When D.C. United comes to town on Saturday, Real Salt Lake fans will still have a bitter taste in their mouths from the last time the two sides met almost a year ago in the U.S. Open Cup Final on Oct. 1, 2013 at Rio Tinto Stadium. Everything seemed set in place for the Claret-and-Cobalt to win its first piece of hardware of the year and a ticket back into CONCACAF Champions League – home field advantage, a match against the worst team in the league. But things did not go as planned with D.C. midfielder Lewis Neal scoring the game’s only goal in the 45th minute. RSL controlled the run of play, but couldn’t turn its possession into a goal, hitting the woodwork twice to drop the club’s first Open Cup Final.
Saturday’s matchup will feature a very different D.C. United, as the club has rebounded from last year’s record low finish of 3-24-7. The revitalized club features new additions, including USMNT forward Eddie Johnson and former RSL striker Fabian Espindola, that have helped the club exceed expectations this year. D.C. United currently sits second in the Eastern Conference with an 11-6-4 record and total of 37 points.
The memory of watching D.C. lift the trophy at Rio Tinto Stadium will be a hard one to forget. Let’s hope the Claret-and-Cobalt can make it a bit easier with a resounding win on Saturday.
