REAL SALT LAKE RETURNS FROM MLS WORLD CUP HIATUS SATURDAY NIGHT v. SAN JOSE
Active Six-Game Home MLS Win Streak On Line in Rio Tinto Stadium Return;
Saturday’s LIVE Coverage Kicks Off at 5:30p MT w/ Utah Royals FC at Chicago,
RSL Kickoff at 8:00p MT on KMYU TV / KSL App / KSL.com & ESPN700;
Tickets Remain Available at www.RSL.com/Tickets
SANDY, Utah (Friday, June 22, 2018) – Real Salt Lake (7-7-1, 22 pts, t-5th West) ends Major League Soccer’s brief FIFA World Cup hiatus with a Saturday night match at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, facing longtime West rival San Jose Earthquakes in an 8:00 p.m. MT kickoff. The match will be televised locally on KMYU and the KSL TV app, as well as ESPN700 AM, as part of a five-hour soccer block following NWSL action featuring Utah Royals FC at Chicago Red Stars (5:30p MT coverage, 6:00p MT kick).
RSL Head Coach Mike Petke’s team hosts San Jose – against whom it is 2-0-2 in its last four on Utah soil – looking to extend its active six-game home winning streak in MLS action, currently tied for the best in club history (set in Aug.-Oct., 2014). Three of RSL’s next four contests will be played in Sandy, where the Claret-and-Cobalt boast a 6-1-0 record so far this season, outscoring opponents 13-4 since an opening-day loss to LAFC. RSL has enjoyed a prominent home-field advantage since building its permanent home in Sandy, boasting a dominant 112-28-44 mark in the world-class venue since opening in October, 2008.
During the three consecutive wins prior to an 0-3 loss at LA Galaxy on June 9, RSL swept home-and-home matchups with two-time defending MLS Western Conference champion Seattle Sounders FC, with legendary GK Nick Rimando capturing career shutouts No. 140 and No. 141. Several homegrown RSL Academy products stood out during the run, including Utah native Sebastian “Bofo” Saucedo, who scored his first-ever MLS goal with a curling game-winner at Seattle, also adding two assists in the midweek win over Houston, highlighted by Captain Kyle Beckerman’s late dagger. Saucedo’s heroics came in a game that saw four other RSL Academy homegrowns in Petke’s starting XI – DF Justen Glad, DF Danny Acosta, DF Brooks Lennon and FW Corey Baird – while another, DF Aaron Herrera, made his MLS debut as a substitute, becoming the ninth different player to debut for the Claret-and-Cobalt in 2018. It was rookie forward Baird that provided the game-winner in a June 2nd 2-0 home win over the Sounders, heading home a rebounded save of Acosta’s shot for his club-high fourth goal of the season. At the death, FW Luis Silva curled home an empty-netter to determine the final margin, Silva’s second goal in as many contests prior to the June 9 loss at LA Galaxy.
How to Follow Real Salt Lake v. San Jose Earthquakes – Sat., June 23, 2018
- Coverage Begins: 5:30 p.m. MT (Kickoff at 8:00 p.m. MT)
- Local TV: KMYU – David James & Brian Dunseth w/ Samantha Yarock
- Digital Streaming: KSL TV app / KSL.com
- English Radio: ESPN 700 AM (7:00 p.m. MT) – Bill Riley & Jay Nolly
w/ Tom Hackett & Spencer Warne (pre-/post-game)
- Spanish Radio: 104.7 /107.1 FM – Fernando Hortal, German Hortal & Carlos Artiles
Game Notes for Saturday’s RSL v. San Jose Earthquakes 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 San Jose Earthquakes 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.
2018 REAL SALT LAKE MLS SCHEDULE
DAY DATE MATCHUP TIME (MT) NOTE:
Sat. March 3 @ FC Dallas 1-1 T RSL now 1-14-3 all comps at Dallas MetroPlex
SAT. MARCH 10 LAFC 1-5 L All-Time mark of 4-0-5 in RioT MLS Openers
SAT. MARCH 17 NY RED BULLS 1-0 W 6-0-5 v RBNY in Utah, but 2008 East Final hurts
Fri. March 30 @ Toronto FC 1-3 L Lone win at TFC came in 2013
SAT. APRIL 7 VANCOUVER 2-1 W Lone VAN win on Wasatch came in 2015
Wed. April 11 @ NYCFC 0-4 L Yankee Stadium loss drops RSL to 3-1-0 v NYCFC
SAT. APRIL 21 COLORADO 3-0 W RSL won 9 of last 11 Rocky Mountain Cups
Fri. April 27 @ Vancouver 0-2 L Lone win at VAN 3 days before 2013 USOC Final
Sun. May 6 @ Orlando City 1-3 L One of three new stadiums visited by RSL in 2018
SAT. MAY 12 D.C. UNITED 3-2 W RSL now 8-2-2 all comps v. DC in Utah
Sat. May 19 @ Philadelphia 1-4 L RSL had never before lost to Phila (now 6-1-4)
Sat. May 26 @ Seattle 1-0 W Snaps run of 7 consecutive RSL losses at CLink
WED. MAY 30 HOUSTON 2-1 W Back-to-Back wins for first time in 2018
SAT. JUNE 2 SEATTLE 2-0 W Eight straight unbeaten at home for RSL v SEA
WED. JUNE 6 KANSAS CITY 0-2 L Fourth Round of 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
Sat. June 9 @ LA Galaxy 0-3 L 6-2 win at StubHub kicked off electric 2017 run
SAT. JUNE 23 SAN JOSE 8:00 RSL 2-0-2 in last 4 at RioT v San Jose
Sat. June 30 @ Columbus 5:30 Last RSL win in Columbus? Aug. 2006
WED. JULY 4 KANSAS CITY 8:00 Independence Day Fireworks Celebration!
SAT. JULY 7 FC DALLAS 8:00 RSL 10-7-4 all-time in Utah against DAL
WED. JULY 10 EINTRACHT FRANKFURT 8:00 German Cup Champs at RioT for Summer Friendly
Sat. July 14 @ Minnesota 6:00 2-4 loss at TCF Bank Stadium last April
SAT. JULY 21 COLORADO 8:00 Pioneer Day Fireworks Celebration at RioT
Sat. July 28 @ San Jose 8:30 3rd-most RSL road wins (5) at San Jose
SAT. AUGUST 4 CHICAGO 8:00 Fire boast 3-3-3 record all-time at RSL
SAT. AUGUST 11 MONTREAL 8:00 Impact winless at RioT in 3 previous visits
Wed. August 15 @ LAFC 8:00 First-ever visit to Banc of California Stadium
Sat. August 18 @ Houston 6:00 Dynamo visit part of only 3-game road trip
Sat. August 25 @ Colorado 7:00 Lone away RMC match out of three in 2018
SAT. SEPT 1 LA GALAXY 8:00 RSL 7-4-8 all-time on Wasatch v. LA
SAT. SEPT. 15 MINNESOTA 7:30 Late GWG in 2017 v. Loons in lone RioT match
Sat. Sept. 22 @ Atlanta 5:00 Mercedes-Benz visit one of 3 new venues for RSL
Sun. Sept. 30 @ Kansas City 3:00 Site of 2013 MLS Cup, 2015 USOC eliminations
SAT. OCT. 6 PORTLAND 7:30 West rivalry always intense, respectful
THU. OCT. 18 NEW ENGLAND 7:00 RSL 5-2-3 at home all-time v. Revolution
Sun. Oct. 21 @ Portland TBA Snapped turf streak at Providence last July
Schedule subject to change; please visit www.RSL.com for up-to-date information
Real Salt Lake returns a 20-player core amongst the 30-man roster for its 2018 campaign, entering the club’s first full year under Petke and staff. International playmaker Albert Rusnák (Slovakia) and wingers Joao Plata (Ecuador) and Jefferson Savarino (Venezuela) each sparked the club’s late-season attack last year, while the quintet of USA U-20 CONCACAF Champions – DF Justen Glad, DF Danny Acosta, FW Brooks Lennon, MF Sebastian Saucedo and 2018 signing DF Aaron Herrera, all RSL Academy products – are joined by fellow homegrowns Jordan Allen, Jose Hernandez and Corey Baird.
Veterans returning for 2018 include DF Marcelo Silva, who joined the club in August; 11-year icon Tony Beltran, fifth-year MF Luke Mulholland, third-year MF Sunday Stephen, and experienced Major League Soccer players in L. Silva and DF David Horst. Joining that group are a trio of players who matriculated to the first team from the 2017 USL regular-season champion Real Monarchs: MF Nick Besler, GK Connor Sparrow and a Salt Lake City native, DF Taylor Peay.
Other new arrivals for 2018 include: Spanish FW Alfredo Ortuño; a pair of young American DFs returning from Europe in Adam Henley and Shawn Barry; 19-year old dual-national MF Pablo Ruiz, the Argentine youth international who could play for Chile’s senior side; accomplished veteran MF Damir Kreilach; reserve GK Alex Horwath, another American returning stateside from Europe; and rookie FW Ricky Lopez-Espin (Creighton).
Officially opening just a few months ago, the Zions Bank Real Academy training campus in Herriman, Utah is located just 20 minutes southwest of Rio Tinto Stadium. The $78 million facility, which will see the first of five grass “TORO Fields” available in upcoming weeks – will serve as the daily training home for both of the club's men’s professional teams – RSL (MLS) and Real Monarchs (USL) – while centralizing the club's U-19, U-17 and future U-15 development academy youth selections under the guidance of Academy Director Martin Vasquez.
The Herriman facility provides adjacencies for an on-site charter school in conjunction with the Jordan School District, which opened last August, focusing on STEM disciplines (Science/Technology/Engineering/Math) for nearly 300 boys and girls, kicking off a new era for both sports and education in Utah.
Last December in North Logan, Utah, RSL Owner Dell Loy Hansen christened the opening of 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 7-14) initiatives across Utah and Arizona.
