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MLS Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake Joins North American Powers Monterrey FC and Seattle Sounders as Leagues Cup 2023 Groups Unveiled

January 20, 2023 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


NEW YORK; MEXICO CITY; HERRIMAN, Utah - Major League Soccer (MLS) and LIGA MX, with the support of CONCACAF, today unveiled Group opponents for the highly-anticipated Leagues Cup 2023, which will occur from July 21 - August 19 next Summer, amidst Real Salt Lake's 19th campaign. RSL will join both legendary Mexican side Monterrey FC and MLS power Seattle Sounders FC during the tourney as part of Group 2 in the West region of the World Cup-style tourney. Los Rayados could potentially visit Utah for the first time since April, 2011, when the storied club defeated RSL, 1-0, in that year's CONCACAF Champions League Final. Long-time domestic RSL rival Seattle will soon become the first-ever MLS side to represent the League and U.S. Soccer in the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco.

"This year's inaugural Leagues Cup tournament provides our Club the invaluable opportunity to compete against the best in North America," said RSL General Manager Elliot Fall, now in his 17th season with the Club across various disciplines. "Continental competitions are always exciting, especially with three CONCACAF Champions League berths at stake. We have a deep and proud history of CCL moments that began a decade ago, and I know our fans harbor fond memories of intense, energetic and very meaningful games on Utah soil against regional powers. The Leagues Cup this Summer - especially with our history against Monterrey and Seattle - raises the level to surely unprecedented heights."

While RSL could not host any matches during the 2022 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, the recent postseason qualification - the Claret-and-Cobalt's fourth in the last five years, and its 12th in 15 seasons since 2008 - potentially clinched home matches at America First Field in Sandy against both Monterrey and Seattle for the 2023 Leagues Cup. Real Salt Lake Season Ticket Members will receive priority access to their seats for any possible Leagues Cup, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and other matches / events hosted at the Club's primary venue.

Visit www.RSL.com for 2023 RSL Season Tickets and more information on the Club's 2023 Major League Soccer campaign, as the Utah side looks to build upon last year's 17 consecutive MLS sellouts and a NEW Club-high average attendance of 20,470, RSL's new standard after 18 MLS seasons. In 2022, Real Salt Lake improved to 9-3-5 (W-L-T) in its 17 MLS matches on Utah soil this year, posting the League's eighth-best home record, a slight improvement over the 9-4-4 mark in 2021. Each of the Club's 17 America First Field matches this season exceeded the venue's 20,000-seat capacity, a Club-record sellout streak both from the beginning of the season and at any point in one of its 18 Major League Soccer campaigns.

In a monumental new chapter for North American soccer, beginning in 2023, MLS and LIGA MX will pause their respective league seasons each Summer and all 47 first division clubs in Canada, Mexico and the United States - including Utah-based Real Salt Lake - will compete in the World Cup-style tournament.

Last Fall, competition details were unveiled for the annual, month-long competition that will crown the winner among MLS and LIGA MX. The champion, as well as the second- and third-place finishers, will qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League and an opportunity to earn a spot in the FIFA Club World Cup.

The 2023 Leagues Cup will begin on Friday, July 21 with the final taking place on Saturday, August 19. The tournament will be played across the U.S. and Canada. An event unprecedented in global football, the inaugural Leagues Cup will consist of 77 matches.

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