With the 2019 inception of the Leagues Cup featuring clubs from Major League Soccer and Liga MX, Real Salt Lake now adds to the growing list of formidable international opponents to visit the Wasatch Front.
The League’s Cup, born from three pillars – Competition, Sport for Good and Sharing – aims to solidify the best of the best in North America, all while looking to grow the world’s game on our continent. As part of the newly announced Leagues Cup, RSL will host Mexican powerhouse Tigres UANL in the tournament’s quarterfinal round on July 24.
RSL famously hosted its first European visitor back in August 2006, when world power Real Madrid visited the Beehive State, RSL falling 2-0 at Rice-Eccles Stadium on the University of Utah campus on August 12, 2006, not coincidentally the date of Rio Tinto Stadium’s groundbreaking. The following summer, RSL downed Everton (ENG), 2-0, with the Liverpool-based side returning to Utah for the 2009 MLS All-Star Game in Sandy, the Toffees winning via penalty kick shootout, 4-3, to decide a 1-1 draw at the conclusion of 90 minutes.
RSL has faced Tigres on three occasions, two matches of which have been held at Rio Tinto Stadium. The first-ever match against Tigres was held on September 3, 2008 at Rice Eccles Stadium on the campus of the University of Utah, a match that saw RSL walk away 1-0 victors. The next two meetings were played as part of the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals that first saw RSL travel to Monterrey, Mexico, falling 2-0 before the return leg a week later in Utah saw a 1-1 draw eliminate RSL from the tournament on aggregate goals.
The latest international opponent RSL has hosted was Eintracht Frankfurt from Germany, drawing 1-1 with the German side at Rio Tinto Stadium after a first half strike from Real Monarchs SLC midfielder Andrew Brody was cancelled out by a stoppage time equalizer from Frankfurt.
In the Rio Tinto Stadium era, RSL is 13-8-9 vs. visiting international squads (does NOT include league matches against visiting Canadian teams but the record does include CCL series v. Columbus and Toronto.
The complete historical rundown, with friendlies against international teams is as follows:
Date Opponent Score / Result
June 8, 2005 Universidad Catolica (CHL) 3-2 W @ UofU
August 24, 2005 Harbour View F.C. (JAM) 1-1 T
July 19, 2006 Monarcas Morelia (MEX) 1-3 L
August 12, 2006 Real Madrid (SPN) 0-2 L
April 18, 2007 Fiji National Team 3-0 W
June 7, 2007 Chinese National Team 1-0 W
July 21, 2007 Everton (ENG) 2-0 W
July 24, 2007 Boca Juniors (ARG) 1-1 T
July 9, 2008 Santos Laguna (MEX) 1-4 L
July 23, 2008 Dep. Saprissa (CRC) 1-2 L
Sept. 3, 2008 Tigres UANL (MEX) 1-0 W
July 11, 2009 C.F. América (MEX) 1-0 W
July 29, 2009 Everton (ENG) v MLS All-Stars 1-1 T (Eve. W 4-3 in PK-SO)
Oct. 7, 2009 CD Guadalajara (MEX) 1-1 T
June 19, 2010 Puntarenas F.C. (CRC) 2-0 W
August 18, 2010 Árabe Unido (PAN) 2-1 W
August 25, 2010 @ Cruz Azul (MEX) 4-5 L
Sept. 15, 2010 Toronto FC (CAN) 4-1 W
Sept. 22, 2010 @ Arabe Unido (PAN) 3-2 W
Sept. 28, 2010 @ Toronto FC (CAN) 1-1 T
Oct. 19, 2010 Cruz Azul (MEX) 3-1 W
Feb. 22, 2011 @ Columbus Crew (USA) 0-0 T
March 1, 2011 Columbus Crew (USA) 4-1 W
March 15, 2011 Dep. Saprissa (CRC) 2-0 W
April 5, 2011 @ Dep. Saprissa (CRC) 1-2 L*
April 20, 2011 @ Monterrey (MEX) 2-2 T
April 27, 2011 Monterrey (MEX) 0-1 L
July 31, 2012 @ Herediano (CRC) 0-1 L
August 21, 2012 Tauro FC (PAN) 2-0 W
Sept. 18, 2012 @ Tauro FC (PAN) 1-0 W
Oct. 23, 2012 Herediano (CRC) 0-0 T
August 12, 2014 Xolos de Tijuana (MEX) 1-1 T
August 4, 2015 @ Municipal (GUA) 1-0 W
Sept. 15, 2015 @ Santa Tecla (SLV) 0-0 T
Sept. 24, 2015 Santa Tecla (SLV) 2-1 W
Oct. 20, 2015 Municipal (GUA) 1-0 W
Feb. 24, 2016 @ Tigres UANL (MEX) 0-2 L
March 2, 2016 Tigres UANL (MEX) 1-1 T
July 19, 2016 Internazionale Milano (ITA) 1-2 L
July 17, 2017 Manchester United FC (ENG) 1-2 L
July 10, 2018 Eintracht Frankfurt (GER) 1-1 T
RSL will welcome Tigres back to Rio Tinto Stadium on July 24 in the quarterfinal round of the eight-team Leagues Cup which also features fellow MLS sides, Chicago Fire, LA Galaxy and the Houston Dynamo.
