SANDY, Utah (Thursday, Aug. 23, 2012) – Real Salt Lake returns to MLS play on Friday, Aug. 24, when it will take on the Philadelphia Union at PPL Park in Chester, Pa at 5:30 p.m. MT. The match will be broadcast live nationally on the NBC Sports Network and can be heard locally on ESPN700 AM and Juan 1600 AM/La Gran D 102.3 FM.
Friday’s match is the last in a busy three-game in six-day stretch that saw RSL fall 2-1 at home to Western Conference rival FC Dallas last Saturday and beat Panamanian club Tauro FC 2-0 in CONCACAF Champions League Group Stage play at Rio Tinto Stadium on Tuesday night.
While Tuesday’s win over Tauro ended RSL’s four-game losing streak across all competitions, RSL is still on a bit of a skid in MLS play, losing its last three league matches dating back to Aug. 4. The Claret-and-Cobalt needs a win against Philadelphia to get back into the race for the Supporters Shield, in which they currently trail league-leading San Jose by five points.
This matchup is the first – and only – time RSL will faceoff against the Union in the 2012 MLS regular season. Philadelphia has had a down year, struggling for results before firing former head coach Peter Nowak in June. The team has made some strides under new manager John Hackworth, but the club is still well out of playoff position, sitting in eighth-place in the East with just 24 points through 22 games.
Philadelphia last played on Sunday, tying D.C. United 1-1 in the nation’s capital. The match got a bit crazy in the final minutes, with D.C. missing a penalty kick following an encroachment call in the 87th minute before Union DF Sheanon Williams was ejected in the 95th. Williams, a U.S. U-23 national team player, will be suspended for Friday’s game due to that red card.
Real Salt Lake will return to Utah this weekend following Friday’s match against the Union. The team will begin preparations early next week for the Sept. 1 home match against D.C. United.
How to Follow Real Salt Lake at Philadelphia Union
- Kickoff: 5:30 p.m. MT at PPL Park in Chester, Pa.
- TV: NBC Sports Network
- English Radio: ESPN700/ESPN700Sports.com (pre-game coverage begins at 4:45 p.m. MT)
- Spanish Radio: La Gran D 102.3 FM & Juan 1600 AM with Nelson Moran & Fernando Hortal
- Online: The @RealSaltLake Twitter Feed will provide match updates
Game Guide for Friday’s RSL-Philadelphia Union Match Now Available Online
Following is the link to the Adobe PDF version of the Game Guide(media notes) in advance of Friday’s contest between Real Salt Lake and Philadelphia Union. 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 RSL-Philadelphia Union MLS Game Guide
RSL History v. Philadelphia Union
Friday’s game will be the fifth all-time meeting between RSL and Philadelphia. The Claret-and-Cobalt hold a 2-0-2 advantage over the Union, beating Philadelphia twice at Rio Tinto Stadium and tying them twice in Pennsylvania.
RSL won the last meeting between the sides, getting first half goals from captain Kyle Beckerman and DF Chris Schuler to top the Union 2-1 at Rio Tinto Stadium on Sept. 3 of last year.
www.RealSaltLake.com / www.RioTintoStadium.com / www.ESPN700Sports.com
