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MLS Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake Opens 2020 Season against Orlando City SC

February 28, 2020 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


SANDY, Utah - Real Salt Lake is set to face Orlando City SC on Saturday, February 29 at 4:00p MT at Exploria Stadium to open the 2020 Major League Soccer Regular Season. RSL's season opener will be broadcast live locally on KMYU and the KSL TV app and on the radio on ESPN700.

RSL faces Orlando after a six-week preseason that saw the club train at Zions Bank Real Academy in Herriman in between two trips to Arizona throughout the month of February. The club returns veteran leaders Kyle Beckerman, Damir Kreilach and Nedum Onuoha, 2019 RSL MVP Everton Luiz as well as Academy products Justen Glad, Aaron Herrera and Corey Baird for 2020. Additionally, RSL has added MLS veterans in goalkeeper Zac MacMath, defender Ashtone Morgan and forward Justin Meram along with longtime European standout Giuseppe Rossi and Homegrown forwards Milan Iloski and Chris Garcia, continuing the club's commitment to youth development.

RSL enters its 16th season in MLS after finishing the 2019 season third in the Western Conference with a 16-13-5 (53 points) regular season record that was bolstered by a 12-4-1 (37 points) home record that was good for second best in the Western Conference. Additionally, RSL had the best defense in MLS after the June break for the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup and finished the season with the third-best defensive mark in the league and will be looking to carry the staunch defense from last season into 2020.

How to Follow Real Salt Lake @ Orlando City SC - Saturday, February 29, 2020

-Coverage Begins: 3:30 p.m. MT

-Local TV: KMYU w/ David James (play-by-play), Brian Dunseth (color) & Samantha Yarock (sideline)

-Digital Streaming: KSL TV app

-English Radio: ESPN700 w/ Spencer Warne (play-by-play) & Jay Nolly (color)

-Spanish TV: N/A

RSL finished the 2019 regular season seeing 12 different players notch goals for the club. The team was led in scoring by MF Albert Rusnák with 10 goals, followed closely by FW Sam Johnson with nine goals while Rusnák added an additional five assists. 2018 RSL Golden Boot winner MF Damir Kreilach remained a steady presence in multiple roles for RSL in 2019, providing six goals and five assists in 32 starts this season.

On the backline, defender Nedum Onuoha returns in 2020 after becoming a mainstay at centerback in his first full season with the club, featuring in 27 of the club's 34 matches. The former Manchester City and Queens Park Rangers defender was been paired alongside fellow returners Justen Glad, Marcelo Silva and Erik Holt and Nick Besler. On both sides of the backline, Homegrown defenders Aaron Herrera and Donny Toia return as the club welcomes MLS veteran Ashtone Morgan and MLS debutant Alvin Jones. Herrera led the team in matches played and minutes in 2019 having featured in 32 of RSL's 34 matches for 2,768 minutes played.

In goal, David Ochoa and Andrew Putna return to the goalkeeping core and welcome veteran Zac MacMath to the team for the 2020 season. Putna saw action in goal for RSL and Real Monarchs last season, starting five of RSL's 34 matches while earning two shutouts on the year in RSL's dominant 3-0 victory over 2019 expansion side FC Cincinnati on April 19 and a scoreless draw against New England on September 21.

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