SANDY, Utah (Tuesday, December 22, 2015) – In conjunction with Major League Soccer, Real Salt Lake announced its 2016 regular season home opener on Tuesday, with RSL hosting Western Conference rivals Seattle Sounders FC on March 12 at Rio Tinto Stadium at 2 p.m. MT. The full 34-game schedule will be announced at a later date, but already RSL has two regular season matches on the calendar with the MLS regular season opener coming on the road on March 6 against Orlando City SC.
Real Salt Lake will open the competitive schedule in Mexico against UANL Tigres in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinals on Wednesday February 24 (6 p.m. MT), with the home leg of the aggregate goal series at Rio Tinto Stadium on Wednesday, March 2 at 8 p.m. MT. RSL’s MLS schedule will then open on Sunday, March 6 at the Citrus Bowl against second-year club Orlando City SC.
This will be the eighth consecutive season that Real Salt Lake opens the regular season on the road. RSL is unbeaten in the last six regular season openers at 5-0-1. It will be only the third time in club history that RSL opens against an Eastern Conference opponent and just the second time opening on the road against an East foe – the first being the club’s inaugural match in a 0-0 draw with the New York Red Bulls in 2005.
Rio Tinto Stadium continues to be a distinct home-field advantage for Real Salt Lake, with the club running its all-time regular season record to 70-16-31 since opening the stadium on October 9, 2008. In home openers, RSL is 4-0-7 all-time, with a 3-0-4 record in Rio Tinto Stadium home openers.
This will mark the club’s first ever regular season match in the state of Florida and the second time in club history that the home opener will come against Seattle Sounders FC, after drawing 2-2 with a stoppage-time equalizer by Alvaro Saborio in 2010.
Ticketing information for Real Salt Lake’s home opener will be available soon at RSL.com.
In addition to the club’s first two regular season matches, Real Salt Lake also announced matches for the preseason schedule in California, Mexico and Arizona as the Claret-and-Cobalt ready for the Champions League quarterfinals. The preseason schedule will feature matches against the MLS Cup champion Portland Timbers as well as 2015 MLS Cup finalists Columbus Crew SC and 2014 MLS Cup finalists the New England Revolution. The highlight match on the schedule, though, is a friendly in Mexico against Club Tijuana on February 2.
Dates to Know (Subject to change):
Jan. 4 – U.S. National Team training camp begins in Carson, California
Jan. 7-12 – MLS Scouting Combine in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Jan. 8 – Real Monarchs preseason training camp begins with physicals and testing
Jan. 14 – MLS SuperDraft in Baltimore, Maryland
Jan. 22 – Real Salt Lake preseason training camp begins with physicals and testing in Sandy, Utah
Jan. 24 – Feb. 3 – Real Salt Lake travels to Oceanside, California
Jan. 30 – Real Salt Lake preseason friendly vs. San Diego State University (SoCal Sports Complex)
Jan. 30 – Real Monarchs preseason friendly vs. BYU (BYU indoor facility)
Jan. 31 – U.S. National Team friendly vs. Iceland in Carson, California
Feb. 2 – Real Salt Lake preseason friendly vs. Tijuana (Estadio Caliente; Tijuana, Mexico)
Feb. 5 – U.S. National Team friendly vs. Canada in Carson, California
Feb. 6-19 – Real Monarchs travel to Costa Rica
Feb. 7-22 – Real Salt Lake travels to Tucson, Arizona
Feb. 11 – Real Salt Lake preseason friendly vs. Portland Timbers
Feb. 11 – Real Monarchs preseason friendly vs. Santos de Guppies
Feb. 14 – Real Monarchs preseason friendly vs. AD Cariari Pococi
Feb. 17 – Real Salt Lake preseason match vs. New England Revolution (Desert Diamond Cup)
Feb. 18 – Real Monarchs preseason friendly vs. Saprissa de Corazon
Feb. 20 – Real Salt Lake preseason match vs. Columbus Crew SC (Desert Diamond Cup)
Feb. 22 – Real Salt Lake travels to Monterrey, Mexico
Feb. 24 – Real Salt Lake @ UANL Tigres; CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinals; 6 p.m. MT; Estadio Universitario; Monterrey, Mexico
March 2 – Real Salt Lake vs. UANL Tigres; CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinals; 8 p.m. MT; Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, Utah
March 5 – Real Monarchs preseason friendly vs. UNLV
March 6 – Real Salt Lake @ Orlando City SC; MLS Regular Season Opener; Citrus Bowl; Orlando, Florida
March 12 – Real Salt Lake vs. Seattle Sounders FC; MLS Regular Season Home Opener; Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, Utah
March 12 – Real Monarchs preseason friendly vs. BYU
March 19 – Real Monarchs preseason friendly vs. Utah Valley University
