Single-Game Tickets for October 9 & 18 Contests at Real Salt Lake Stadium Now on Sale
Individual game tickets for the debut events in Real Salt Lake's new Stadium in Sandy - the team's final two 2008 regular-season games, on Thursday, October 9 vs. New York (8:00 p.m. MT, live on ESPN2) and Saturday, October 18 vs. FC Dallas (7:00 p.m. MT) - are now on sale to the general public. Fans are able to purchase seats for the historic dates at RSL's new home either online at
www.RSLstadium.com
and
www.RealSaltLake.com
or over the phone at 801-924-8585, or by visiting the RSL Front Office at the Trolley Corners building (515 S. 700 East, Suite 2R) in Salt Lake City.
Single-game tickets for the final two home contests of the regular season are available for $15 (Upper Deck), $18 (North Goal), $25 (Corner Flag), $30 (Lower Sideline), and $60 (VIP), with discounts in each section available for group purchases of 20 seats or more. A limited number of premium seats are available for $75 (Sideline Club), $100 (Club) and $125 (Center Circle).
RSL Heads East Saturday to Take On New York Red Bulls
Real Salt Lake (8-8-7, 31 pts.) will hit the road for the fourth time in its last five contests this Saturday, Sept. 13, when the Utah side will head to the Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, to square off against a resurgent New York Red Bulls (8-7-8, 32 pts.) squad. Kick-off off from the Meadowlands is slated for 5:30 p.m. MT, with the match being televised on a one-hour tape delay broadcast on KSL-TV NBC-5 beginning at 6:30 p.m. Fans will still be able to follow the match live by tuning into RSL's radio partners: JACK-FM 103.1 and "Ke Buena" 1600-AM.
Saturday's match will mark the first of two meetings in the next month between Real Salt Lake and New York, with the Red Bulls serving as the host for the inaugural match at Real Salt Lake Stadium in Sandy on October 9. Five of the previous six contests between RSL and the Red Bulls have ended in a draw, including both contests last season - a thrilling 3-3 tie at Rice-Eccles Stadium on May 5 that marked Jason Kreis' head coaching debut and a 2-2 stalemate on Sept. 29 at Giants Stadium. The lone result in the series that didn't end all square was one that RSL would like to soon forget, a 6-0 defeat at Giants Stadium on Aug. 26, 2006, during which a 10-man RSL team held off the Red Bulls for the first 45 minutes before allowing all six tallies in the second half.
Real Sports to Host Official Watch Parties at Lumpy's Downtown & Valley Fair Mall
Who says you can't be in two places at once? The Real Salt Lake Merchandise Department will be this Saturday evening, when it will host a pair of Official RSL Watch Parties for RSL's contest at the New York Red Bulls at Lumpy's Downtown, a private club for members (145 W. Pierpont Ave. in downtown Salt Lake City), and in the Center Circle area of Valley Fair Mall (3601 S. 2700 West in West Valley City). Can't wait that extra hour for the tape-delayed KSL-TV broadcast? Well join your fellow RSL fans at Lumpy's or Valley Fair Mall to see the match live as it unfolds from New Jersey, as the festivities at both parties will start at 5:30 p.m. MT. The Real Sports merchandise crew will be at both locations with giveaways and raffle prizes, in addition to specials on RSL gear available only during this Saturday's contest. For more information or questions regarding Saturday's official RSL Watch Parties, including how to get your name on the Lumpy's guest list in advance, please contact Marc Maybee at RSL Merchandise HQ at mmaybee@realsaltlake.com.
FW Fabian Espíndola out 4-8 Weeks with Severe Right Ankle Sprain
Real Salt Lake today announced that FW Fabian Espíndola will miss the next 4-8 weeks due to a severe right ankle sprain suffered in last Saturday's 2-2 draw at the Los Angeles Galaxy. The 23-year old Espíndola, whose five goals in 2008 ties him with fellow forward Robbie Findley for the club's scoring lead, is expected to be ready for action at some point in mid- to late-October, meaning he could still be available for selection in the closing weeks of the regular season - which ends for RSL on Oct. 25 at the Colorado Rapids - or the MLS Cup Playoffs should RSL qualify for its first postseason berth.
MF Andy Williams Remains on Duty with Jamaican National Team
Real Salt Lake MF Andy Williams will continue his service to the Jamaican National Team this Wednesday, Sept. 10, when the Reggae Boyz will head to Honduras for its third road contest in as many games to kick off their semifinal round of World Cup Qualifying in the CONCACAF region. Wednesday's contest at Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, is slated for 6:30 p.m. MT, and fans can follow the match live via FIFA.com's match tracker. The 30-year-old Williams is expected to rejoin his RSL teammates on Thursday in New Jersey and should be available for selection when the Claret-and-Cobalt take on the New York Red Bulls at Giants Stadium this Saturday.
Williams made his 88th cap (13 goals) for the Reggae Boyz by playing the full 90 minutes last Saturday for Jamaica in a 3-0 loss against Mexico at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City - a match that was originally scheduled to take place in Kingston, Jamaica, before damage from Hurricane Gustav two weeks ago made for unplayable conditions at the National Stadium. The task of finishing in the top two of the four-team Group B standings will be a tough one without some type of favorable result in Honduras on Saturday, as Jamaica currently sits on 1 pt. (0-1-1) heading into the third of six semifinal fixtures. Mexico leads the group with the full 6 points (2-0-0) from two contests, while Honduras sits on 3 pts. (1-1-0) and Canada (0-1-1, 1 pt.) remains tied with Jamaica in third place. Jamaica will have the benefit of closing semifinal round qualifying with three straight contests at home: Oct. 11 v. Mexico, Oct. 15 v. Honduras, and Nov. 19 v. Canada.
M/F Will Johnson Looks to Give RSL Back-to-Back Sierra Mist Goal of the Week Awards
As if breaking open his scoring account in an RSL uniform wasn't enough, M/F Will Johnson's goal from Saturday night's 2-2 draw at the LA Galaxy is one of five nominees for the Sierra Mist Goal of the Week award. Johnson's debut tally for Salt Lake was a beauty, as the 21-year-old linked up on a give-and-go with FW Yura Movsisyan at the top of the area before cranking a first-touch, 12-yard effort that kissed off the right post, giving RSL a temporary 2-1 lead in the process. Fans made FW Fabian Espíndola the winner of the Week 23 award, and they can help Johnson do the same in Week 24 by voting for his tally at www.MLSnet.com before voting closes on Wednesday morning.
KALL 700 Sports RSL Coach's Corner Returns Tonight from 6:15-7:00 p.m.
Real Salt Lake Head Coach Jason Kreis will join the "Voice of RSL," Bill Riley, tonight for this week's edition of the RSL Coach's Corner on KALL 700 Sports from 6:15-7:00 p.m. MT. The duo of Kreis and Riley will hit on all topics RSL, including a recap of last Saturday's draw at Los Angeles and the challenges faced during this weekend's East Coast road trip to the New York Red Bulls. As always, fans far and wide are invited to participate in the show by dialing in to the KALL 700 Sports caller hotlines at 470-0700 (Utah County), 570-0700 (Salt Lake County), 670-0700 (Davis & Weber Counties), and 877-353-0700 (toll-free). If you're not in range of the 50,000-watt powerhouse that is KALL 700 Sports, no worries... RSL fans worldwide can visit www.kall700sports.com and click on the "LISTEN LIVE" link to catch the show.
Real Salt Lake Schedule: September 10-14, 2008
Real Salt Lake's full practice and match schedule for September 10-14, 2008, is listed below. All RSL practices are open to members of the media and the general public unless otherwise noted, with media availability for all players and coaches to immediately follow each session. Those planning on attending any session can confirm the time and location of that day's training by contacting the RSL Communications Department at 801-924-8584.
Wednesday, September 10: Closed door scrimmage v. BYU Cougars
• For player/coach interview availability on Wednesday, please contact RSL Communications at 801-924-8584
Thursday, September 11: Travel Day to New Jersey
Friday, September 12: Training at Montclair State College in Montclair, NJ, at 1:00 p.m. ET
Saturday, September 13: MLS Regular Season (Match #24): Real Salt Lake (8-8-7, 31 pts.) @ New York Red Bulls (8-7-8, 32 pts.)
• Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ - 5:30 p.m. MT kick-off
• TV: KSL-TV 5 (NBC) - Tape Delay @ 6:30 p.m.
• Radio: JACK-FM 103.1 (RSL First Kick at 4:30 p.m.) & Ke Buena 1600-AM
Sunday, September 14: OFF DAY; Return to Salt Lake City
RSL Injury Report: Tuesday, September 9, 2008
OUT: DF Tony Beltran (L adductor strain), FW Fabian Espíndola (R severe ankle sprain), MF Nathan Sturgis (L hamstring strain)
DOUBTFUL: None
QUESTIONABLE: None
PROBABLE: MF Dema Kovalenko (L calf strain)
Real Sports Update: Item of the Week Specials Feature RSL Hats & T-Shirts
The RSL Merchandise Department and its Real Sports kiosk at Valley Fair Mall (3601 S. 2700 West in West Valley City) are offering a pair of Item of the Week specials, as fans that buy an RSL short sleeve T-shirt or hat will receive a second shirt or hat at half off. As always, fans can head over to the main RSL Merchandise Office in the Trolley Corners building (515 S. 700 East, Suite 2B-1) or the Valley Fair Mall location to take advantage of the Item of the Week specials and all their official Real Salt Lake gear needs. To check out just some of the items available as a part of this week's special, check out Real Sports' weekly update on the team's official blog, Behind the Shield, at www.RSLtotheCore.com.
RSL Reserves Update: Match at Galaxy Postponed; Slate Continues Sept. 21 v. Chivas USA
The Real Salt Lake Reserves (5-2-1, 16 pts.) had hoped to go for a share of first place in the MLS Reserve Division's Western Conference standings last Sunday, however, due to roster hardship for the LA Galaxy Reserves, their scheduled match at The Home Depot Center was cancelled. No make-up date has been made for the fixture as of yet. The RSL Reserves, who sit just one win behind the West-leading Houston Dynamo Reserves, will close out their home slate at Quinn's Junction in Park City when they return to action next on Sunday, Sept. 21, against the Chivas USA Reserves (1-2-3, 6 pts.), with kick-off set for 10:00 a.m. MT.
