Happy Birthday USA!
In a heated rivalry against Sporting Kansas City, Real Salt Lake dominated on the field & celebrated Independence Day with a thrilling post-match firework show at the RioT. This is the fourteenth consecutive year that the club has celebrated our nation’s birthday, making it an exciting tradition for the organization & it's loyal supporters.
Many RSL family members have made celebrating the Fourth an annual event, combining their love for soccer with patriotic pride.
Let’s see what the fans had to say:
Kandace Christensen
“It has been a tradition every year since 2007!”
Clark Clifford
“The first actual date I went on with my now wife was the Fourth of July game at the Riot three years ago. Taking her to the game and the fireworks afterwards I think made a good impression! We started going to games more often and it was something we did while we dated. The next year she bought me season tickets for Christmas and we’ve had them ever since – we’re hooked! Going to the RioT for the Fourth of July is our one real Fourth of July tradition and is probably the first holiday tradition her and I actually had together. A night at the RioT is always a blast -- but when you get to go down on the field where your favorite professional soccer players were just playing, and watch fireworks surrounded by thousands of people -- it’s absolutely thrilling. You can’t beat it! It’s something we plan on doing for years to come! We love spending the Fourth with our RSL family!”
Matt Fox
“My biggest memory of RSL on the Fourth of July was seeing the return of Nick Rimando and Kyle Beckerman after the 2014 World Cup. And the great welcome they got from all the RSL fans.”
Stephen Purser
“This is the first year I have my whole family interested in RSL. So, they would like it [Fourth of July match] to be a tradition.”
Ben Walker
“We enjoy soccer and with time it’s not always easy to come out to every game, but fourth of July games are the game that we come out and find time for it…We will also be staying for the firework show – that is part of the tradition. We always come to watch a good game and a good firework show.”
Jesse Manscill
“Tradition. Best fireworks on the Fourth.”
Mackenzie & Spencer Wilson
“Spencer has a coach that is on the Real team – Taylor Peay – who isn’t playing tonight because he was playing for the Monarchs – but he suggested coming. We will also be celebrating at the fireworks show tonight – we are really excited… After tonight, you can definitely count us to be here next year for the July fourth game, every year.”
Yazmin Manjarrez
“We decided to celebrate our fourth of July here because of my love of the game…I am looking forward to winning and the firework show.”
Jeremy Chamberlain
“My youngest boy, it’s been his dream to come watch a soccer game. We drove five hours to get here…If tonight goes well, I’m sure this won’t be the last fourth of July game we go too.”
Kyle Condie
“We’ve been season ticket holders for 20 years or so, and we love spending it as a family along with our extended family (referring to all RSL fans) for the fireworks on and off the field. We’ve only missed two firework games – one for my brother’s wedding and the other for a family vacation in Missouri…but we ended up watching both games on TV.”
@RSLFans (twitter)
“My family and I always go to the game on the 4
th
! I have for six years now!”
Zach Harmon
“Nothing beats celebrating the fourth by watching the best sport in the world!”
