With the full regular season schedule for Real Salt Lake’s 17th season in Major League Soccer now official, here are some highlighted matches at Rio Tinto Stadium to look forward to. But, as the entirety of RSL Nation knows, any night at the RioT is a good night.
Home Opener
What better way to kick off the 2021 home slate than a match against your bitter rivals? RSL will welcome Sporting Kansas City to Sandy on May 1 for its home-opening contest. RSL enters its 17th season in Major League Soccer having earned a With a 7-3-2 record at Rio Tinto Stadium against SKC and the combination of the first home game in nearly six months the home opener is guaranteed to be every bit as exciting as the last, not to mention, the last time the boys suited up at the RioT they fell 2-0 to their rivals, intensifying the need for redemption.
Our Whitecaps are Better
With the ongoing struggles and stipulations the pandemic has continued to cause, Vancouver Whitecaps FC will call Rio Tinto Stadium its home at least for the beginning of the 2021 season, something RSL is happy to host. On June 18, RSL will host Vancouver in a match that may see two home teams clash in Sandy. With both sides becoming comfortable to the RioT, tactics are likely to take center-stage in this one.
Alright, Alright … We Get It.
Having a movie star owner typically makes for an intriguing sell when you enter Major League Soccer, but it doesn’t mean that there’s a need to skip out on friendly pleasantries in the first-ever meeting between Austin FC and RSL. On August 14, RSL will welcome the 2021 expansion side to Sandy for the first time and while the club is excited to welcome the newest member of the MLS family, ‘Verde’ should expect a raucous welcome to Utah, similar Mr. McConaughey’s realization at the end of ‘Fools Gold’.
Texas Two Step
Following RSL’s clash with Austin FC on August 14, RSL will welcome the revamped Houston Dynamo side who will be looking to reintroduce itself to the Western Conference as a contender. With the additions of Joe Corona, Maxi Urruti and Fafa Picault, the Houston attack looks to be more potent than its 2020 version. The midweek clash could end up being a battle of the attacking pieces to see who comes out on top.
Decision Day
The final regular season home match in 2020. RSL will welcome the Timbers to Sandy in the penultimate match of 2021 for the club and the final home match of the season historically has carried massive implications on an always-tight Western Conference. Should RSL hold a playoff position – or even the top seed in the West – claiming three points at home prior to the playoffs can shape the trajectory of the postseason for the Utah side.
