SANDY, Utah – Real Salt Lake continues its road schedule on Saturday, when it heads to California to take on LA Galaxy at 8:30 p.m. MT at StubHub Center. Saturday’s contest will be broadcast live on CW30, ESPN 700 and 102.3 La Gran D FM.
Real Salt Lake saw the return of its U.S. internationals, Captain Kyle Beckerman and GK Nick Rimando last Friday in RSL’s 2-1 win over New England Revolution. The duo started and played the full 90 minutes to help lead the Claret-and-Cobalt to its first win in five MLS matches in front of a sold-out Rio Tinto Stadium. The Independence Day contest saw two penalty kicks awarded to RSL in the same game for the third time ever in Claret-and-Cobalt history. RSL MF Javier Morales converted the first of the night to make him 3-for-3 in penalty kicks this year. RSL FW Joao Plata went on to finish the second penalty to give him seven goals on the season – now RSL’s sole leading goal scorer for the year. RSL had gone 1-3-2 in MLS play and dropped its initial U.S. Open Cup match at Atlanta Silverbacks, while Beckerman and Rimando were on World Cup duty with the U.S. Men’s National Team.
Saturday’s match will be the third and final regular season meeting between Real Salt Lake and LA Galaxy. The two sides have met twice already this year, with RSL coming away with a 1-0 win its season opener at StubHub Center on March 8 and drawing 1-1 at Rio Tinto Stadium in the Claret-and-Cobalt’s home opener two weeks later. The first meeting saw Real Salt Lake pull off a dramatic 1-0 win with a goal from Plata in the 80th minute and a second half stoppage time penalty kick save from Rimando to preserve the three points. The second encounter saw FW Alvaro Saborio score RSL’s lone goal, half-volleying home a Plata cross in the 19th minute to put RSL up 1-0. Galaxy FW Robbie Keane equalized 15 minutes later to pull LA even. If RSL gets a positive result this weekend, it will mark only the third time in Claret-and-Cobalt history that the Utah club went undefeated against LA in the regular season.
Saturday’s contest in Southern California will provide RSL veteran Nick Rimando with the opportunity to tie the all-time MLS shutout record with retired goalkeeper Kevin Hartman with 112 clean sheets. Rimando’s last MLS shutout came on April 19 in the Claret-and-Cobalt’s 1-0 win over Portland Timbers at Rio Tinto Stadium. If Rimando ties the record this weekend, the California native will have reached 112 clean sheets in 60 less games than Hartman.
Real Salt Lake has a decent history against LA, posting an 11-10-6 regular season record against the Galaxy and a 12-12-7 mark when including MLS Cup Playoff matches. RSL is 6-7-1 in regular season action at LA, and 6-9-1 at the Galaxy in regular season and playoff action. Historically, the Claret-and-Cobalt is 12-17-3 all-time in regular season and playoff action at StubHub center against LA and co-tenants Chivas USA.
RSL will kick off a three-game home slate in the month of July following Saturday’s contest in LA. The Claret-and-Cobalt first host Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday, July 19 at 8:00 p.m. MT at Rio Tinto Stadium. Tickets to the Vancouver contest can be purchased at the Rio Tinto Stadium box office, online at www.RealSaltLake.com/Tickets or over the phone at 801-727-2700.
How to Follow Real Salt Lake at LA Galaxy
- Kickoff: 8:30 p.m. MT at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif.
- TV: CW30 (Pregame Show begins at 8:00 p.m. MT)
- English Radio: ESPN700 AM (Pregame begins at 7:30 p.m. MT)
- Online: The @RealSaltLake Twitter Feed will provide match updates
Game Guide for Saturday’s RSL-LA Match Now Available Online
Following is the link to the Adobe PDF version of the MLS Game Guide in advance of Saturday’s contest between Real Salt Lake and LA Galaxy. 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 PR Coordinator Jane Sexton in the RSL Communications Department via email at jsexton@realsaltlake.com.
Click here to download the PDF version of the MLS Game Guide for Saturday’s RSL-LA matchup
RSL History v. LA Galaxy
Real Salt Lake has a decent history against LA, posting an 11-10-6 regular season record against the Galaxy and a 12-12-7 mark when including MLS Cup Playoff matches. RSL is 6-7-1 in regular season action at LA, and 6-9-1 at the Galaxy in regular season and playoff action. Historically, the Claret-and-Cobalt is 12-17-3 all-time in regular season and playoff action at StubHub center against LA and co-tenants Chivas USA.
