SALT LAKE CITY - Real Salt Lake, Major League Soccer's 12th team, invites media, fans and season-ticket holders to attend the organization's World Cup Qualifier Watch Party this Wednesday, February 9 at 12:30 p.m. MT at Iggy's Sports Grill (located at 677 South 200 West in Salt Lake City). Televised live from the Queen's Park Oval in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad on ESPN2, RSL icons Clint Mathis and Eddie Pope will represent the United States against future RSL signee Marlon Rojas and Trinidad in the first step of the final round of the CONCACAF hexagonal's road to FIFA World Cup Germany 2006.
Mathis, who is expected to make his 45th appearance for the U.S. Men's National Team, is remembered for scoring one of the most crucial goals for the United States in the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan, delivering a clinical finish in the 24th minute to give the U.S. a 1-0 lead against host Korea. In 2004, Mathis appeared in six matches for Bruce Arena's team, starting three, including the United States' 1-0 win over Poland on March 31, the team's first win on European soil.
Pope, who recently signed with Real Salt Lake, is a perennial anchor of the U.S. National Team's central defense and has accumulated 65 caps with the U.S. National Team. He started six of 10 final-round qualifiers in 2001 and all five contests in the FIFA 2002 World Cup Korea/Japan. He was also a key member of the 1998 World Cup side, starting two matches in France. Pope also started all three games for the USA in the 1996 Olympics. His penchant for the dramatic was most recently evident with his 93rd-minute game-winner in the United States' 1-0 win over Mexico at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas on April 28, 2004.
Rojas, 5'10", 170-lb defender is a part of the 20-man Trinidad & Tobago team that will compete against the U.S. An energetic flank player who has good pace and works hard for 90 minutes, Rojas played for Trinidad & Tobago at the Under-23 level and is making a valuable contribution to the senior team's effort to get to Germany 2006 with five first and second round appearances. Rojas played with Police FC in Trinidad &Tobago before moving to St. John's University, where he played collegiate soccer and completed his degree.
Real Salt Lake season ticket packages for the inaugural 2005 season at Rice-Eccles Stadium are now on sale. The RSL 2005 season ticket package features 20 games, including all 16 MLS regular season games and four special bonus games. Real Salt Lake's season ticket pricing consists of a Youth (15 and younger) and an Adult in four price levels. Prices for the 2005 season ticket packages are $200 adult ($180 youth) for the North Goal, $300 adult ($240 youth) for the Corner Flag, $400 ($320 youth) for East Sideline and $500 ($400 youth) for VIP seats. Tickets can be purchased by visiting the RSL Ticket Office at 515 South 700 East, #2R, SLC, UT 84102, by logging onto www.RealSaltLake.com or by contacting the Real Salt Lake Ticket Office at (866) 9-SOCCER.
