SANDY, Utah (Tuesday, July 18, 2017) – Real Salt Lake continues its three-game week Wednesday night with a return to MLS regular-season action at Portland Timbers, as Head Coach Mike Petke and Co. seek back-to-back road wins in an 8:30 p.m. MT kickoff (KMYU / ESPN700 AM).
Real Salt Lake is now 6-9-0 since April 8 in its new era under Head Coach Mike Petke, the club defeating LA Galaxy 6-2 in its last MLS contest on July 4, prior to the league’s Gold Cup hiatus. The four-goal win – featuring five different goalscorers and establishing new marks for goals in a road game (six) and road half (four) – was RSL’s most-dominant road victory in its 13-year history, including Venezuelan international Jefferson Savarino’s first two RSL/MLS goals. Playmaking MF Albert Rusnák returned from Slovakia to notch a goal and two assists in his first start since June 3, while Yura Movsisyan, Kyle Beckerman and Joao Plata also found the back of the net.
How to Follow Real Salt Lake at Portland Timbers FC – Wed., July 19, 2017
- Coverage Begins: 8:00 p.m. MT
- Local TV: KMYU – David James and Brian Dunseth
- English Radio: ESPN700 AM (8:00 p.m. MT) – Bill Riley & Jay Nolly, w/ Jeremy Horton & Spencer Warne (pre-/post-game)
- Spanish Radio: 102.3 La Gran D FM / 1600 AM – Nelson Moran & Fernando Hortal
- Online: The @RSLmatchday Twitter feed provides updates
RSL’s last win on artificial surface came at the venue now known as Providence Park in Portland, the Claret-and-Cobalt securing a 1-0 victory in the second leg of the 2013 Western Conference Finals in November, 2013, clinching a berth at MLS Cup in Kansas City. Since that win, RSL has gone 0-14-5 while being outscored 43-13 on various astroturf forms at Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, New England, Orlando and Minnesota in MLS action, as well as in Open Cup at Atlanta Silverbacks (2014) and CONCACAF Champions League at Santa Tecla (2015).
Game Notes for Wednesday’s RSL at Portland Timbers FC game Available Online
The link to the Adobe PDF version of the Game Guide in advance of Wednesday’s contest between Real Salt Lake and Portland Timbers FC is available HERE. If you have any problems obtaining the document, would prefer to receive it as an attachment, or are seeking more information on the match, please contact Matt Gaschk in the RSL Communications Department via email at mgaschk@RSL.com.
Following Wednesday’s match, RSL returns home for Pioneer Day Weekend fireworks on and off the field against rival Sporting Kansas City on Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. MT, with tickets available via www.RSL.com or by calling 844.Real.Tix.
Monday’s historic visit by Manchester United was the Red Devils’ first-ever trip to Utah, joining a list of top-flight international clubs to visit the Beehive State to face RSL. Manchester United follows Real Madrid (Spain) in 2006 (Rice-Eccles Stadium), Everton (England) in 2007/09 and Internazionale Milano (Italy) in 2016 (Rio Tinto Stadium). RSL also boasts a long history of hosting regional CONCACAF powers Club América (Mexico) in 2008, Saprissa (Costa Rica) in 2011, Chivas de Guadalajara (Mexico) in 2008, as well as South American clubs Boca Juniors (Argentina) in 2007 and Universidad Católica (Chile) in 2005, among others.
The 2017 Real Monarchs / USL season is ongoing, the third-year club claiming the league’s top goal differential, +23 with 40 goals scored and 17 allowed in just 17 games, occupying first place overall in the USL with an incredible 14-2-1 start and 43 points, seven clear of Saturday’s road opponent, San Antonio FC.
Head Coach Mark Briggs’ team – which saw its 10-game unbeaten run snapped July 1 with an 0-2 loss at Tulsa, the club’s lone shutout suffered of the year and the only loss since April 15 – extended its home win streak to 10 straight games on July 5 and 8, downing OKC and Seattle by a combined 7-2 scoreline. This week, the Monarchs hope to welcome back playmaker Sebastian Velasquez for the San Antonio trip. Velasquez has earned four USL Team of the Week nods in the last eight weeks (and five overall), while moving near the top of the USL attacking charts with six goals and six assists on his campaign.
FW Chandler Hoffman ranks third overall in the USL with 11 goals on the season, the USL MVP candidate matching fellow MF Charlie Adams’ five assists for the third-highest total in USL. The Monarchs goalkeeping tandem of Lalo Fernandez and Connor Sparrow has combined for five shutouts, allowing only 9 goals in the last 1034 minutes. The Monarchs return to Rio Tinto Stadium on Monday, July 31 against Tulsa (7:00 p.m. MT kickoff) with sights set on an 11th consecutive home victory, dating back to last season:
USL Home Winning Streaks (incl. playoffs)
13 games: Orlando City SC (2014)
11 games: Rochester Rhinos (2015-16)
10 games: Real Monarchs (2016-present)
8 games: Swope Park Rangers (2016-17)
The Rio Tinto Stadium box office is open Mon.-Fri., 10a-6p; more information can be found online at www.RSL.com/Tickets. Current or interested RSL Royalty Season Ticket Members can purchase extra tickets at preferred pricing or gain assistance via the Fan Relations Hotline at 801-727-2702.
Opening on August 22 of this year, the Zions Bank Real Academy training campus arrives in Herriman, Utah, approximately 20 minutes southwest of Rio Tinto Stadium. The $72 million facility will serve as the daily training home beginning in 2018 for both of the club's professional teams – RSL (MLS) and Real Monarchs (USL) – while centralizing the club's U-18, U-16 and future U-14 development academy youth selections. The Herriman facility will provide adjacencies for an on-site charter school opening in Fall, 2017, with STEM disciplines (Science/Technology/Engineering/Math) for nearly 300 boys and girls.
Late last year in North Logan, Utah, RSL Owner Dell Loy Hansen broke ground on the first of a half-dozen regional training centers across Utah and Arizona to be built in the next 2-3 years. Each $5 million RTC houses a classroom, as well as an indoor and outdoor field, dedicated to fulfilling a curriculum consistent with the club's vision and mission for youth soccer training and education, and the continued development of both recreational and competitive pre-Academy (ages 7-12) initiatives across Utah and Arizona.
