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MLS Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake to Host U.S. Women's National Team at Rio Tinto Stadium

April 21, 2022 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


HERRIMAN, Utah - In conjunction with U.S. Soccer, Real Salt Lake is set to host the U.S. Women's National Team at Rio Tinto Stadium on Tuesday, June 28 at 8:00 p.m. MT. The match will be the second in a pair of friendlies against Colombia, the final two matches before the United States begins qualification for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup and 2024 Olympics.

The USA will take on Colombia in Commerce City, Colorado at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Saturday, June 25, before traveling to Utah for the second of the two friendlies. The match, presented by Allstate, is set to be broadcast on ESPN and Univision Networks, with kickoff set for 8:00 p.m. MT.

The match marks the return of the USWNT to Utah for the first time since June 7, 2018 when the USA defeated China PR 1-0 at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake was set to host the U.S. Women's National Team for a friendly against Australia in April of 2020, but the match was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Previously, the U.S. Women's National Team has played five matches at Rio Tinto Stadium, facing Canada, China, Switzerland and Mexico twice on the Wasatch front. In this five matches the USA have outscored their opponents 16-0, not allowing a single goal against within the walls of the RioT.

This pair of friendlies will be the ninth and 10th matches all-time between the two sides, with the United States holding a 7-0-1 record over Colombia. The two recently played one another in January of 2021, resulting in back-to-back victories for the USA with a combined score of 10-0.

Colombia is ranked 26th in the world and second in South American behind long-time power Brazil. The matches against the USA will serve as preparation for Colombia for the 2022 Copa América Femenina which it will host from July 8-30 in three cities -- Armenia, Bucaramanga and Cali. That tournament will send three nations directly to the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand and two more countries to the 10-team intercontinental playoff tournament. The winner of the tournament will also get a direct berth to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

"Colombia has a good chance to make it to the World Cup and both teams will be in our final preparations for our qualifying tournaments, so I expect some highly competitive matches between players who are competing to represent their countries in some really important games," said U.S. head coach Vlatko Andonovski. "When we get to Colorado, we'll be coming off a stretch of more than two months that the players have been with their clubs and away from the National Team environment, so we'll be looking to get maximum value out of our last days and games together before we go to Mexico for qualifying."

Presales for the matches will begin on Wednesday, April 27 with the public sale beginning on Monday, May 2. Dependent on remaining ticket availability, groups of 20 or more can order at ussoccer.com starting Tuesday, May 3.

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