We’ve made it all the way to No. 3 on our list of the top stories of 2015 and this time we journey to Guatemala and El Salvador where Real Salt Lake ventured on its path to the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals for the second time in club history.
Real Salt Lake earned entry into Champions League through their third place finish in the Western Conference in 2014, marking the third time the club had qualified for the regional club championship tournament. Drawn into a group that included Municipal from Guatemala and Santa Tecla from El Salvador, RSL ground out two results on the road, earning a 1-0 win over Municipal and a 0-0 draw with Santa Tecla before facing the two teams again back at Rio Tinto Stadium.
At home, RSL continued to blaze through the group, winning 2-1 over Santa Tecla before closing out with a 1-0 win over Municipal to earn the No. 3 seed in the Quarterfinal Round.
Four MLS teams qualified for the Knockout Stage for the first time under the tournament’s current format, with RSL joining the LA Galaxy, Seattle Sounders FC and D.C. United. Each will face an opponent from Mexico’s Liga MX in February in the two-legged, aggregate-goal series, with RSL squaring off with Tigres.
Salt Lake will face the Monterrey-based club on the road in the first leg (Feb. 23-25) and finish the series at Rio Tinto Stadium (March 1-3). In RSL’s previous sojourn in the Knockout round, the Claret-and-Cobalt advanced all the way to the championship before losing to Monterrey. The quest to become the first MLS club to win the tournament continues in February.
Top 10 RSL Stories of 2015
10. Maund Emerges on Defense
9. The Launch of the Monarchs
8. Waibel Climbs the Ladder
7. Youth is Served at RSL
6. Records at The Riot
5. The Captain Reaches New Heights
4. Rimando Stands Out
3. Champions League Glory
2. 11/6
1. 11/6
