MLS Real Salt Lake

RSL Seeks to Remain Atop MLS in Critical Matchup Against Current #2

Published on June 22, 2012 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


SANDY, Utah (Friday, June 21, 2012) - Still atop the overall MLS and Western Conference tables, Real Salt Lake (10-4-2, 32 points, #1 in West) hosts league-leading goal scorer Chris Wondolowski and the second-place San Jose Earthquakes (9-3-3, 30 points, #2 in West) at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday.

RSL seeks to conclude their fourth three-game week of the season with revenge on its mind, as the Earthquakes handed RSL a loss on April 21 at San Jose's Buck Shaw Stadium in a game that saw RSL suffer red cards to Fabian EspÃ-ndola and Jamison Olave on either side of halftime. This weekend's West showdown - RSL's third #1 v #2 match of the season so far - is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. MT kickoff, televised live on CW30 with Bill Riley & Brian Dunseth on the call - post-game coverage at 9:00 p.m.

Fans can also follow the action via the team's official radio partners: ESPN 700/ESPN700Sports.com and La Gran D 102.3 FM, and live on Twitter (Twitter.com/RealSaltLake) with match updates. As always, fans can enjoy pre-game activities in Sandy at Carnival Real at 5:00 p.m. on the stadium's East Lawn.

Tickets remain available for Saturday's critical matchup against the San Jose Earthquakes. Please visit realsaltlake.com/tickets for seating locations and pricing options for these two games, as well as the remainder of the team's 2012 MLS slate.

With RSL's 2-3 loss to the LA Galaxy Wednesday night and the Quakes 2-1 win at Colorado, San Jose enters Saturday's match two points shy of league-leading Real Salt Lake. Although the Quakes are coming off a win after snapping a four-game winless streak in MLS regular season play on Wednesday, the Claret-and-Cobalt look to remain #1 in the Western Conference with a victory. An RSL win would allow Goalkeeper Nick Rimando to earn career win #131, tying NY/CHI GK Zach Thornton for second place all-time in the MLS career record book.

How to Follow Real Salt Lake v.San Jose Earthquakes

- Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. MT at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, UT

- TV: CW30 w/ Bill Riley & Brian Dunseth (post-game coverage at 9:00 p.m.)

- English Radio: ESPN700 (Pre/post game with James Rust & Brian Kamler)

- Spanish Radio: 102.3 FM "La Gran D" / 1600 AM w/ Nelson Moran & Fernando Hortal

- Online : Live updates via the Real Salt Lake Twitter Feed and the MLSsoccer.com MatchCenter

RSL History v. San Jose Earthquakes

Real Salt Lake enters Saturday's match with a 5-4-5 all-time record against San Jose (14 meetings), and a 2-1-4 record in matches played in Utah. In RSL's last meeting with the Quakes on April 21, 2012, the Claret-and-Cobalt were dealt a devastating defeat as a pair of controversial red-card decisions by referee Elias Bazakos doomed the Claret-and-Cobalt to a 1-3 loss. Ultimately, the valiant nine-man RSL side held firm for the final 21 minutes of the match, until the full-strength San Jose side was emboldened by a lengthy six minutes of added time, which saw Simon Dawkins and Chris Wondolowski score to give Earthquakes' Head Coach Frank Yallop his 100th career win.

On an individual note, Javier Morales has four goals and five assists against San Jose, while Kyle Beckerman has earned three goals and five assists against the Quakes in eight matches since 2008. In last year's home leg on July 23, RSL rode an Alvaro Saborio brace to a 4-0 win, with all four tallies in the annual Pioneer Day celebration game coming past the halftime break.

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