Real Salt Lake Training Camp Update: Florida Trip on Tap
Real Salt Lake will make its escape from a chilly Wasatch Front on Wednesday morning, when the team departs for its second spring training camp of the 2009 preseason, an 11-day trip to the much warmer climates of Tampa, Fla. While in the Sunshine State, Real Salt Lake will take part in two scrimmages against NCAA opposition, first taking on the University of South Florida this Saturday, Feb. 21 at the USF Soccer Stadium on the school's Tampa campus before rounding the exhibition portion of the trip on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at the University of Tampa.
To stay up to date during RSL's trip out east, including match highlights and behind-the-scenes footage from the camp, visit the team's official blog, Behind the Shield, at www.RSLtotheCore.com.
Real Salt Lake 2009 Preseason Schedule/Results (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 - RSL @ Univ. of South Florida - 5:30 p.m. MT
Tues., Feb. 24 - RSL @ Univ. of Tampa - 5:00 p.m. MT
March 1-3: Training in Utah (sites/times TBD)
March 4-15: Preseason Trip #3 to Charleston, S.C. - Carolina Challenge Cup
Sat., March 7 - RSL vs. D.C. United - 3:00 p.m. MT
Wed., March 11 - RSL vs. Charleston - 5:15 p.m. MT
Sat., March 14 - RSL vs. Toronto FC - 3:00 p.m. MT
Saturday, March 21: Exhibition contest - Opponent/Site TBD
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.
The Sept. 5 match against El Salvador will mark the U.S. Men's National Team's second-ever visit to the State of Utah, and its first to Real Salt Lake's new home of Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy. The team's first trip to the Beehive State was also for World Cup qualifying action on June 4, 2005, when the USA went on to dominate their counterparts from Costa Rica during a 3-0 win at Rice-Eccles Stadium, a triumph spurred on by a tremendous crowd of 40,586 that provided the U.S. with one of the more enthusiastic audiences in recent memory.
The U.S., along with Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico and Trinidad & Tobago, is competing in the 10-game, round-robin qualifying format through Oct. 14, 2009, with the top three teams automatically advancing to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. For more information on the march towards qualification for South Africa 2010, visit www.ussoccer.com.
Online Jersey Auction to Benefit Soccer Unites Utah Continues through Feb. 28
Real Salt Lake and Soccer Unites Utah have kicked off their online Soccer Memorabilia Auction, featuring 25 player-worn MLS jerseys from throughout the League's history in addition to jerseys donned by U.S. goalkeeper Brad Guzan and up-and-coming Mexican star Giovani dos Santos during last Wednesday's World Cup qualifier in Columbus. All proceeds from the auction, which will run through Feb. 28, will go directly to Soccer Unites Utah, a grass roots charitable group raising funds to offset medical costs for Marcia Williams - the wife of RSL MF Andy Williams - who has waged a fight against a rare form of Leukemia since being diagnosed with the disease last summer.
RSL and Soccer Unites Utah will put up two jerseys a day for auction on eBay, with every jersey available for bidding for seven days. Real Salt Lake's official team blog, Behind the Shield - found online at www.RSLtotheCore.com - will preview each jersey the day before they appear for auction and will also provide direct links to the eBay pages where the auctions will be housed. A full list of the 25 jerseys available for auction is available by clicking here or visiting the Behind the Shield blog.
The memorabilia auction is just the latest effort by Soccer Unites Utah and the American soccer community at large to assist the Williams family during these difficult times. Please visit www.SoccerUnitesUtah.com for more ways in which you can help assist the Williams family.
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 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
• 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
• A free RSL gift (TBD)
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 Now on Sale
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 $88.00!
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.
RSL Team Store Offering up Pair of "Item of the Week" Specials through Saturday
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 offering not one, but two "Item of the Week" specials that will run through this Saturday, Feb. 21. The RSL Team Store is first presenting a "buy one get two free" deal where fans will get their pick of two Real Salt Lake t-shirts with the purchase of the RSL/adidas Presentation Suit, in addition to a drastic markdown of the 2007 edition of RSL's authentic adidas match jerseys, selling this week for only $40 (short-sleeved available in XL and XXL, long-sleeved available only in Medium).
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.
Tickets for the Eagles May 9th Concert at Rio Tinto Stadium Now on Sale
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 now on sale to the public for $50-$175, and can be purchased online at
www.RioTintoStadium.com
, or in person at Rio Tinto Stadium via the west side box office or the RealTix ticket kiosks located in the west/VIP lobby and RSL Team Store from Monday-Friday from 10:00 a.m.-5:30 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 23rd , Tickets on Sale this Saturday
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 are available beginning at just $29, with other seats available from $49-$125. Tickets will go on sale to the general public this Saturday, February 21, at 10:00 a.m. via
www.RioTintoStadium.com
and over the phone at (888) 477-5849, while the Stadium's west-side ticket windows open Monday, February 23 at 10:00 a.m. 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).
Rio Tinto Stadium Launches Veritix' Innovative FlashSeats™ Technology
Utah's world-class sports and entertainment venue, Rio Tinto Stadium, has partnered with Veritix, the industry leader in end-to-end electronic ticketing and relationship marketing applications, to provide its revolutionary FlashSeats™ paperless ticketing technology for several Stadium events. FlashSeats™ will launch in time for the 2009 Real Salt Lake regular-season, allowing Rio Tinto Stadium and RSL to present a convenient paperless method of ticket delivery to the venue's customers and fans. The FlashSeats™ website for purchasing tickets to the Eagles' May 9 concert - the first ever concert at the new Sandy venue - is now live at
riotintostadium.flashseats.com
, while the opportunity for customers to digitally manage tickets for other Rio Tinto Stadium events will be added in the near future.
Veritix' innovative Flash Seats™ paperless technology eliminates the need for a ticket holder to carry a paper ticket for venue access. Instead, customers enter one or more credit card numbers into an online account, and use any of those as identification to enter the event. Upon arriving at Rio Tinto Stadium - the first MLS venue to provide the Flash Seats™ system - customers simply swipe their credit card through a hand-held device, which prints a colorful, commemorative seat locator. The entire process allows fans quick access into the Stadium without the concern of forgotten, lost or stolen tickets, offering for the first time an end-to-end paperless ticketing method to customers in both the primary and secondary marketplaces.
For more details on Flash Seats™ technology at Rio Tinto Stadium, visit www.RioTintoStadium.com.
