SALT LAKE CITY - Real Salt Lake will join millions of Americans this month as it celebrates "Youth Soccer Month" with a match against the Columbus Crew on Saturday, Sept. 24, at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Play will begin at 7:30 p.m. MT and tickets are available at www.utahtickets.com or by contacting the Ticket Office at (801) 581-UTIX.
Utah Governor Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. joined by RSL CEO Dean Howes, General Manager Steve Pastorino, FW Jamie Watson, and UYSA President Leisa Vineyard, were a part of the ceremonial signing to officially declare September as "Youth Soccer Month" on Sept. 15. The declaration will be presented to soccer fans across the Wasatch Front during a special pre-game ceremony during the RSL-Columbus game.</p>
Utah Youth Soccer Association (UYSA), America Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) Section Nine, Tremonton Recreational Soccer, Salt Lake County Recreational Soccer, Sorenson Recreational Soccer and Clinton City Recreational Soccer are local youth programs promoting this game in conjunction with the celebration.</p>
"Youth Soccer Month" is dedicated to increasing awareness of the benefits of playing youth soccer in America. RSL is proud to support this effort and further the goals of "Youth Soccer Month" which are as follows:</p>
- Emphasize soccer as the number one youth participation sport in America and a leading contributor to the healthy lifestyle of millions of American families.
- Bring kids and families of all ages and all abilities together for fun, friendship and fitness.
- Highlight the various programs available to children interested in participating in soccer, including inner city, special needs, recreational and elite soccer programs.
Throughout "Youth Soccer Month" a series of messages and themes will be communicated to illustrate the essence of youth soccer. Each week during "Youth Soccer Month" a different key represents the focus of "Celebrating Soccer in America." The four pillars of Youth Soccer month are:</p>
• Fitness: The health and fitness (physical, psychological and social) benefits of playing soccer.
• Fun: Whether recreational or competitive in nature, involvement in soccer is easy, affordable and rewarding.
• Family: Playing soccer ties families together as schedules, vacations and family time are coordinated.
• Friendship: The relationships generated through playing soccer extend beyond the field.
Interest in the sport of soccer is at its highest levels ever in the United States, with more than 19 million children ages 5-19, participating regularly. Recognizing the impact and importance the sport of soccer plays in the day-to-day lives of America's families, US Youth Soccer, the nation's largest youth sports organization, is spearheading Youth Soccer Month - Celebrating Soccer in America, this September. For more information on Youth Soccer Month visit <b>www.YouthSoccerMonth.org</b>.</p>
RSL BATTLES ROCKY MOUNTAIN RIVAL ON WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 21: RSL (5-17-4, 19 pts., 5th West) looks to keep its playoff hopes alive and capture its first road win against Rocky Mountain rival the Colorado Rapids (9-13-4, 31 pts., 4th West) at Invesco Filed on Wednesday, Sept. 21, live on the MLS Direct Kick package and tape-delayed at 10:30 p.m. MT on Fox Sports Network Rocky Mountain. The team returns to Salt Lake City on Thursday, Sept. 22 and resumes training on Friday, Sept. 23, at Rice-Eccles Stadium at 10:00 a.m. MT in preparation for its home game against the Columbus Crew (9-14-3, 37 pts., 6th East) on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 7:30 p.m. MT. RSL's training schedule follows:
TRAINING SCHEDULE FOR WEEK OF Sept. 18, 2005: **All practices are open to Media members. All times and locations are subject to change.
DAY/DATE SITE TIME (MT)
Monday, Sept. 19 Travel to Denver, CO
Tuesday, Sept. 20 Colorado Rapids Training Center 9:00 a.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 21 GAME @ Colorado Rapids 7:30 p.m.
Invesco Field
Thursday, Sept. 22 Travel to Salt Lake City, UT
OFF DAY
Friday, Sept. 23 Rice-Eccles Stadium 10:00 a.m.
Saturday, Sept. 24 Game vs. Columbus Crew 7:30 p.m.
Rice-Eccles Stadium
RSL INJURY REPORT / INTERNATIONAL DUTY / SUSPENSION:
PLAYER STATUS INJURY
FW Jason Kreis OUT L knee partial ACL tear
DF Rusty Pierce OUT R hamstring strain
DF Nelson Akwari PROBABLE L groin strain
MF Chris Brown PROBABLE R hamstring strain
DF Eddie Pope PROBABLE L ankle sprain
FW Dante Washington PROBABLE R ankle sprain
MF Nikolas Besagno OUT U-17 World Championships
MF Kenny Cutler OUT Points accumulation
TWENTY-FOUR YOUTH TO COMPETE FOR RSL DPS TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS:
Prior to Saturday's game twenty-four youngsters from Arizona to Montana ages 8-14 will compete during activities RSL-Columbus game for the Real Salt Lake Team Championship competition of the Sierra Mist Major League Soccer Dribble, Pass & Score program at Rice-Eccles stadium on Saturday, Sept. 24. The winners will be recognized at halftime of the RSL-Columbus Crew on Sunday, Nov. 13.
These boys and girls, ages 8-14, have already won two previous levels of competition to reach the Real Salt Lake Team Championship. A champion will be named in each of the six age and gender divisions: 8-9, 10-11, and12-14. The winners in each age category will have their scores matched against the other MLS Team Champions for the right to advance to the Nationals Finals. The finals will take place during the MLS Cup weekend at Pizza Hut Park. </p>
The Sierra Mist MLS Dribble, Pass & Score program began in 1998 and is the official youth soccer skills competition of MLS. The competition includes events in three soccer skills - dribbling through a slalom-style course of flags for speed, passing to zones for accuracy and shooting at a regulation-sized goal target for accuracy. </p>
Over 800 competitions were conducted throughout the nation. The events were held at soccer tournaments, camps, youth league complexes/game fields, Park & Recreation facilities and Soccer Celebrations at MLS games. Local winners advanced to Sectionals in each market. The sectional winners then possibly advance to the Team Championship at their respective MLS team's stadium. </p>
MATHIS JOINS TEAM IN COLORADO, WILLIAMS BACK IN THE LINEUP: RSL MF Clint Mathis joined the team in Denver, Colo. today after missing practice since Sept. 12 due to personal reasons. Mathis has played in 21 of the teams 24 games with 21 starts, scoring two goals and adding four assists in 1,673 minutes of play this season. Real MF Andy Williams will also be back in the starting lineup after missing Sunday's game due to a red card suspension from in the 1-0 loss against the New England Revolution on Sept. 3.
RSL LOSES CUTLER DUE TO SUSPENSION: RSL MF Kenny Cutler will miss Wednesday's match against the Colorado Rapids due to point accumulation after picking up a yellow card in the 37th minute for a reckless foul in the team's 2-1 loss to FC Dallas on Sunday. Cutler served his first suspension this year in the New England Revolution game on Sept. 3 due to a caution in the 5-1 loss against D.C. United on Aug. 31. The Virginia native has played in 14 games, all starts, totaling 1,159 during his rookie campaign.
BESAGNO ADDS AN ASSIST IN THE 2005 FIFA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: RSL MF Nikolas Besagno played the final 28 minutes of the U.S. Under-17 Men's National Team's 3-2 win against North Korea in the 2005 FIFA World Championships on Saturday in Chiclayo, Peru. Besagno added an assist just 10 minutes later when he nicked the ball with his left heel into FW Preston Zimmerman, who controlled it, spun to his right and slotted the ball into the lower left corner passed North Korea GK Kwang Min Ju in the 72nd minute. The U.S. will face Italy on Tuesday, Sept. 20 (2:30 p.m. MT) in Estadio Elias Aguirre Romero in Chiclayo, Peru and concludes group play on Friday, Sept. 23 (2:30 p.m. MT) against Ivory Coast in Estadio Nacional in Lima, Peru. Both U.S. matches at the World Youth Championship will be televised live on Fox Soccer Channel.
Day Date Matchup Time (MT) TV
Tues. Sept. 20 Italy 2:30 p.m. FSC
Fri. Sept. 23 Ivory Coast 2:30 p.m. FSC
RSL RESERVES TO FACE COLUMBUS CREW RESERVES ON SUNDAY:
Real Salt Lake reserves (3-5-2, 11 pts.) ride a four-game unbeaten MLS streak into its final home game against the Columbus Crew reserves (3-4-1, 10 pts.) on Sunday, Sept. 25 at 10:00 a.m. MT at Trailside Park in Park City, Utah. RSL notched its third win of the season yesterday with a 4-2 victory over FC Dallas (4-4-1, 13 pts.) at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. RSL's four goals were scored by FW Dante Washington, two by MF Luke Kreamalmeyer and the final goal FW Jamie Watson, while DF Chris Gbandi tallied a penalty kick for Dallas with RSL DF Cameron Knowles' own goal providing the second.
RSL opened the scoring in the 10th minute when MF Leslie Fitzpatrick played a through ball to the center of the box to find a wide open Washington, who only had to place the ball to the right of 'keeper Chris Gomez for the 1-0 lead.
Just nine minutes later, Kreamalmeyer put RSL up 2-0 when he stole the ball from DF Drew Moor at the top of the box and then shot it through Gomez's legs to make it 2-0 in the 19th minute. Kreamalmeyer notched his second goal nine minutes later when MF Andy Williams centered a ball that was headed by MF John Pulido right into the path of the Kreamalmeyer, who controlled the ball with his chest and fired a rocket past Gomez for the eventual game-winner in the 28th minute. "Laser Luke" leads the RSL reserves with six goals in 17 games this year.
RSL would score once again in the 83rd minute on a long cross from DF Michael Lookingland to Watson. The Dallas, Texas native took the ball to the top right corner of the box, made a nice move on Moor and then fired a shot from 15 yards out that found the back of the net to put RSL up 4-0. Watson tallied the lone goal in RSL's 2-1 loss to FC Dallas in the previous match today after coming in as a second half substitute for MF Brian Kamler. A corner kick by MF Robert Scarlett was headed toward goal by FW Melvin Tarley, and standing in front of GK Scott Garlick, Watson flicked the ball past the outreached arms of the 'keeper in the 54th minute.
FC Dallas showed some spirit by striking back with two goals in the last 4 minutes to make a game of it, but it would not be enough. The first goal came off the foot of Gbandi in the 86th minute who slammed home a penalty kick after FW Abe Thompson was taken down inside the box by GK Chad Sackett to cut the lead to 4-1.
The final goal came just seconds before the end of the game when MF Mario Torres dribbled past two defenders inside the box and smashed a shot that was saved by Sackett but the rebound deflected off of Knowles, trickling over the goalline and ending the game 4-2. </p>
VOTE FOR THE RADIOSHACK MLS ALL-TIME BEST XI: Fans can now cast their votes for the election of the RadioShack MLS All-Time Best XI as part of Major League Soccer's 10th Season celebrations, with DF Eddie Pope, FW Jason Kreis and MF Clint Mathis as the three RSL players under consideration for this honor. Fans can vote by logging onto the League's official web site at www.MLSnet.com and the following link contains the voting application: http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/mls/events/season_10/best_11.jsp.
Fan balloting, which accounts for 50 percent of the final vote total, will conclude on October 16, the final day of the 2005 regular season. Media and MLS coaches and general managers will also participate in the other half of the voting process.</p>
The 78-player pool is formed by players who were Best XI selections or named to at least three All-Star Games since the 1996 Inaugural Season. One goalkeeper, three defenders, five midfielders and two forwards will form the RadioShack MLS All-Time Best XI squad, which will be announced during the MLS Cup Playoffs. The ballot is divided as follows: 9 goalkeepers, 21 defenders, 27 midfielders and 21 forwards. Of the 78 players, 38 are currently active and playing with MLS clubs.</p>
JOIN THE JUNIOR LOYALISTS: RSL invites local youth fans ages 14 and under to join the RSL Kids Club, known as the Chevron Junior Loyalists! The final replica giveaway of 2005 will be on Saturday, Sept. 24 where registered Jr. Loyalist members will receive a FREE replica Real Salt Lake uniform bag! Kids 14 and under can sign-up to be a Jr. Loyalist at more than 90 participating Chevron locations along the Wasatch Front. The Columbus Crew game represents the final Junior Loyalist "build-a-uniform" date. Pick up a registration form at any of the more than 90 Wasatch Front Chevron locations!
SINGLE-GAME TICKETS ON SALE: Real Salt Lake single-game tickets for its inaugural 2005 season at Rice-Eccles Stadium continue to be on sale both online and at the University of Utah Ticket Office, located at the Stadium's south end. Individual game prices are $14 for north goal, $18 for corner flag, $25 for premier east and $32 for VIP west. Individual game tickets can be purchased by visiting the Utah Ticket Office at 451 South 1400 East, by logging onto www.utahtickets.com or by contacting the Ticket Office at (801) 581-UTIX. Fans are continued to be encouraged to purchase in advance.
ACCESS REAL: Real fans can now receive up-to-date information on the team by signing up for the RSL Weekly Newsletter at the fans section of RealSaltLake.com.
