REAL SALT LAKE RENEWS RIVALRY vs.
SPORTING KANSAS CITY
FRIDAY NIGHT at RIO TINTO STADIUM
RSL Closes Out Summer Homestand with Pioneer Day Fireworks in MLS Cup 2013 Rematch;
9:00 p.m. MT Kickoff vs. Sporting Marks Latest Home Kickoff Ever;
Jaime Returns from Suspension as RSL Seeks First 3-Game Win Streak Since May 2014
SANDY, Utah (Thursday, July 23, 2015) – Real Salt Lake wraps up its extended Summer homestand Friday with Pioneer Day Festivities at Rio Tinto Stadium against Sporting Kansas City for a 9:00 p.m. MT kickoff, in a vital Western Conference “six-pointer” between the teams that met in MLS Cup 2013. Pregame airs live on ESPN700 AM at 8:00 p.m. MT, with regional TV coverage via KMYU and American Sports Network kicking off at 8:30 p.m. MT in Utah, Idaho, Nevada and Arizona, with David James and Brian Dunseth on the call.
Last weekend’s 2-0 win over Houston vaulted RSL into 7th place in the West, six points out of playoff contention but just nine points away from the top spot. At Rio Tinto Stadium this season, RSL is now 7-1-6 across all competitions, including a trio of home wins in the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Since the beginning of 2008, RSL boasts a 93-19-39 mark in its last 151 home games (all comps) in that span, during which it has outscored opponents by 163 goals (273/110), with a 74-14-36 regular-season mark (223/90), 6-1-1 CCL record (17/5), 5-2-2 in playoffs (11/4) and an 8-2-0 ledger in the Open Cup (21/10).
Back on June 21 of this season, RSL saw FW Sebastian Jaime open his career MLS account with a spectacular goal against Sporting Kansas City, but the lead was short-lived as KC FW Dom Dwyer equalized a few minutes later. RSL grabbed all three points – Kansas City’s only loss since mid-April – when FW Olmes Garcia’s 93rd-minute shot caromed off a defender and looped over Sporting GK Tim Melia for the dramatic victory.
How to Follow Real Salt Lake v. Sporting Kansas City
• Coverage Begins: 8:30 p.m. MT
• TV: KMYU – David James & Brian Dunseth
• English Radio: ESPN700 AM (8:00 p.m. MT) – Bill Riley & Brian Kamler
• Spanish Radio: 102.3 La Gran D FM / 1600 AM – Nelson Moran & Fernando Hortal
• Online: The @RealSaltLake Twitter feed provides updates
Game Guide for Friday’s RSL v. KC Matchup Now Available Online
Following is the link to the Adobe PDF version of the MLS Game Guide in advance of Friday’s contest between Real Salt Lake and Sporting Kansas City.
Click here to download the PDF version of the MLS Game Guide for Friday’s RSL v KC matchup
Last week, RSL continued on its 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup path with a 1-0 Quarterfinal win over the LA Galaxy, as GK Jeff Attinella and the RSL defense shut out Robbie Keane, Steven Gerrard and LA, while DF Aaron Maund headed home a Luke Mulholland offering for his first-ever professional goal in the 87th minute to advance RSL. Kansas City will host the Claret-and-Cobalt in the August 12 Semifinal of the 102-year old tourney.
RSL made its deepest run in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup back in 2013, winning a series of coin flips and advancing to host the 100th Final in tourney history, dropping an 0-1 decision at home to D.C. United, missing out on a CONCACAF Champions League berth. Later that season, RSL lost a penalty-kick shootout in MLS Cup 2013, becoming the only team out of 11 all-time to have advanced to both the USOC and MLS Cup Finals, but winning neither.
RSL and Kansas City have met twice this season, with a 0-0 draw on April 11 in Sporting Park the second in as many regular-season meetings in Kansas since that fateful and frigid Dec. 7, 2013 shootout in Kansas that awarded Sporting KC MLS Cup 2013. Peter Vermes’ team ultimately earned the right to host that match after winning at Rio Tinto Stadium in controversial fashion on July 20, 2013, as DF Ike Opara headed home a corner kick in the 97th minute for the 2-1 win, following antics that extended the allotted stoppage time.
