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Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake Welcomes Vancouver Saturday

September 22, 2023 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


SANDY, Utah - Real Salt Lake (11-11-7, 40 pts., 6th West) continues its 2023 season Saturday night against Vancouver Whitecaps FC (11-9-8, 41 pts., 5th West). Kickoff for each game is at 7:30p MT (Apple TV+ / MLS Season Pass / KSL Radio).

With 40 points accumulated through 29 games of the 2023 MLS campaign, Real Salt Lake is part of a 10-team glut from 2nd to 10th place in the Western Conference separated by just eight points in the race for the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs (top nine teams), with RSL seeking its first home postseason match since 2019.

RSL Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni's side enters the final five games of the season tied on 40 points with San Jose, three points shy of fourth-place Houston (43 points). The Utah side is three points ahead of Minnesota (37 pts), two points up on Dallas (38 pts) and one point ahead of Portland (39 points).

VANCOUVER HISTORY: RSL has earned points in 13 of 15 all-time Whitecaps visits to Utah, winning 8 and drawing 5 games against just 2 all-time losses to the visitors from British Columbia. One of those Vancouver draws came last year at America First Field, the 1-1 stalemate secured with an 87th-minute header, while Vancouver has won on the Wasatch in 2015 and 2020. The teams met previously this year at BC Place on MLS Opening Weekend, with RSL riding goals from Justen Glad and Damir Kreilach to overcome an 0-1 deficit and win 2-1 on the Vancouver turf.

LAST TIME OUT: RSL fell Wednesday at home, 1-3, unable to extend a 1-0 halftime lead over FC Dallas, which scored three unanswered in the second half to further tighten the West postseason race. RSL took the lead just before halftime when FW Chicho Arango scored for a fourth consecutive match, tallying his fifth MLS goal in the last two months with RSL. Arango's goal was his seventh overall for the Claret-and-Cobalt, and the 98th of his illustrious professional career.

Despite Arango's efforts, RSL has dropped six of its last seven and seven of its last nine games across all competitions, with only the Sept. 2 Rocky Mountain Cup win over Colorado - by a 2-0 scoreline at home - stemming the tide. Wednesday's loss was RSL's first this year when scoring first, the Claret-and-Cobalt now boasting 11 wins and one draw in 13 games that saw RSL take a 1-0 lead.

Saturday's kickoff against Vancouver starts at 7:30p MT on Apple TV+ / MLS Season Pass w/ Adrian Healey and Cobi Jones (ENG) and Juan Arango and Carlos Suarez (SPN). For local coverage, tune in at 6:30p MT for KSL Radio pre-game w/ David James & Jay Nolly via www.KSLSports.com / 1280 AM / 97.5 FM and www.KSLNewsRadio.com / 1160 AM).

Real Salt Lake v Vancouver Whitecaps FC - MLS Matchday 34

America First Field - Sandy, Utah

Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023 - 7:30p MT

2023 Records: Real Salt Lake (11-11-7, 40 pts, 6th West); Vancouver Whitecaps (11-9-8, 41 pts., 5th West)

DECISION DAY DRAMA: Real Salt Lake has finished each of the last two seasons in dramatic fashion, booking its place in the MLS Cup Playoffs on Decision Day with scintillating wins in both 2021 (1-0 at Kansas City) and 2022 (3-1 against Portland), advancing to the postseason in 12 of the last 15 campaigns.

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