Jeff Cassar starts every Real Salt Lake training session with a brief meeting for last-minute instructions with his team on the field. On Sunday, that meeting started with a round of applause for RSL’s Director of Fields and Grounds Dan Farnes.
The Claret-and-Cobalt was back on the field at Rio Tinto Stadium for the first time since a 2-1 win over the Houston Dynamo on April 30 as the stadium underwent a complete resurfacing of the field for the first time since the inaugural match in 2008. Readying to play on the lush green Kentucky bluegrass, Cassar saw it fit to pay brief tribute to Farnes, who oversaw the resurfacing over the last six weeks while RSL played five consecutive matches on the road.
“We got the guys together and thanked the field crew for doing such an amazing job and letting us be on it today to prepare,” Cassar said. “You could see that a lot of people put a lot of energy into what we play on and we’re very thankful for that. Now we need to do our part and put on our performance.”
RSL will face the Wilmington Hammerheads Tuesday night in the Fourth Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on the newly resurfaced field and will return to MLS play on Saturday against the defending MLS Cup champion Portland Timbers. Salt Lake trained on the field Sunday, giving the team a good look at the freshly laid sod.
After the session, they raved about their new playing surface.
“It’s great. It’s in perfect condition and we’re excited to play on it. It’s in pristine form. The only thing I don’t like about it is I don’t have an excuse if I mess up a trap or a pass,” defender Chris Wingert laughed. “It’s all on the player now.”
Added forward Yura Movsisyan with a smile, “It’s beautiful. It looks amazing, feels amazing. It’s magic.”
In addition to the rich, green look of the pitch, it also plays wonderfully.
“It’s fast. It’s firm. It’s really nice. I love the way the ball was moving on it,” Cassar said. “I love seeing the guys being excited to be on it and that’s really important coming off of such a long, grinding road trip to see the excitement back in the guys. And I’m excited to play in front of our fans too.”
Tuesday's match kicks off at 8 p.m. MT with tickets available at RSL.com/Tickets.
