REAL SALT LAKE vs. COLORADO RAPIDS
RIO TINTO STADIUM, Sandy, Utah
APRIL 9, 2016 (WEEK 6, MLS GAME #49)
9:30 pm ET (MLS LIVE, Altitude, KMYU)
The tussle for the Rocky Mountain Cup is renewed again when Real Salt Lake entertain the Colorado Rapids on Saturday evening at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real are one of two teams still alive in MLS without a defeat this season, returning home off of a 2-1 victory against Sporting Kansas City last weekend. The Rapids have put together a three-game undefeated streak, winning for the second time this season in two games at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in a 1-0 defeat of Toronto FC last Saturday.
- Real Salt Lake took a two-goal lead for a fourth time in four matches this season and remained undefeated on the year with a second victory, hanging on for a 2-1 win against Sporting KC on Saturday evening at Children’s Mercy Park. Joao Plata recorded an assist; he has been involved in six of RSL’s eight goals (three goals, three assists).
- The Rapids extended their undefeated run to three matches with a second consecutive 1-0 home win, this time against Toronto FC on Saturday evening at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Marco Pappa set up the lone goal; he has been involved in all three Colorado goals this season (one goal, two assists).
- The teams met three times last season – evenly splitting the season series for the Rocky Mountain Cup, a trophy awarded by the supporters groups of both teams. The teams reached a scoreless draw June 7 at Rio Tinto Stadium, then split the two meetings at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, a 3-1 Rapids win July 11 and a 2-1 RSL win Oct. 4.
- Real have a 12-game home undefeated streak alive vs. Colorado. Since the Rapids last win in Utah, a 2-0 victory April 30, 2007 at Rice-Eccles Stadium, Real have won eight games with four draws. Colorado has never won at Rio Tinto Stadium (0-6-4 all-time in league play).
- The Rapids victory last July was their first vs. Real since 2013, ending a five-game winless streak in the series, when RSL had three wins and two draws over the stretch.
REFEREE: Drew Fischer. AR1 (bench): Jeremy Hanson; AR2 (opposite): Andrew Bigelow; 4th: Tyler Ploeger
MLS Career: 49 games; FC/gm: 26.3; Y/gm: 2.9; R: 3; pens: 15
SUSPENDED: COL: Jermaine Jones (through April 13)
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (34 meetings): Real 13 wins, 40 goals … Rapids 11 wins, 33 goals … Ties 10
AT SALT LAKE (17 meetings): Real 9 wins, 24 goals … Rapids 3 wins, 11 goals … Ties 5
RETURN MATCHES: 5/7: Colorado Rapids vs. Real Salt Lake, 7 p.m. MT; 8/26: Real Salt Lake vs. Colorado Rapids, 6 p.m. MT (UNI)
LAST YEAR (MLS):
6/7: RSL 0, COL 0
7/11: COL 3, RSL 1 (Moor 81; Watts 91+; Ramirez 97+ -- Jaime 79)
10/4: COL 1, RSL 2 (Doyle 16 – Plata 33; Mulholland 43)
- The teams met three times last season – evenly splitting the season series for the Rocky Mountain Cup, a trophy awarded by the supporters groups of both teams. The teams reached a scoreless draw June 7 at Rio Tinto Stadium, then split the two meetings at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, a 3-1 Rapids win July 11 and a 2-1 RSL win Oct. 4.
- Real have a 12-game home undefeated streak alive vs. Colorado. Since the Rapids last win in Utah, a 2-0 victory April 30, 2007 at Rice-Eccles Stadium, Real have won eight games with four draws. Colorado has never won at Rio Tinto Stadium (0-6-4 all-time in league play).
- The Rapids victory last July was their first vs. Real since 2013, ending a five-game winless streak in the series, when RSL had three wins and two draws over the stretch.
- Coaches record: Jeff Cassar vs. COL: P6 W4 L1 D1 … Pablo Mastroeni vs. RSL: P6 W1 L4 D1
