SANDY, Utah (Friday, June 10, 2016) – Rio Tinto Stadium reopens Tuesday 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.
Prior to kickoff, the Sandy venue’s remodeled East Lawn introduces a new-and-improved Carnival Real, complete with a pre-game concert from local favorites The Strikeand a fan zone which features a mini Foot-Golf course, a 35-foot obstacle course, inflatables, a new playground, multiple food trucks and many other exciting features. RSL and Monarchs players will also sign autographs leading up to kickoff.
“The commitment to the fan experience at Rio Tinto Stadium for RSL and Monarchs games, as well as other events, is unparalleled by our Owner, Dell Loy Hansen,” said the club’s Chief Business Officer, Andy Carroll. “The remodel of our venue’s State Street border started a year ago with the AFCU Pavilion dining area and progresses now to a much more interactive Carnival Real with nearly 30 events remaining this season. Fans should keep an eye out for our 2017 plans as well.”
Tuesday’s match is 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. 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 recent five-game road trip, which concluded last week with a 3-2 win at Yankee Stadium in New York City.
The Strike is a 6-member band from Utah County that brings true musicianship to popular music, having performed at Sundance Film Festival, Hard Rock Vegas, the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas, and the prestigious Paramount Studios in Los Angeles.
The Strike has been featured on ABC’s hit show ‘Dancing With The Stars’, with their single “Atom Bomb” used as the acclaimed opening dance number. “Atom Bomb” has regularly been featured at St. Louis’ Busch Stadium on the jumbotron during St. Louis Cardinals games. “Atom Bomb” was also featured on a recent viral advertisement for NordicTrack that now has 3.8 million YouTube views.
The Strike has opened for acts such as Journey, Neon Trees, Kelly Clarkson, Carly Rae Jepson, Lindsey Stirling, Macy Gray, Vertical Horizon, The Piano Guys, Mason Jennings, and members of Chicago. The Strike can be heard on NBC’s ‘America’s Got Talent’, MTV’s “Finding Carter”, DevinSupertramp’s viral YouTube videos (over 1 million views), in LoveSac video advertising, and in leading retail stores both nationally and internationally.
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.
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.
