If you’ve been following The Sovereign blog for a while, you might remember the RSL Love Connection from two years ago, featured here by the inimitable Sam Stejskal.
For a quick refresher, Matt Rieck was a Real Salt Lake season ticket holder until his job took him to San Diego. In April of 2012, he went to a road match against the San Jose Earthquakes, but also used the trip to visit a friend's sister, Kathryn Roethel. Their first date was at that match and although they lived in opposite ends of California, they maintained their long-distance relationship, sharing a bond of RSL soccer (and the jersey she “borrowed” from him). She documented their first date and blossoming love on Valentine’s Day in 2013 and this week she sent an update.
Matt and Kathryn are now engaged and will be married on March 7 – the afternoon of Real Salt Lake’s season-opening match against the Portland Timbers. In keeping with the spirit of their relationship, Matt and his groomsmen will all be wearing RSL’s colors in their ties, vests and boutonnieres. “I suspect one of Matt's many RSL scarves may make an appearance in wedding photos, as well!” she writes.
So with their wedding day (and the kickoff to RSL’s season) just three weeks away, we here at Real Salt Lake would love to take the opportunity to pass on Kathryn’s Happy Valentine’s Day message to her fiancée and also pass on festive greetings of our own to our own Valentines – the thousands of fans that rock Rio Tinto Stadium for Real Salt Lake home matches, the droves of fans across the country that represent the Claret-and-Cobalt with pride, and the fans-to-be that will be converted in an exciting 2015 season.
Happy Valentine’s Day from the RSL Family to you!