MLS Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake Update

Published on August 12, 2014 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


REAL SALT LAKE TO FACE MEXICAN SIDE CLUB TIJUANA TONIGHT AT RIO TINTO STADIUM

Real Salt Lake will take on Mexican side Club Tijuana tonight in an international friendly at 8:00 p.m. MT at Rio Tinto Stadium. Tonight's matchup marks the first-ever meeting between Club Tijuana and the Claret-and-Cobalt.

Club Tijuana qualified for the 2014 Liga MX postseason, the Clausura Liguilla, but fell 3-1 to Toluca in the quarterfinals. The Northern Mexican side also made it to the 2013-14 CONCACAF Champions League semifinals - after knocking out elite MLS representative Los Angeles Galaxy - but fell 2-1 on aggregate to Mexico City side Cruz Azul. Tijuana enters tonight's match in the midst of preparation for their week five game of the Apertura against Chiapas.

RSL is 3-4-2 all-time against Mexican teams, including a 3-3-1 mark at home against Monterrey (2011 CCL Final), Cruz Azul (2010 CCL group stage), along with friendlies against Morelia (2005), Santos Laguna and Tigres (2008), as well as Chivas de Guadalajara and Club America (2009).

The last time Real Salt Lake hosted an international side at Rio Tinto Stadium, the Claret-and-Cobalt was eliminated from the 2011-2012 CONCACAF Champions League with a 0-0 draw with Costa Rica's CS Herediano on Oct. 23, 2012. RSL also met a similar fate in the second leg of the 2010-2011 CONCACAF Champions League Final, also held at Rio Tinto Stadium on April 27, 2011. The home side fell 1-0 to Mexican side C.F. Monterrey, ultimately losing the Championship 3-2 on aggregate. The 2010-11 CCL Final is the farthest an MLS team has gone in the revered tournament.

Real Salt Lake has been successful against international teams, posting a 14-8-7 all-time record in international contests. The Claret-and-Cobalt has done fairly well at home against global competition (not including Canadian teams), going 10-6-4 in the Beehive State.

Real Salt Lake will return to MLS action on Saturday, when it hosts Seattle Sounders FC in a nationally televised match at 12:30 p.m. MT at Rio Tinto Stadium. Tickets to the RSL-Seattle match can be purchased at the Rio Tinto Stadium box office, online at www.RealSaltLake.com/Tickets or over the phone at 801-727-2700.

REAL SALT LAKE TO HOST SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC ON SATURDAY AT RIO TINTO STADIUM

Real Salt Lake will welcome Seattle Sounders FC to Utah on Saturday, for a 1-v-2 matchup in a nationally televised match at 12:30 p.m. MT at Rio Tinto Stadium. Saturday's match will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network, ESPN 700 and 102.3 La Gran D FM.

Saturday's contest will be a duel for the top spot in the league. RSL currently sits in second-place in the Western Conference and is tied for second in the league with Sporting Kansas City. RSL posts a 10-4-9 record with a total of 39 points, two points behind first-place Seattle, which has two games in hand on the Claret-and-Cobalt.

RSL also enters this weekend's matchup looking to continue its five-game unbeaten run in league play. The Claret-and-Cobalt has rebounded from its mid-summer slump, going 3-0-2 in its last five matches, including a 3-0 rout of D.C. United last Saturday. RSL's last loss came on July 12, a 1-0 defeat at LA Galaxy.

Saturday's clash will be the second meeting between the two clubs in 2014. The Western Conference foes last met on May 31 at CenturyLink Field, with Seattle ending RSL's unbeaten start the season with a 4-0 rout. RSL had previously gone undefeated through its first 12 matches, tying the all-time record for longest unbeaten start to a season with the 1996 and 2010 LA Galaxy and 2000 Kansas City Wizards.

Real Salt Lake holds a slight edge in the overall series between the two clubs, posting a 5-4-4 all-time record against Seattle. Real Salt Lake has been successful at home v. the Sounders, posting a 3-1-2 record in the Beehive state, and outscoring the Pacific Northwest side 8-5 at home. The last time the clubs met at Rio Tinto Stadium on June 22, 2013, Real Salt Lake pulled off a 2-0 win with goals from MF Kyle Beckerman and FW Robbie Findley.

Saturday's meeting will be the first time both clubs' U.S. internationals will face each other this year. RSL Captain Kyle Beckerman and GK Nick Rimando, and Seattle FW Clint Dempsey and DF DeAndre Yedlin were all a part of the U.S. Men's National Team that participated in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, missing the May 31 matchup in Seattle.

Seattle enters Saturday's contest, coming off a 2-0 win over Houston Dynamo at CenturyLink Field. The Sounders will be without FW Obafemi Martins, who received two yellow cards in the match, suspending the lethal striker from Saturday's tilt in Utah. Seattle currently sits in first-place in the Western Conference and league with a 13-6-2 record and total of 41 points.

CLARET-AND-COBALT DEFEATS D.C. UNITED 3-0 IN FRONT OF SOLD-OUT RIO TINTO STADIUM

Real Salt Lake (10-4-9, 39 points, West #2), defeated Eastern Conference foe D.C. United (11-7-4, 37 points, East #2) 3-0 in front of a sold-out crowd at Rio Tinto Stadium last Saturday. The match was a historic one for RSL GK Nick Rimando, who officially broke the MLS all-time shutout record with his 113th career clean sheet.

RSL FW Joao Plata opened up the scoring in the 11th minute, heading home a cross from RSL Luke Mulholland to put the Claret-and-Cobalt up 1-0. RSL DF Chris Schuler then went on to notch a brace, recording goals in the 13th and 24th minutes - both assisted by RSL MF Javier Morales - to give the home side a 3-0 lead before halftime. The Claret-and-Cobalt had a number of looks in the second half but was unable to increase its three-goal lead.

Real Salt Lake went on to take the lead in the 11th minute. RSL FW Olmes Garcia started the play making his way to the end line and whipping a ball into the box that deflected out to Mulholland. The Englishman lobbed a cross into the area finding Plata alone at the far post. The small Ecuadorian finished the unlikeliest of goals, using his head to send his shot past D.C. GK Bill Hamid.

The Claret-and-Cobalt went on to double its lead two minutes later. Morales received the ball outside the box on the left side, sending in a low ball across the face of goal. Schuler made the run to the near post, connecting with the cross and tucking his shot into the left corner for his first goal of 2014.

Schuler made it two on the night, notching a brace in the 24th minute. The play started with an RSL corner kick taken by Morales. The RSL leading assist-man sent a fantastic ball into the box, finding Schuler at the far post who knocked in an open header past a helpless Hamid.

Real Salt Lake continued to threaten throughout the rest of the half, registering a number of decent looks in front of goal. But the Claret-and-Cobalt was unable to increase its lead, ending the game with the 3-0 score line. Rimando remained fairly untested, recording only two saves to earn his momentous clean sheet.

RSL DF CHRIS SCHULER NAMED MLS PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Real Salt Lake DF Chris Schuler has been named MLS Player of the Week by the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) for Week 22 of the 2014 MLS season.

Schuler put in in a fantastic performance in Real Salt Lake's resounding 3-0 win over D.C. United at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday. The Claret-and-Cobalt center back notched a brace, scoring in the 13th and 24th minutes for his first goals of 2014. RSL took an early lead through RSL FW Joao Plata in the 11th minute to put the home side up 1-0. Two minutes later, Schuler recorded his first of the night, connecting with a low ball into the six yard box from MF Javier Morales that he redirected into the back of the net. Schuler went on to complete the brace in the 24th minute, heading home a Morales corner kick to put the Claret-and-Cobalt up 3-0 before halftime.

The win on Saturday was a memorable one for Real Salt Lake as veteran GK Nick Rimando broke the MLS all-time shutout record with his 113th career clean sheet.

This is Schuler's first MLS Player of the Week honor and fourth for RSL in 2014. Rimando previously took home the award in Week One and Week Seven, while RSL's Plata took the honor in Week Nine. Schuler's win marks the 25th time in RSL history that a Claret-and-Cobalt player has won the award.

The MLS Player of the Week award is selected each week of the regular season by a panel of journalists from NASR. The group consists of members of print, television, radio and online media. More information and membership information can be found at www.soccerreporters.com.

RSL GK NICK RIMANDO UP FOR MLS SAVE OF THE WEEK

Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando has been nominated for MLS Save of the Week!

Rimando is up for the award for his fantastic stop on D.C. United forward Eddie Johnson in the 70th minute of RSL's 3-0 rout of D.C. Rimando's great stop preserved the clean sheet, which saw him break the MLS all-time shutout record with his 113th career shutout. The RSL veteran "˜keeper moved past retired goalkeeper Kevin Hartman into sole possession of the historic record.

This week, Rimando is up against Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Jon Kempin, Seattle "˜keeper Stefan Frei, D.C.'s Bill Hamid and Chivas USA goalkeeper Dan Kennedy.

RSL has a total of five Save of the Week wins this season, with Rimando winning back-to-back MLS Save of the Weeks for week one and two, as well as collecting last week's award. RSL backup goalkeeper Jeff Attinella took home the award in weeks 11 and 13.

Voting for Save of the Week runs until 12:59 a.m. MT on Friday morning.

REAL SALT LAKE SIGNS ARGENTINE STRIKER SEBASTIAN JAIME

Real Salt Lake has announced that it has signed Argentine FW Sebastian Jaime to a contract pending his P-1 visa. Jaime joins the Claret-and-Cobalt after spending four seasons with Chilean Primera DivisiÃ"n club UniÃ"n Española. Per league and club policy, further terms of the deal will not be disclosed.

"When we lost Alvaro Saborio for a long period of time we knew we had to consider all our attacking options," said RSL General Manager Garth Lagerwey. "We had scouted Sebastian Jaime going back to 2012 and decided now was the right time to bring him in. We are excited to add a versatile player like Jaime who can comfortably play in either forward role in our system. Jaime has completed pre-season in Chile and played 90 minutes in each of UniÃ"n Española's first three league games so we expect him to be able to contribute immediately. He is a hard working player that we expect will be a good fit with our locker room and our community and we hope our fans will welcome him enthusiastically."

Jaime joined Chilean Primera DivisiÃ"n club UniÃ"n Española in 2011 after a one year stint at second tier club La Serena. The Argentine striker made a total of 124 appearances for UniÃ"n Española, recording a total of 39 goals for the Santiago-based club. Jaime helped lead Los Rojos to the Supercopa de Chile and Primera DivisiÃ"n crowns in 2013.

The La Plata, Arg., native began his professional career with Argentine club Defensores de Cambaceres in 2008, where he spent one year before joining second division team Argentinos Juniors. The 27-year-old spent two seasons with the prominent Buenos Aires club spanning 2009-10, before making his way to Chile.

Name: Sebastian Jaime

Position: Forward

Height: 5-foot-11

Weight: 154 lbs.

Birthdate: January 30, 1987

Hometown: La Plata, Argentina

Previous club: Chilean Primera DivisiÃ"n club UniÃ"n Española 2011-2014

Acquired: Signed to a contract on Aug. 8, 2014

REAL SALT LAKE TRADES DF KWAME WATSON-SIRIBOE TO NYCFC

Real Salt Lake has announced on Monday that it has traded DF Kwame Watson-Siriboe to New York City Football Club in exchange for New York's 2016 MLS SuperDraft fourth round pick. The trade will be effective immediately.

NYCFC was named as Major League Soccer's 20th franchise last year, and will make its league debut in 2015 at the start of MLS's 20th season.

"I would like to thank Kwame for his two years with Real Salt Lake," said RSL General Manager Garth Lagerwey. "Kwame has been a fantastic representative for the club both on and off the field, and we wish him the best of luck in his new venture with New York City FC."

Real Salt Lake acquired Watson-Siriboe in a trade with the Chicago Fire on June 27, 2012. The UConn product went on to spend two years with the Claret-and-Cobalt, featuring in a total of 19 league games, 17 of which were starts.

CLARET-AND-COBALT NAMES TED ECK AS ASSISTANT COACH

Real Salt Lake announced on Monday that it has named Ted Eck as an assistant coach under RSL head coach Jeff Cassar. Eck will join the club immediately and will serve as RSL's main forwards coach.

Eck joins Real Salt Lake after spending three years with the LA Galaxy Academy, coaching the Under-14 and Under-12 teams. Before turning to coaching, the Springfield, Illinois native spent 14 years in professional soccer, including six seasons with Major League Soccer's Dallas Burn. Eck played alongside Cassar and RSL general manager Garth Lagerwey while at the Dallas club, and helped lead the Texas side to the U.S. Open Cup Championship crown in 1997.

"I'm very excited for Ted to join our staff as an assistant," Cassar said. "Ted brings a wealth of knowledge to the club with 14 years of experience in professional soccer. I expect Ted to have a seamless transition into his new role, continuing our unique position-specific coaching model, with Ted focusing on our forwards."

Before his stint in MLS, Eck spent an extensive period of time in indoor soccer, becoming a significant presence on the U.S. Futsal Team from 1992-99. Eck earned fourteen caps with the U.S. Futsal Team and helped lead the Americans to a second-place finish in the 1992 FIFA Futsal World Championship. The forward also spent years in the Canadian Soccer League and American Professional Soccer League, leading the CSL in scoring in 1989 and winning the APL Championship in 1993. On the international level, Eck has represented the U.S. Men's National Team, making total of 13 appearances for the U.S. between 1989 and 1996. The forward helped the Stars-and-Stripes win the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 1991 - the first-ever edition of the tournament.

Eck spent a brief period of time in Utah as the head coach of former USL Premier Development League club Ogden Outlaws in 2009. After one year in Ogden, Eck became director of Firebirds FC, a Salt Lake City youth club before eventually ending up with the LA Galaxy Academy.

REAL SALT LAKE INJURY REPORT

OUT: MF Jordan Allen (R knee injury), FW Alvaro Saborio (R fifth metatarsal fracture), DF Rich Balchan (Adductor strain)

QUESTIONABLE: Cole Grossman (head laceration)

Check out the Real Salt Lake Statistics

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