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MLS Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake Weekly Update

June 17, 2008 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


RSL Returns Home for Double-Dip Week against Earthquakes and Revolution

Fresh off claiming its first road win of the 2008 season at Chivas USA on Saturday, Real Salt Lake (4-5-3, 15 pts.) will look to continue its climb up the Western Conference standings at home this week, when Utah's MLS side will host a pair of contests at Rice-Eccles Stadium against teams at opposite ends of the League's overall table. Real Salt Lake will first entertain the San Jose Earthquakes (3-7-1, 10 pts.) for the third time in six weeks this Wednesday, June 18, at 7:00 p.m. MT, before setting its sights on the red-hot New England Revolution (8-3-2, 26 pts.) for their affair on the hill this Saturday, June 21, slated for a 7:30 p.m. start. Neither match will be televised locally, but fans can catch both contests on the MLS Direct Kick (DIRECTV, DISH Network, & iN Demand) and MLSLIVE.tv (online) pay-per-view packages. In addition, fans can follow each match live on RSL's radio partners - KALL 700 Sports (RSL First Kick pre-game coverage begins one hour prior to kick-off) and "Ke Buena" AM-1600.

Real Salt Lake and the newest edition of the re-born Earthquakes have already become very familiar to each other, with RSL having hosted the 'Quakes twice in the early portion of the 2008 season. Both times Real Salt Lake posted sizable victories, first shutting out San Jose 4-0 on April 30, in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup qualifying contest before collecting a 3-1 win on May 3, in the first of three MLS regular season meetings. The last result gave RSL its first victory in five tries in MLS play between the two sides, bringing the Utah squad's record in the regular season series to 1-2-2, including an even 1-1-1 ledger in games at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The two sides will conclude their season series on Sept. 27, when RSL makes its lone visit of the year to Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.

Real Salt Lake will look to improve upon its 1-3-2 record against the Revolution when New England coach Steve Nicol brings his squad to the Wasatch Front on Saturday. RSL is 0-2-1 in three games against the Revs at Rice-Eccles Stadium, but the Utah side has managed a .500 record against New England over the past two seasons (1-1-2). The two teams will close out their 2008 series at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass., on Oct. 4.

Dodge Summer Twofer Pack Driving RSL Fans to San Jose and Houston Contests

Real Salt Lake and Dodge are teaming up to provide soccer fans discounted tickets to a pair of upcoming RSL contests via the Dodge Summer Twofer Pack. The RSL/Dodge discount deal will allow fans to attend RSL's upcoming contests at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Wednesday, June 18, against the San Jose Earthquakes and Thursday, July 3, against the Houston Dynamo, with North Goal seats for the matches available at $25 and Premium seats costing just $35 for both games. For more information on the RSL Dodge Summer Twofer Pack, including how to order yours, please call the RSL Office at 801-924-8585, or visit the "Tickets" section of www.RealSaltLake.com.

XanGo Cup 2008 to Feature RSL v. Mexican Clausura Champs Club Santos Laguna

Continuing its tradition of bringing world-class international competition to the State of Utah, Real Salt Lake again partners with XanGo for the third consecutive year to present XanGo Cup 2008. This summer's international festivities commence with 2008 Mexican Clausura titlist Santos Laguna on Wednesday, July 9, at Rice-Eccles Stadium, with an 8:00 p.m. MT kickoff. Tickets for XanGo Cup 2008 tickets are now on sale and can be purchased at all UTIX outlets, by phone at (801) 581-UTIX, and online at www.utahtickets.com. Tickets for the contest are $30 (Corner/Goal), $45 (Premium) and $60 (VIP), with a $5 discount in each seating area applicable to each ticket bought as part of a group of 20 or more.

Santos, as the team is known colloquially south of the border, becomes just the second club of Mexican origin to visit the Wasatch Front since Major League Soccer officially expanded to Utah in 2004, with fellow Mexican First Division side Monarcas Morelia becoming the first to do so in July 2006. RSL is unbeaten in its last four international friendlies, winning three times and drawing once. Club Santos Laguna will enter its 25th year of existence during the upcoming Mexican Apertura season as the reigning champions of La Primera División de México, this after claiming the 2008 Clausura Championship earlier this month. The club is managed by former Santos forward Daniel Guzmán - a member of the MLS San Jose Clash for a brief stint in 1997 - and captained by one of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of Mexican soccer, Oswaldo Sánchez. The Mexican Champions also boast Mexican internationals Fernando Arce, Edgar Castillo, and Juan Pablo Rodríguez, and feature a strong attack force that includes Argentinean playmaker Daniel Ludueña, Ecuadorian international forward Christian "El Chucho" Benítez and Argentine striker Vicente Matías Vuoso.

RSL MF Andy Williams Helps Jamaica to 7-0 Win over Bahamas in World Cup Qualifying

RSL MF Andy Williams helped the Jamaican National Team kick off its World Cup Qualifying journey in style on Sunday evening, scoring a goal in the Reggae Boyz' 7-0 pasting of the Bahamas in the first leg of their CONCACAF region series at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica. Williams started the match for head coach Rene Simoes and helped put the result even further out of question, as his 75th minute rebound tally was the sixth of Jamaica's seven tallies on the evening and stood as the 13th score in his now 84-game international career. Williams will stay with the Reggae Boyz for their second and final leg against Bermuda, set to take place this Wednesday, June 18, at Greenfield Stadium in Trelawny, Jamaica. Williams will miss RSL's contest against the San Jose Earthquakes this Wednesday, but is expected to be back in Utah later this week and available for selection when RSL welcomes the New England Revolution to town on Saturday.

KALL 700 Sports RSL Coach's Corner Moves to Thursday for Next Two Weeks

The KALL 700 Sports RSL Coach's Corner will move from its usual Tuesday night home to Thursday evening for the next two editions, beginning this Thursday, June 19, when the voice of Real Salt Lake, Bill Riley, will welcome RSL Head Coach Jason Kreis and DF Dustin Kirby to the KALL 700 Studios from 6:00-7:00 p.m. MT. There will be plenty to talk about with Kreis and Kirby, with this week's RSL Coach's Corner sandwiched between League matches against San Jose and New England and following the squad's initial road win of the season at Chivas USA last weekend. With this week's edition originating from the KALL 700 Sports studios, fans won't be able to ask their questions in person, but one and all can chime in with their views and questions on all things RSL by dialing in to the KALL 700 Sports caller hotlines at 470-0700 (Utah County), 570-0700 (Salt Lake County), 670-0700 (Davis & Weber Counties), and 877-353-0700 (toll-free).

RSL Reserves Head North Next Tuesday to Face Ogden Outlaws

Real Salt Lake has announced that Utah's MLS side will renew its annual exhibition series against the Premier Development League's (PDL) Ogden Outlaws, with the Outlaws set to host RSL's reserve side next Tuesday, June 24, at St. Joseph's H.S., located at 1790 Lake Street (between 25th & 26th Streets) in Ogden. Kick-off for the RSL-Outlaws contest is set for 6:30 p.m. MT, with adult tickets available for $8 and children and student tickets costing just $5 (with student I.D.) at the St. Joseph's gates the day of the event. In addition, Outlaws Season Ticket holders can use "Ticket A" from their season packages, while large groups can email information@ogdenoutlaws.com by this Friday, June 20, to receive information on discounted tickets for the contest (please include a phone number in the email to ensure a quick response). The Outlaws, who will renew their Wasatch Front rivalry with the BYU Cougars in Ogden this evening, have amassed 11 points (3-3-2) at the midway point of their 2008 campaign, good for fourth-place in the eight-team PDL Northwest Division.

Decision 2008: Only Two Weeks Remain to Vote for 2008 MLS All-Star Selections

Online voting for the 2008 Pepsi MLS All-Star Game is underway and open on www.mlsnet.com, meaning Real Salt Lake fans can cast their votes for the 12 eligible RSL players on this year's ballot! Fans can vote for the All-Star First XI online at www.mlsnet.com by selecting one goalkeeper, three defenders, five midfielders, and two forwards. Fans can vote up to 10 times per day. The online fan balloting program, which concludes on Wednesday, July 2, will comprise 25 percent of the total vote for the All-Star First XI, with coaches and general managers, players, and media each holding 25 percent of the vote to combine for the remaining 75 percent. The MLS All-Star First XI will be announced on Thursday, July 10 and the All-Star Reserves and Commissioner's Selections will be announced on Tuesday, July 15.

Real Sports This Week: Get Ready for Summer with a new RSL Beach Towel!

Before you take off for that first vacation of the summer, Real Sports and the RSL Merchandise Department invite you to get ready for the trip by purchasing the Real Sports Item of the Week - the brand-new RSL Beach Towel, available through the weekend for just $15! With two home contests this week, Real Sports will also be offering up a pair of unique RSL Item of the Game specials at its merchandise stand at Rice-Eccles Stadium, with the RSL Executive Folder on sale for $20 at Wednesday's match against the San Jose Earthquakes and the RSL Game Wear Bracelet available for $10 at Saturday's clash against the New England Revolution.

To take advantage of the Item of the Week special, and to purchase all the latest and greatest RSL gear and merchandise, fans can drop by either the Real Sports location at Valley Fair Mall (3601 S. 2700 West) in West Valley City, the RSL Merchandise Office at the Trolley Corners Building (515 S. 700 East, Suite 2B-1), or any of the events listed below. For any and all questions regarding RSL merchandise and gear, please call the RSL Merchandise Office at 801-924-8572.

Real Sports on the Road: June 17-27, 2008

Cottonwood Heights Invitational Soccer Tournament: Cottonwood Heights Recreation Soccer Complex - 2700 E. 7500 South in Cottonwood Heights; Thursday, June 19 & Friday, June 20, from 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. MT (both days) 24-Hour Extreme Race: Quinn's Junction sports complex - 3844 N. Old Highway 40 in Park City; Saturday, June 21, from 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. MT RSL Royal Club Ticket Relocation Event: RSL Stadium Construction Office - 9256 S. State Street in Sandy; June 23-27, from 9;00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. (every day)

RSL Stadium Seating Relocation Event Information Available at www.RSLstadium.com

Real Salt Lake invites current and future Royal Club members (season ticket holders) to visit www.RSLstadium.com for information leading up to the RSL Stadium Seating Relocation Event, taking place next week from June 23-27. The new stadium seating "micro-site" includes plenty of new information on the future home of Real Salt Lake, including a PDF version of the comprehensive RSL Relocation Guide, 2009 season ticket prices, a sneak peek at the Seats 3D virtual seat viewer, ways for prospective season ticket holders to secure their seats for the 2009 season, and much more. To see all the features and details, please visit www.RSLstadium.com.

NSCAA to Present Regional Diploma Course in Spanish this Saturday in Salt Lake City

The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) has announced that the organization's Latin American Soccer Coach Committee will teach an NCSAA Regional Diploma Course for Spanish speakers across the next two Saturdays, June 21 & 28. The course will run from 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. MT both days at Salt Lake Community College, located at 4600 S. Redwood Road in Salt Lake City, in the Life Activity Center (Room 110). The cost for the course, which consists of 13 hours of classroom and practical instruction directed towards persons who work with youth ages 11-18, costs $60 per person. Applications for the course are now available at Deportes la Piedad, located at 3197 S. Redwood Road. For more information, please contact Roberto Maturana, Course Coordinator, at 801-347-8879, or visit www.NSCAA.com.

RSL Rewind: First Road Win of '08 Comes via Gritty 1-0 Triumph at Chivas USA

Real Salt Lake used a first half tally from FW Robbie Findley and a clutch second half effort from GK Nick Rimando to post a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Chivas USA in front of 10,573 fans at The Home Depot Center last Saturday evening. The gritty effort not only gave Real Salt Lake (4-5-3, 15 pts.) it first road points in six tries this season, but also marked the first road victory ever against Chivas USA (4-6-2, 14 pts.) after previously going 0-6-1 against the Goats in southern California. The surging Findley notched his second goal in three games on a breakaway effort in the 34th minute, while Rimando came up with four huge second half saves - none bigger than a one-on-one thwarting of Salt Lake City native Justin Braun just past the hour mark - to post his second consecutive clean sheet.

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