Real Salt Lake is now up 2-1-0 all-time against the Vancouver Whitecaps in its previous three meetings. RSL remains undefeated at home, also beating the ‘Caps 2-0 in its first-ever meeting on June 4, 2011. On the road however, RSL has yet to beat the Vancouver Whitecaps, after giving the ‘Caps its first win at BC Place by losing 3-0 at its first and only meeting in Vancouver on October 6, 2011, in a game rescheduled due to last July’s flooded-field fiasco. RSL saw nine starters missing in its last trip to Vancouver due to FIFA conflicts or injury, while Head Coach Jason Kreis was forced to watch from the radio booth due to a bout with food poisoning.
Real Salt Lake hosts the Whitecaps in the regular-season finale at Rio Tinto Stadium on October 27.
www.RealSaltLake.com / www.RioTintoStadium.com / www.ESPN700Sports.com
