We’re less than 24 hours away from Thanksgiving and – in the spirit of the holiday – that has those of us here at Real Salt Lake thinking about what we’re grateful for.
Here’s a quick list. Make sure you have a safe and happy holiday.
RSL Fans
How could this not be first on the list? You guys came out in huge numbers this year, setting club records for sell-outs, average attendance and consecutive sell-outs. All of us here at RSL – the staff, the coaches and especially the players – greatly appreciate your tremendous support.
The ‘Believe’ Anthem
One of the lasting memories of the 2012 season was the spontaneous singing of Rancid drummer Branden Steineckert’s ‘Believe’ Anthem in the second half of RSL’s Western Conference Semifinal Leg 2 against Seattle. There was no prompt and no background music, just 20,000 people – all in full voice – trying to push the Claret-and-Cobalt on to victory.
While the team sadly came up just a bit short, that moment was a special one. We’re thankful for it and – more importantly – we’re thankful for the song. It’s far and away the best anthem in MLS and we love hearing it rock Rio Tinto before, during and after every home game.
Five-straight playoff appearances
RSL’s run of five-straight playoff appearances is the longest active run of postseason qualification in the league. We’re thankful for it – it’ll be great to get to six next year.
New records
Real Salt Lake set new records for goals scored (46), points (57) and wins (17) this year. Claret-and-Cobalt forward Alvaro Saborio also set a new mark, breaking RSL’s single-season goal scoring record with 17 goals.
We’re excited about all of the team’s new records. Hopefully they’ll all get broken in 2013.
Next season
More than anything, we’re grateful for the fantastic opportunities that the team will have in 2013.
Is it March yet?
