MLS Real Salt Lake

RSL Kicks Off 2009 MLS Season April 2 against Defending Champion Columbus

Published on December 2, 2008 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


REAL SALT LAKE WEEKLY UPDATE: DECEMBER 2, 2008

* 2009 Home Opener Set for Thursday, April 2

* Get Ready for RSL's 2009 Season by Securing Your Royal Club Membership Now!

* Rio Tinto Stadium to host Williams' Bone-Marrow Match Drive on Sat., Dec. 13

* Quartet of RSL Generation adidas players Travel to Europe

* RSL Front Office Now Located at Rio Tinto Stadium

RSL Kicks Off 2009 MLS Season April 2 against Defending Champion Columbus

Real Salt Lake kicks off the home portion of its fifth campaign on Thursday, April 2, 2009 against the reigning MLS Cup Champion Columbus Crew at 7:00 p.m. MT at Rio Tinto Stadium, LIVE on ESPN2. Head Coach Jason Kreis' team is the lone squad among Major League Soccer's 15 to open with a bye week during "First Kick 2009" the weekend of March 21, then opens the year on the road on Saturday, March 28 against an opponent TBD. Columbus, which defeated the New York Red Bulls 3-1 in MLS Cup 2008 on Nov. 23, will make its Rio Tinto Stadium debut. RSL is 1-2-1 all-time against the Crew in Utah (tied on aggregate 3-3), and 2-5-1 overall (RSL outscored 11-5).

Real Salt Lake went a combined 11-11-11 in 2008 across the regular season and playoffs, with its 10-10-10 record and 40 points in the regular season setting new franchise highs. RSL saw its run towards an MLS Cup title cut short in the 2008 MLS Western Conference Final, as the New York Red Bulls got a first half goal from MF Dave van den Bergh before taking everything the home side could throw at them in a 1-0 triumph over RSL in front of a packed house of 20,008 fans at Rio Tinto Stadium. Despite outshooting the visitors from New York 24-11 on the night - including 16-6 in the second half - and hitting the woodwork on three separate occasions, the RSL onslaught on goal proved not to be enough as Red Bulls goalkeeper Danny Cepero made seven saves on the evening, ending the Utah side's debut postseason appearance one step shy of the MLS Cup Final.

OTHER KEY DATES: Real Salt Lake will participate in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft on Thursday, January 15, while the team will kick off its 2009 preseason on January 31. The 2009 MLS All-Star Game at Rio Tinto Stadium is set for Wednesday, July 29. The remainder of RSL's 2009 regular-season schedule will be announced in the near future.

2009 Royal Club Memberships Make Great Holiday Gifts!

The best way to get ready for RSL's fifth MLS season is to secure your spot at Rio Tinto Stadium next year by becoming an RSL Royal Club member! Season tickets packages for the Utah club's first full season at its new Sandy home start at just $300, making a Royal Club membership a perfect Holiday gift for the soccer fanatic in your family - or your family of soccer fanatics! For more information on how to become a Royal Club Member in time for kickoff next spring, contact the RSL Front Office at 801-727-2700 or visit www.RioTintoStadium.com .

Rio Tinto Stadium, RSL to Host Bone Marrow Drive on Sat., Dec. 13

On Saturday, December 13, Real Salt Lake and Rio Tinto Stadium host a bone marrow drive from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Center Circle Club, asking fans and the public to undergo free testing to see if you're a match. All it takes is a little paperwork and a swab of your cheek. Hosted by www.SoccerUnitesUtah.com , it is essential that a matching donor is found. For the sake of Marcia, Andy, and their two daughters, let's make this happen. If you are still curious for more information, head over to DKMSamericas.org for more on what it means to be a bone marrow donor.

Four RSL Players Travel "Across the Pond" for Generation adidas Trip

A quartet of RSL players - DF Tony Beltran, FW Yura Movsisyan, MF Alex Nimo and GK Chris Seitz - lead a group of 16 young Major League Soccer players will go on an eight-day trip to London, which will include three matches against English Premier League reserve teams, training at Chelsea Academy and attendance at an EPL match as well as a UEFA Champions League match.

FC Dallas is also sending four players, while New England and Toronto will send two each. Coaching the squad will be San Jose's Frank Yallop, who will be assisted by Ian Russell.

The players, all part of Generation adidas in 2008 (Movsisyan graduates from the program for 2009), will arrive in London on Dec. 6 and are scheduled to return to the United States on Dec. 14. After attending an EPL match that afternoon, the team has a pair of training sessions at Chelsea Academy on Dec. 7 before playing the West Ham reserves on Dec. 8. The team returns to training on Dec. 9 at 10 a.m. and will get a tour of the Stamford Bridge Stadium and museum in the afternoon. The next morning, the Generation adidas team will face the Chelsea reserves and later that night are scheduled to attend the UEFA Champions League match between Chelsea and CFR Cluj Napoca. The next morning the team boards a coach and will face the Aston Villa reserves that afternoon. On Dec. 12, the players will get to watch the Chelsea first team train at Chelsea Academy and will enjoy and afternoon of sightseeing around London. More sightseeing on Dec. 13 precedes the team's return to the United States the following morning.

Real Salt Lake Officially Moved in to Rio Tinto Stadium Offices

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