HERRIMAN, Utah (Sunday, January 9, 2022) – Ahead of its 18th season in Major League Soccer, Real Salt Lake today announced its preseason plans and match schedule. Preseason will officially begin on January 16 and conclude on Sunday, February 20, prior to the Club’s opening regular season match of 2022 on February 27 at Houston Dynamo FC.
RSL will open preseason training in Herriman from January 16 to January 22 before departing for Tucson, Arizona on January 24 for an eight-day trip that will see the Club feature in the Desert Showcase presented by Visit Tucson. The team will play its first match on January 29 against Grand Canyon University. RSL will then face Houston Dynamo FC to close out its trip to Tucson on February 2. All matches in Arizona will be held at the Kino Sports Complex.
The team will then return to training in Herriman from February 4 to February 12 and face Kyle Beckerman-led Utah Valley University on February 9 before departing for Portland, Oregon, where the Club will play three matches between February 12 to February 19.
Matches in Portland are scheduled for February 13, February 16 and February 19 with match times and opponents being announced at a later date. All matches will be played at Providence Park in Downtown Portland.
Due to health and safety regulations, media and fan attendance at all preseason matches are soon to be determined.
2022 RSL PRESEASON SCHEDULE (ALL SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Herriman, Utah
NOW – Sat., January 22: Physicals / Fitness testing at Zions Bank Training Center
Tucson, Arizona
Mon., January 24 – Wed., February 2: Training in Tucson, Arizona
Sat., January 29: Match #1 against Grand Canyon University – 11a MT
Wed., February 2: Match #2 against Houston Dynamo FC – 11a MT
Herriman, Utah
Fri., February 4 – Sat., February 12: Training at Zions Bank Training Center
Wed., February 9: Match #3 against Utah Valley University – 11a MT
Portland, Oregon
Sun., February 13 – Sat., February 19: Training in Portland, Oregon
Sun., February 13 – Match #4 against Opponent TBD
Wed., February 16 – Match #5 against Opponent TBD
Sat., February 19 – Match #6 against Portland Timbers – 6p MT
2022 Real Salt Lake Season Tickets can be purchased at RSL.com, or by calling 844.REAL.TIX.
About Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake’s 17th Major League Soccer season recently concluded, the Utah side advancing to the 2021 Audi MLS Cup Western Conference Finals, the Club’s fifth Conference Finals appearance in its history and 11th playoff appearance in the last 14 years.
The club's MLS Cup 2009 victory marked the state of Utah's only major professional championship in nearly 40 years, the title preceding an historic run to the 2010/11 CONCACAF Champions League Final. Buoyed by a passionate base boasting several thousand season ticket holders, RSL has enjoyed a prominent home-field advantage – posting a dominant 145-43-46 (Win-Loss-Draw) record across all competitions at home (2.06 points per game for a 0.771 win pct.) – since building its permanent Rio Tinto Stadium home in Sandy 13 years ago.
In 2015, the club expanded its development pyramid with the addition of Real Monarchs SLC, one of several MLS-operated clubs playing in the USL Championship, the United States' Division II setup. The Monarchs boast a pair of titles in its brief history, as the 2017 USL regular-season champions, later winning the USL Final in 2019. For the 2022 season and beyond, Real Monarchs will compete in the newly launched “MLS NEXT Pro” as part of a joint United States and Canada endeavor to complete the professional player pathway by connecting youth academies in MLS NEXT to first teams in Major League Soccer.
The entire RSL pyramid, which includes the RSL Academy’s U-15 and U-17 teams, calls the expansive Zions Bank Training Center in Herriman, Utah their daily training home. With five world-class grass fields, two indoor turf fields, a residential dormitory, the STEM-based RSL Academy High School and the 5,000-seat Zions Bank Stadium located on a 42-acre campus, Utah’s sporting future is bright.
Added in 2020 was the elite RSL Academy basketball program, already earning accolades internationally for its vision, mission, and accomplishments.
The RSL Community Foundation was established in 2016, created with the goals of being active in the community year-round, utilizing the popularity and reach of RSL and the Monarchs in promoting health and wellness in children throughout the region, engaging supporters of soccer to raise funds and volunteer time for various local initiatives.
