HERRIMAN, Utah (Tuesday, April 25, 2023) – Real Salt Lake (3-5-0, 9 pts, MLS 9th West) kicks off its 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Wednesday night, one of 18 Major League Soccer sides entering the 110-year old tourney in the 64-team Third Round this week. RSL travels to Las Vegas – site of the Club’s first Open Cup road match since 2017 – to face the USL Championship Las Vegas Lights at historic Cashman Field, with an 8:00 p.m. MT kickoff.
Real Salt Lake (MLS) at Las Vegas Lights (USL-C)
Cashman Field – Las Vegas, Nev.
Wednesday, April 26 at 8:00 p.m. MT
Wednesday’s match will be broadcast locally via the KSL+ App, www.KSLSports.com and KSL radio. Spanish-speaking fans can tune in on KBMG Latino 106.3 FM, La Gran D 102.3 FM and KTUB 1600 AM for the local radio broadcast.
2023 Records: Real Salt Lake (3-5-0, 9 pts, MLS 9th West); Las Vegas Lights (0-1-4, 4 pts, 12th USL Championship West)
RSL @ LAS VEGAS LIGHTS: Wednesday’s contest is the second of what could be a 13-game, 45-day stretch that sees Real Salt Lake manage multiple competitions, with several potential Open Cup and MLS three-game weeks on the horizon … In order to do so, however, RSL will have to snap a seven-game overall winless streak in the U.S. Open Cup dating back to 2015, and snap a 10-game winless streak on the road in Open Cup play …
A year ago, a mixed group of RSL / Monarchs dropped a shocking 0-1 home decision to the USL League One expansion Northern Colorado Hailstorm, despite 19,301 fans at what is now America First Field in Sandy … That loss marked the Claret-and-Cobalt’s second home loss to a lower-division squad in its Open Cup annals, RSL’s all-time mark falling to 6-2-1 (W-L-T) against USL/NASL teams on Utah soil, outscoring those visitors 20-12 on aggregate … In RSL’s last Open Cup road trip, in June 2017 at Sacramento, a young side guided by Mike Petke lost 4-1 to USL Republic FC in what was RSL Academy HomeGrown starlet Jordan Allen’s last professional game …
Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni’s side – coming off back-to-back 3-1 home victories in recent weeks, along with a strong performance at Dallas in a 2-1 loss 10 days ago – resumes its MLS schedule later this week by hosting West rival Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday, in a game that could sell out at America First Field … Tickets remain available at www.RSL.com/tickets, with a sellout expected this weekend …
MORE OPEN CUP HISTORY: While RSL is 6-2-1 all-time against lower-division sides at home, the Club’s all-time 29-game, 16-year tourney record is 11-15-3 (W-L-T), including MLS “qualifying” games from 2007-10 … The overall home record at Rice-Eccles Stadium (3-1-0) and the former Rio Tinto Stadium (8-5-2) is 11-6-2, with RSL splitting the penalty-kick tiebreakers in Sandy – both in 2016 …
Starting with the 2016 shootout loss to Seattle, RSL has dropped four consecutive Open Cup contests at home, the 0-3-1 mark during that time including 90-minute home losses before 15,000+ at RioT in 2018 (Sporting KC), 2019 (LAFC), and 2022 (No. Colo.) … The 2020 and 2021 tournaments were canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, ending 106 years of consecutive play …
RSL has advanced to the U.S. Open Cup’s “final four” on two occasions: 2013 and 2015 … The Club’s five-game 2013 run included every match at home, with three against lower-division USL/NASL sides, prior to a 2-1 home win over MLS rival Portland Timbers FC that enabled RSL to host a three-win D.C. United side in that year’s Final … Despite the imbalance indicated by League performance, RSL squandered that rare opportunity to lift hardware at home, losing 0-1 on a late first-half goal by MF Lewis Neal, who had been in preseason with RSL that fateful year, which also saw RSL drop the MLS Cup final at Kansas City via penalty-kick shootout …
In 2015, RSL rode three home wins – against Seattle’s USL “S2” side and again versus Portland Timbers FC and LA Galaxy – to advance to that year’s semifinal … However, RSL lost 1-3 in that road semi away at Kansas City, despite an early 1-0 lead thanks to an Olmes Garcia goal …
PURSUING MULTIPLE TROPHIESThe Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup returns for 2023, with RSL and its 25 fellow American sides competing for the nation’s oldest trophy, regardless of sport … 18 MLS teams enter this week in the tourney’s Third Round, as RSL was drawn to visit USL Championship side Las Vegas Lights FC, the match to be played Wednesday, April 26, with the other 7 U.S.-based MLS sides entering at the Round of 32 stage (Thu. April 27 pairings draw), with games to be played in the May 9/10 window …
Other key LHUSOC dates (subject to change):
May 9/10 – Round of 32 (April 27 draw)
May 23/24 – Round of 16 (May 11 draw)
June 6/7 – Quarterfinal
August 23/24 – Semifinal (June 8 draw)
Sept. 27 – Final
On July 22 and 26, RSL enters the 2023 Leagues Cup, a 47-team, 78-game tournament, with three CONCACAF Champions League berths on the line … RSL hosts both Seattle Sounders FC (MLS) and CF Monterrey (MEX) at America First Field as the top seed in the West 2 group, with single-elimination knockout games to follow leading up to an August 19 title match …
