SANDY, Utah (Wednesday, June 1, 2016) – Rio Tinto Stadium will reopen after a six-week midseason hiatus to host a Fourth-Round Match in the 2016 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, as Real Salt Lake returns to Utah soil on Tuesday, June 14 at 8:00 p.m. MT against the Wilmington Hammerheads (USL) in the 103rd edition of U.S. Soccer’s longest ongoing tourney.
Earlier this evening, Wilmington scored twice in the first five minutes at Miami FC (NASL) and held on to win, 2-1, sparked by a penalty-kick save in the 81st minute for Hammerheads GK Eric Ati.
The match will be included in 2016 Real Salt Lake Season Ticket Memberships by using “BONUS GAME A” from printed or electronic full-season packages. RSL and Real Monarchs season ticket members also have an opportunity to secure additional seats, with preferred prices varying by location and ranging from $15 to $60. RSL and Monarchs STM’s can call 801.727.2702.
Tickets to Rio Tinto Stadium’s Grand Reopening start at just $20 via the stadium box office, www.RSL.com or by calling 844.Real.Tix. All ticketholders for the Tuesday, June 14 contest will be able to experience a revamped “Carnival Real” on the Stadium’s East Lawn – activities opening at 6:00 p.m. MT – with a 3-hole mini footgolf course, playground, 35-foot obstacle course, inflatables and more activities on the way.
The 8:00 p.m. MT kickoff will be the first on Rio Tinto Stadium’s new field, replaced after the club’s victory over Houston on April 30, during RSL’s active five-game road trip, which concludes on Thursday, June 2 at Yankee Stadium in New York City.
RSL owns an all-time 8-2-0 record at Rio Tinto Stadium in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play, outscoring visitors 21-10. Against lower-division clubs, RSL is 5-1-0 at home, losing its 2012 Round of 32 match before more than 17,000+ in a 1-3 shocker to the Minnesota Stars of the NASL. The following year saw RSL host five consecutive games en route to the 2013 LHUSOC Final, which it ultimately lost, 0-1, to D.C. United.
Including MLS “qualifiers” or “play-in” games from 2007-10, RSL’s all-time record in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup contests is 11-11-1, the lone draw at San Jose seeing RSL advance via shootout at Buck Shaw Stadium. All-time, RSL has outscored opponents 41-39 in LHUSOC competition.
REAL SALT LAKE – ALL-TIME U.S. OPEN CUP HISTORY
vs. Team GP W-L-T OT ShO GF GA Mtg. Round Series Note:
Minnesota Thunder (USL) 1 0-1 0-1-0 4 6 2005 Rd of 16 Kreis hat trick wasted in 4-6 OT road loss
Virginia Beach (USL) 1 1-0 1-0-0 2 1 2006 Rd of 16 Andy Williams bombazo in 93’ rescues home RSL side
Kansas City Wizards 1 1-0 2 1 2007 Play-in Orange ball rolled out in last Ellinger win
Colorado Rapids 2 0-2 1 3 2007 Quarterfinal …
Columbus Crew 1 0-1 0 2 2008 Play-in Kovalenko red card dooms RSL chances
Seattle Sounders FC 1 0-1 1 4 2009 Play-in Starfire turf not kind as RSL loses to expansion SEA
San Jose Earthquakes 2 1-0-1 1-0 7 3 2010 Play-in 4-0 home win & 3-3 road draw (PK win) give RSL edge
D.C. United 1 0-1 0-1-0 1 2 2010 Play-in Najar GWG in OT overcomes Morales/Saborio substitutions
Wilmington Hammerheads (USL) 1 1-0 2 0 2011 Rd of 16 Beltran, Alexandre lead RSL in home match
FC Dallas 1 0-1 0 2 2011 Quarterfinal RSL wilts in sweltering heat at Pizza Hut Park
Minnesota Stars FC (NASL) 1 0-1 1 3 2012 Rd of 32 Record crowd of 17,000+ watch RSL shocker to 2nd div team
Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL) 1 1-0 1-0-0 3 2 2013 Rd of 32 Beckerman early, Sandoval/Stephenson late saves 120’ RSL
Charleston Battery (USL PRO) 1 1-0 1-0-0 5 2 2013 Rd of 16 Early 0-2 deficit overcome by Sandoval, Plata, et al
Carolina Railhawks (NASL) 1 1-0 3 0 2013 Quarterfinal Beltran, Wingert and Saborio score as RSL dominates
Portland Timbers 1 1-0 2 1 2013 Semifinal Saborio early, Plata late in Will Johnson return to RTS
D.C. United 1 0-1 0 1 2013 FINAL 45’ Lewis Neal goal dooms dominant RSL at home - again
Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL) 1 0-1 1 2 2014 Rd of 32 10’ Findley goal unable to hold up, ATL rides Poku 91+’
Seattle Sounders FC 2 (USL) 1 1-0 2 1 2015 Rd of 32 57’ Morales sub leads to Plata equalizer, game-winner
Portland Timbers 1 1-0 2 0 2015 Rd of 16 Attinella clean sheet bolstered by Jaime, Javi goals
LA Galaxy 1 1-0 1 0 2015 Quarterfinal Maund header in 87’ leads RSL past Gerrard, Keane
Sporting Kansas City 1 1-3 1 3 2015 Semifinal Early Garcia goal precedes 2g KC explosion in final 10’
Wilmington (USL) / Miami (NASL) 2016 Rd of 32 June 14 Rio Tinto Stadium Reopening
TOTALS 23 11-11-1 3-2-0 1-0 41 39
Wilmington – the former home for RSL MF Luke Mulholland – won 6-0 in mid-May against the NPSL’s Miami Fusion to advance to tonight’s third-round against the NASL-based Miami FC. The Hammerheads arrive at Rio Tinto Stadium for an Open Cup match for the second time in its history, as RSL won 2-0 over the minor-league side back in July, 2011, as DF Tony Beltran scored his lone professional goal in more than 16,000+ minutes. That match was RSL’s first-ever Open Cup match at Rio Tinto Stadium.
Major League Soccer sides have won each of the last 16 Open Cup titles, each earning a berth into the subsequent year’s CONCACAF Champions League. A year ago, RSL was eliminated from contention at the Semifinal stage by eventual champion Sporting Kansas City at what is now known as Children’s Mercy Park. RSL won three consecutive home matches prior to the semifinal trip to Kansas, downing the Seattle Sounders’ USL affiliate prior to eliminating two long-time Western Conference rivals, Portland Timbers and LA Galaxy.
For more information, please visit www.USsoccer.com/lamar-hunt-us-open-cup.
