MLS Real Salt Lake

Rio Tinto Stadium to Host Club América and Santos Laguna in Marquee Friendly Match

Published on May 24, 2021 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


SANDY, Utah - Rio Tinto Stadium will welcome Club América and Santos Laguna on Sunday, July 4, at 6:30 p.m. MT as part of Tour Águila - the official United States Tour of Club América - welcoming back two storied clubs to the home of Real Salt Lake for the first time since 2017.

Tickets go on sale on Thursday, May 27th at 9 a.m. MT and will be available at select points of sale, axs.com, and ticketon.com, or at 1-800-668-8080.

"Welcoming Club America and Santos Laguna - two of the premier clubs in Liga MX - to Rio Tinto Stadium is such an incredible opportunity for the region. It's a testament to the fans in Utah that Tour Aguila would select Utah as a destination for events like this that include clubs of such high esteem in North America," Real Salt Lake Interim President John Kimball said. "Additionally, having Club America here to train for 10 days is a remarkable statement about the world-class facilities we have at the Zions Bank Training Center. We look forward to their arrival and the excitement for soccer that it will bring to Salt Lake City."

The match marks the fourth time Club América has played in Utah, facing Real Salt Lake on three previous occasions, in 2006 at Rice-Eccles Stadium and at Rio Tinto Stadium in 2009 and 2017. Featuring Mexican National Team fan favorites Guillermo "Memo" Ochoa and Gio Dos Santos, Club América is the winningest club in North America with more than 40 titles including 13 league trophies.

"The Liga MX teams coming to the state of Utah to play at Rio Tinto Stadium is the first opportunity to host an international team in our state after the pandemic, and is also a wonderful opportunity for different communities to come together and to highlight our Latino community in our state with the RSL community," Senator Luz Escamilla said. "Utah hosting these club teams- Club América and Santos Laguna- is valuable for strengthening our international partnerships, building connections, raising awareness, and celebrating how vaccines make this possible as we continue to open our state to the world."

The Consulate of Mexico and the Office of Senator Luz Escamilla will be part of the celebrations around this great event.

Sandy, Utah will host the first stop in the multi-city Tour Águila, giving the strong Club América fanbase in Utah a chance to partake in an official Fan Fest taking place prior to the game on The Plaza located on the stadium's East side starting at 2:30 p.m. on July 4 and will consist of live music, food, team mascot, championship trophies, and much more. Tour Águila pits Club América against various top clubs from Liga MX, MLS, and European Leagues during its pre-seasons and selected FIFA dates. These matches take place in major U.S. cities with large Hispanic populations.

The match will be Club América's fourth visit to Utah having previously featured at Rice Eccles Stadium on the campus of the University of Utah in 2006 before playing at Rio Tinto Stadium in 2009 in a match against Real Salt Lake. Most recently, Club América visited Rio Tinto Stadium in 2017 in a friendly against Monarcas Morelia.

Meanwhile, Liga MX semifinalist Santos Laguna will be making its second appearance at Rio Tinto Stadium and third match all-time in Utah having previously faced Club Tijuana (Xolos) in a friendly in 2016 in Sandy after facing RSL at Rice Eccles Stadium in 2008. Santos is currently looking to clinch their seventh Liga MX Championship, last lifting the trophy in 2018.

More information on Club América can be found at https://www.clubamerica.com.mx/ while information on Santos Laguna can be found at https://www.clubsantos.mx/home.




Major League Soccer Stories from May 24, 2021


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