SANDY, Utah (Tuesday, September 6, 2016) – Real Salt Lake concludes its late-season homestand against Western Conference elite this Wednesday night in Sandy, against long-time rival LA Galaxy. The locally-televised kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. MT, as the Claret-and-Cobalt seek the club’s third consecutive home victory – and fifth in its last seven games overall – in pursuit of MLS Supporters Shield and playoff positioning.
Head Coach Jeff Cassar’s team is one of just four MLS sides unbeaten this season at home, as RSL’s 8-0-5 mark at Rio Tinto Stadium this season buoys the club’s overall 12-8-7 mark, tied for second place in the West with LA and Colorado. RSL boasts a 1.59 points-per-game average, placing RSL, LA and Toronto fourth overall in the MLS table, the Claret-and-Cobalt surging after home wins over teams it has been chasing, FC Dallas and Colorado.
RSL – which has not lost in 16 consecutive home contests this season across all competitions – is also unbeaten in its last 6 home matches against LA, posting a 3-0-3 mark in MLS reg. season/playoff and U.S. Open Cup action. The Galaxy’s last win on the Wasatch came back in April, 2013, when Mike Magee and Charlie Rugg both scored early on for a 2-0 win for Bruce Arena’s side, which arrived midweek missing the services of several stars.
LA’s last visit to Rio Tinto Stadium – a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal – saw RSL DF Aaron Maund slam an 83rd-minute header into the back of the net en route to a 1-0 win, supporting a Jeff Attinella clean sheet in Steven Gerrard’s debut against an MLS opponent. That game was also the last time DF Chris Schuler wore the RSL badge in meaningful competition prior to his appearance in the 2-1 win on August 26 over Colorado, a span of 410 days for the fifth-year MLS center back.
Should he return from U.S. National Team duty in time, RSL Captain and MLS icon Kyle Beckerman could make his 400th career appearance – already the most among field players – while GK Nick Rimando is also expected to extend his MLS-record of 417 appearances, the most in MLS history. In RSL’s last game, Beckerman surpassed Steve Ralston to become Major League Soccer’s all-time field player minutes leader, with 33,148 played (and counting).
Wednesday’s game will be televised in Utah via KMYU (English, David James & Brian Dunseth) or heard via RSL outlets ESPN700 AM (English, Bill Riley, Jay Nolly, Spencer Warne & Jeremy Horton) & 102.3 FM / 1600 AM (Spanish, Fernando Hortal & Nelson Moran). Pre-game coverage airs live locally on ESPN700 AM at 6:30 p.m. MT, while KMYU’s three-hour window kicks off at 7:00 p.m. MT live from Sandy.
How to Follow Real Salt Lake vs. LA Galaxy
- Coverage Begins: 7:00 p.m. MT
- Local TV: KMYU (2.2 air / 12 satellite / 643 Comcast HD) – David James & Brian Dunseth
- English Radio: ESPN700 AM (6:30 p.m. MT) – Bill Riley, Jay Nolly, Spencer Warne & Jeremy Horton
- Spanish Radio: 102.3 La Gran D FM / 1600 AM – Nelson Moran & Fernando Hortal
- Online: The @RealSaltLake Twitter feed provides updates
Game Guide for Wednesday’s RSL vs. LA Galaxy Match Now Available Online
The link to the Adobe PDF version of the MLS Game Guide in advance of Wednesday’s contest between Real Salt Lake and Los Angeles is available by clicking HERE.
