SANDY, Utah (Friday, August 4, 2017) – Real Salt Lake (7-12-4, 25 points, West #8) concludes its three-game homestand Saturday evening at 8:00 p.m. MT against the Houston Dynamo at Rio Tinto Stadium. Tickets are still available for Saturday’s match via www.RSL.com or by calling 844.Real.Tix.
RSL Head Coach Mike Petke and Co. look to move closer to the red line in the tightly-packed Western Conference with the full three points Saturday. RSL seeks to extend its active unbeaten streak to five on Saturday, the club exploding for 13 goals and posting a 2-0-1 record against longtime rivals LA Galaxy, Portland Timbers and Sporting Kansas City this July, prior to last week’s exciting 2-2 draw at home against Columbus Crew.
Real Salt Lake is now 7-9-2 since April 8 in its new era under Head Coach Mike Petke, the club boasting an all-time 6-2-4 mark against the visiting Dynamo on Utah soil. However, Houston has won three straight games against RSL, including a 1-0 victory last year at Rio Tinto Stadium, the “Forever Orange” club’s first-ever victory in the Sandy venue. Earlier this year, back on May 31, the Dynamo won 5-1 over the Claret-and-Cobalt in South Texas.
How to Follow Real Salt Lake v. Houston Dynamo – Sat., August 5, 2017
- Coverage Begins: 7:30 p.m. MT
- Local TV: KMYU – David James and Brian Dunseth
- English Radio: ESPN700 AM (7:00 p.m. MT) – Bill Riley and 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
Game Notes for Saturday’s RSL v. Houston Dynamo game Available Online
The link to the Adobe PDF version of the Game Guide in advance of Saturday’s contest between Real Salt Lake and Houston Dynamo is available at this link. 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.
RSL has hosted a trio of three-game homestands in its 13-year history to this juncture, securing seven of a possible nine points in 2016 (Dallas, Colorado, LA Galaxy), five of nine in 2014 (Vancouver, Montreal, Red Bulls) and only four of nine in 2006 (Dallas, Chivas, D.C. United) at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Following Saturday’s match against Houston, RSL heads east for back-to-back road matches at D.C. United on August 12, in what is likely the club’s final visit to RFK Stadium (the lone MLS venue in which it has played three or more games but never won) and on Saturday, August 19 in Montreal.
On four occasions in the final third of the 2017 season (August 23/26 v. San Jose & Colorado, and Sept. 16/23 v. Portland & Seattle), RSL will again host consecutive home games on the Wasatch Front, after not enjoying that luxury at any time from March through late July.
Elsewhere in the RSL pyramid, the scintillating 2017 Real Monarchs / USL season continues Saturday with a road trip to OKC Energy FC, as Head CoachMark Briggs’ USL pacesetters – with a 15-2-3 mark and a league-leading 48 points – are unbeaten in their last five contests, with three of their next four games at home following this weekend’s trip.
The third-year Monarchs claim the league’s top goal differential, +24 with 44 goals scored and 20 allowed in just 20 games, occupying first place overall in the USL with an incredible 15-2-3 start and 48 points, eight clear of San Antonio FC atop the West and 11 ahead of the Charleston Battery in the race for home-field advantage in the 2017 USL Cup Playoffs.
The Monarchs return to Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday, August 12 vs. the Colorado Springs Switchbacks (7:00 p.m. MT kickoff) with sights set on extending its 11-game unbeaten home streak dating back to last year:
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, which sees the first of five grass “TORO Fields ” sodded today – 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 soon, 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.
