Real Salt Lake to Host USL-1's Austin Aztex for Free "Rio Tinto Stadium Open House" on March 21
Real Salt Lake and Sandy City today announced that Utah's MLS side and its new hometown will team up to co-host a unique, free Open House event at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday, March 21, with gates opening at 11:00 a.m. MT. As part of the day-long festivities at Rio Tinto Stadium - located at 9256 S. State St. in Sandy - Real Salt Lake has announced it will host an exhibition contest against the Austin Aztex of the USL First Division, with kickoff slated for 1:00 p.m.
The RSL/Sandy City Open House will encompass all the happenings of a regular matchday at Rio Tinto Stadium, from the Carnival Real pre-game festival to the post-game press conference with Head Coach Jason Kreis - with the noticeable exception of needing a ticket to enter the building!
"This is an idea we have kicked around for a while, and we are pleased to partner with Sandy City in opening Rio Tinto Stadium free-of-charge to the public while at the same time getting a competitive game for our team," said Real Salt Lake and Rio Tinto Stadium President Bill Manning. "We hope those residents who have yet to visit the new stadium will stop by and join our fans for a great day of soccer."
The event will allow local residents that have yet to visit Rio Tinto Stadium a sneak peek at the state-of-the-art venue, in addition to the chance to watch Real Salt Lake's final tune-up of the spring prior to its 2009 MLS regular season opener at Seattle Sounders FC the following weekend. Real Salt Lake will begin its first full season of play at Rio Tinto Stadium with a nationally-televised showdown against the defending MLS Cup Champion Columbus Crew on Thursday, April 2 (7:00 p.m. MT kickoff).
Following the exhibition match against the Aztex, all fans in attendance will have the opportunity to get up-close-and-personal with their favorite RSL players, as the entire squad will take part in an hour-long post-game photo session on the stadium's concourse level (weather permitting).
Parking for the March 21st event at Rio Tinto Stadium will be free and available on a first-come, first-served basis in the Stadium's three on-site lots - South, West (VIP), and North (Ardell Brown grounds) - in addition to the parking lots located at Canyons Transportation (9400 South) and Helms Lot (9000 South) to the southwest and north of the Stadium, respectively. For an updated list and map of all available parking lots for the March 21st Open House event, please visit www.RioTintoStadium.com.
Real Salt Lake Loans MF Alex Nimo to USL First Division's Portland Timbers for '09 Season
Real Salt Lake today announced that the MLS side has loaned MF Alex Nimo to the Portland Timbers of the United Soccer Leagues (USL) First Division, effective immediately. During the loan stint, which will run the entirety of the 2009 USL First Division campaign, Nimo's rights will be retained by MLS, meaning Real Salt Lake will have the ability to recall the young playmaker should his services be needed for the Utah side.
"With the demise of the MLS Reserve League, we need to find a way to get our young players games to continue their development, and when this opportunity came along for Alex to play with his hometown USL team and a quality organization like the Timbers then we had to seize it," said Real Salt Lake General Manager Garth Lagerwey. "Alex is still a teenager, and the best way to unlock his enormous potential is for him to play weekly, high-level matches. We will keep a close eye on Alex and monitor his progress throughout the season, and we fully expect him to be part of RSL's long-term plans."
A Portland native, the talented Nimo enters his second professional season in 2009 after having made three appearances with the RSL first-team in exhibition play during his rookie season in 2008. Although Nimo - the 17th overall selection by RSL in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft - did not see any time in League play last season, he did provide a steady presence on the field in Reserve Division action, appearing in 10 of the RSL Reserves' 12 contests and registering a team-high four assists along the way.
Training Camp Update: RSL Wins Carolina Challenge Cup Debut v. D.C. United, Tourney Host Battery up Next
Real Salt Lake got its debut appearance in the sixth annual Carolina Challenge Cup off to a flying start last Saturday at Blackbaud Stadium in Charleston, SC, using second half goals from FW Luis Miguel Escalada, FW Yura Movsisyan, and MF Andy Williams to post a 3-0 victory over fellow MLS side D.C. United. Real Salt Lake would reap the benefits of a red card issued to United DF Dejan Jakovic in the 35th minute, as Escalada hit the game's opening goal four minutes after halftime, opening the flood gates for an RSL onslaught on goal that also yielded Movsisyan's strike off a Clint Mathis feed in the 76th minute and a fantastic free kick finish by Williams two minutes from time.
After the first round of the four-team, round-robin tournament, Real Salt Lake (1-0-0, 3 pts.) stands tied for first with Toronto FC (1-0-0, 3 pts.), but the Utah side currently holds the goal differential tie-breaker that could decide the eventual CCC victor. The tournament continues on Wednesday, March 11, when Real Salt Lake will take on the tournament host Charleston Battery of the USL First Division at their home of Blackbaud Stadium at 5:15 p.m. MT (7:15 p.m. local), and fans can follow the action via live updates on RSL's official team blog, Behind the Shield, located at www.RSLtotheCore.com. Real Salt Lake will close out its portion of the competition this Saturday, March 14, when it takes on Toronto FC at 3:00 p.m. MT.
Real Salt Lake 2009 Preseason Results/Schedule (subject to change)
Feb. 2-14: Preseason Trip #1 to Oxnard/Ventura, Calif.
Sun., Feb. 8 - Real Salt Lake 0 : 0 Ventura County Fusion - Buena H.S.; Ventura, Calif.
Fri., Feb. 13 - Real Salt Lake 8 : 0 Shandong Luneng Taishan (China) - Oxnard College; Oxnard, Calif.
Feb. 18-28: Preseason Trip #2 to Tampa, Fla.
Sat., Feb. 21 - Real Salt Lake 2 : 0 Univ. of South Florida - USF Soccer & Track Stadium; Tampa, Fla.
Tues., Feb. 24 - Real Salt Lake 4 : 0 Univ. of Tampa - Pepin Stadium in Tampa, Fla.
Fri., Feb. 27 - Real Salt Lake 1 : 2 BK Hacken (SWE) (Tom Fitzgerald Memorial Soccer Festival)
March 4-15: Preseason Trip #3 to Charleston, S.C. - 2009 Carolina Challenge Cup at Blackbaud Stadium
Sat., March 7 - Real Salt Lake 3 : 0 D.C. United
Wed., March 11 - RSL v. Charleston Battery (USL-1) - 5:15 p.m. MT
Sat., March 14 - RSL v. Toronto FC - 3:00 p.m. MT
Saturday, March 21: RSL v. Austin Aztex (USL-1) - "Rio Tinto Stadium Open House" - 1:00 p.m. MT
RSL Begins Journey towards Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup April 28 at Seattle Sounders FC
Real Salt Lake has announced that Utah's Major League Soccer side will begin its journey towards qualification for the 2009 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday, April 28, with an MLS qualifying round contest at Seattle Sounders FC. Kick-off between the new MLS Western Conference rivals is set for 8:00 p.m. MT (7:00 p.m. local) at the Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, WA. Tickets for the limited-capacity match at Starfire Sports Complex will become available to the general public on Monday, March 30, beginning at 11:00 a.m. MT. All tickets are general admission and priced at $15. Those interested in receiving more information on tickets can visit www.SoundersFC.com for public on-sale details in the upcoming weeks.
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, which is recognized as U.S. Soccer's National Championship, is an annual, single-elimination competition open to all amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer, with the tournament crowning a champion for 95 consecutive years dating back to 1914. Real Salt Lake is one of eight MLS teams looking to earn one of two "Play-In" qualifying spots that will join the League's six automatic qualifiers (based on last season's point total) in the U.S. Open Cup's Round of 16 this summer.
RSL and South Valley Harley-Davidson to Host "2009 RSL Chili Kickoff" Saturday in Sandy
Real Salt Lake invites its fans to come down to South Valley Harley-Davidson, located at 8886 S. Sandy Parkway in Sandy, this Saturday, March 14, for the "2009 RSL Chili Kickoff" from 12:00-4:00 p.m. MT. Real Salt Lake season ticket holders heading to Rio Tinto Stadium to pick up their tickets at that day's Season Kickoff Event are encouraged to drop by the Chili Kickoff at South Valley Harley-Davidson, which is located just a mile away from RSL's new Sandy home.
Saturday's RSL Chili Kickoff event will begin at noon and feature a high-powered chili cook-off competition between KUTV-2 General Manager Dave Phillips and RSL Sr. V.P. of Business Operations John Kimball, with judging and fan-sampling beginning around 1:00 p.m. In addition to the culinary main event, RSL mascot Leo the Lion will be on hand with giveaways and the chance to win one of four exclusive 2009 autographed RSL jerseys, while Real Salt Lake staffers will stay on hand after the chili throwdown for a Q-&-A session (approx. 2:00 p.m.) to provide answers to any inquiries regarding the upcoming 2009 RSL season and other events being held at Rio Tinto Stadium throughout the year.
For more information on this Saturday's "RSL Chili Kickoff" event, please contact James Javier in the RSL front office at 801-727-2787 or jjavier@RealSaltLake.com.
RSL Team Store Offering Training Gear Special to Get Ready for the Season
The Real Salt Lake Team Store at Rio Tinto Stadium (located on the east side of the stadium at 9256 S. State Street in Sandy) is in the midst of its spring training as well, which is why the RSL Merch Crew is offering a two-for-one training gear special as its "Item(s) of the Week" through this Saturday - buy the RSL/adidas gold training top (retail $45) and blue training shorts (retail $30) together for only $50, good for a savings of $25! In addition, the RSL Team Store will continue its featured "Real Hours" deal this Friday from 4:00-6:00 p.m., with any size RSL soccer ball (sizes 1, 3, 4, 5) selling for just $10 during the limited-time offer.
To take advantage of these deals, and to see the full range of officially licensed RSL gear, drop by the RSL Team Store during regular business hours: Monday-Saturday from 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. MT. For more information on the Real Salt Lake Team Store - including $10 shipping, phone orders, autographed and personalized merchandise, and how you can get 25% off your purchases - call the RSL Merchandise Hotline at 801-727-2888.
Secure Your Spot for Historic Year at Rio Tinto Stadium with a 2009 RSL Season Ticket Package
The best way to get ready for Real Salt Lake's historic first full season at Sandy's Rio Tinto Stadium is to become a Real Salt Lake Season Ticket holder. RSL Season Ticket packages for the club's fifth MLS campaign - kicking off in less than a month on Thursday, April 2 against the defending MLS Cup Champion Columbus Crew - start at just $300, with benefits including:
• Tickets to RSL's 15 MLS regular season games, the 2009 MLS All-Star Game and additional exhibitions (TBA)
• First right of refusal for additional events taking place at Rio Tinto Stadium throughout 2009, such as concerts featuring the Eagles and Kenny Chesney
• 25% off all merchandise purchased at the RSL Team Store at Rio Tinto Stadium
• A group rate for any additional tickets to RSL matches
• An invitation to the annual RSL Meet the Team event
• Access to a Personal Account Service Manager and the new Veritix "Flash Seats" ticket management program
• A free RSL scarf
For more information on how to become an RSL Season Ticket holder in time for kickoff this spring, contact the RSL Front Office at 801-727-2701 or visit www.RioTintoStadium.com.
RSL Single-Game Tickets and new Flex Plan and Family 4-Packs on Sale Now
Individual game tickets for Real Salt Lake's 2009 regular season - the team's first full campaign at its state-of-the-art Rio Tinto Stadium home - are now on sale to the public. To see Real Salt Lake's full 2009 regular season schedule, a listing of other upcoming events hosted at the world-class venue in the heart of the Wasatch Front, and the Stadium's seating map, please visit www.RioTintoStadium.com.
Individual game tickets for Real Salt Lake's 2009 MLS campaign at Rio Tinto Stadium start at just $15, with the pricing breakdown as follows: Upper Deck - $15, North End Zone - $18, South End Zone (Supporters Section) - $20, Corner Flag - $25, Lower Sideline - $30, Stadium - $60.
In addition, Real Salt Lake has also revealed the details of two new ticketing programs for the team's 2009 campaign: an 18-ticket "Flex Pack" and the individual game "Family 4-Pack." The Flex Pack combines the convenience of date flexibility with a lower price point than day-of-game purchasing by including 18 vouchers, redeemable in any combination for any of Real Salt Lake's 15 regular-season games. Subject to availability, seats are assigned at the time of redemption in four different price levels, beginning at just $315. The "Family 4-Pack" is available for every home regular-season game, including the team's April 2 Opening Day showdown against the defending MLS Cup Champion Columbus Crew. The Family 4-Pack includes 4 Tickets, 4 Brats and 4 Drinks for only $88!
For more information regarding Real Salt Lake's 2009 ticketing options, please visit www.RioTintoStadium.com or call the RSL Front Office at 801-727-2701.
"MLS Fantasy Challenge" Kicks Off on MLSnet.com
Registration for the "2009 MLS Fantasy Challenge (MLSFC)," the official fantasy game of Major League Soccer, is now live on the League's web site. Major League Soccer's Fantasy Challenge is a free weekly online fantasy game that allows soccer fans the opportunity to manage their own soccer team using real-life statistical results. FoxSoccer.com, in collaboration with STATS, has developed several exciting MLS Fantasy Challenge 2009 game enhancements that will provide soccer fans a more engaging user experience.
Registration for the 2009 MLSFC is free and can be accessed by going to http://fantasy.mlsnet.com or http://foxsoccermls.stats.com. The competition begins with the March 19 kickoff of Major League Soccer's 14th season. The season-opening weekend features seven games, including a doubleheader on Fox Soccer Channel in which the defending 2008 MLS Cup Champion Columbus Crew travel to face the Houston Dynamo, and Chivas USA plays host to the Colorado Rapids (6:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. MT).
Fans who register for the free fantasy contest via www.MLSnet.com or www.foxsoccer.com on MSN have the opportunity to win more than 400 MLS prizes, including a pair of all-expense paid trips for two people - one to the 2009 MLS All-Star Game at Rio Tinto Stadium on July 29, and one to MLS Cup 2009 on Nov. 22. Prizes include autographed All-Star jerseys and balls, official MLS memorabilia, and several other exclusive MLS items.
Rio Tinto Stadium to Host USA-El Salvador World Cup Qualifier Sept. 5
U.S. Soccer has announced that the United States Men's National Team will call Rio Tinto Stadium home when the team plays host to El Salvador for their pivotal qualifier on Saturday, Sept. 5. Kickoff time and broadcast information will be set at a later date. U.S. Soccer will announce ticket information in the near future, but Real Salt Lake has announced that the club's 2009 season ticket holders will be given the opportunity to purchase tickets for the USA-El Salvador showdown before seats become available to the general public.
Tickets for the Eagles May 9 Concert at Rio Tinto Stadium Still Available!
Following the success of their No. 1 album, Long Road Out of Eden, the Eagles will perform live at Sandy's state-of-the-art Rio Tinto Stadium in the venue's first-ever concert on Saturday, May 9, with the show beginning at 8:00 p.m. MT. Tickets for the historic concert - marking the Eagles' final appearance in the United States before the launch of their European tour - are on sale for $50-$175, and can be purchased online at www.RioTintoStadium.com, or in person at the Rio Tinto Stadium ticket windows or the RealTix ticket kiosks located in the west/VIP lobby and RSL Team Store from Monday-Friday from 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. MT. For more information, including how to purchase handicap-accessible seating, please call the customer service call center at 888-4RSLTIX (888-477-5849).
Kenny Chesney Coming to Rio Tinto Stadium July 23
Rio Tinto Stadium is proud to welcome reigning Country Music Entertainer of the Year Kenny Chesney to the world-class venue on Thursday, July 23, at 5:30 p.m. MT. Chesney's "Sun City Carnival" Tour also features recently-minted 2009 Grammy award-winners Sugarland and Lady Antebellum, as well as fiery vocalist Miranda Lambert. Tickets range from $29-$125 and are now available via www.RioTintoStadium.com and over the phone at (888) 477-5849, while the Stadium's ticket windows are also open Monday-Friday from 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. MT for in-person purchases.
The Kenny Chesney performance kicks off a week-long "Days of '47" celebration at Rio Tinto Stadium, as Real Salt Lake hosts FC Dallas and a post-game fireworks show on Pioneer Day, Friday, July 24, five days before the Stadium becomes the newest venue to host Major League Soccer's annual All-Star Game on Wednesday, July 29. Fans purchasing tickets to the "Sun City Carnival" show will also have the opportunity to be among the first to use Rio Tinto Stadium's new Flash Seats® digital ticketing technology. For more information please call the customer service call center at 888-4RSLTIX (888-477-5849).
