SALT LAKE CITY - Real Salt Lake (1-5-1, 4 pts., t-5th West) returns home this week on the heels of Saturday's historic 3-0 win - the first road victory in team history - over the Defending MLS Cup Champion Los Angeles Galaxy to kick off a three-game homestand. First up for RSL in this crucial three-game stretch are the Kansas City Wizards (4-2-1, 13 pts., 2nd East), who visit Rice-Eccles Stadium this Saturday, May 20 at 7:00 p.m. MT, with Carnival Real opening at 6:00.
RSL ADDS SEVERAL FIRSTS TO SCRIPT OF 3-0 ROAD WIN IN LA: Real Salt Lake entered several firsts to the team record book in the 3-0 road win vs. the Los Angeles Galaxy including: first-ever road win, first-ever win on grass, first-ever win at the Home Depot Center and first-ever halftime lead on the road. RSL's first win of the season also closed the chapter on less desirable marks including: end to 18-game winless streak (August 6, 2005), end to 19-game road winless streak (since inception), end to 21-game grass winless streak (since inception) and ended a 5-game all-time losing streak at the Home Depot Center.
The victory also represented RSL's first win since August 6, 2005 (2-1 come-from-behind victory vs. CD Chivas USA), the first three-goal game and the first defensive shutout since July 23, 2005 (3-0 win vs. FC Dallas), which also represented the last time RSL enjoyed a halftime lead. RSL FW Jeff Cunningham's two-goal performance was RSL's first multi-goal game by an individual since April 30, 2005 (Kreis, 2 goals vs. San Jose).
RSL TRAINING SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 14, 2006:
**All practices are open to media members. All times and locations are subject to change.
DAY/DATE SITE TIME (MT)
Wednesday, May 17 The Waterford School 10:00 a.m.
Thursday, May 18 Rice-Eccles Stadium 10:00 a.m.
Friday, May 19 Rice-Eccles Stadium 10:00 a.m.
Saturday, May 20 GAME vs. Kansas City Wizards 7:00 p.m.
@ Rice-Eccles Stadium
CUNNINGHAM NAMED MLS PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
RSL FW Jeff Cunningham became the first-ever RSL player to earn MLS Player of the Week honors for his Week 7 efforts in Real Salt Lake's first victory of the season, a 3-0 win over the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday, May 13 at the Home Depot Center.
Cunningham notched two goals as a 69th minute second-half substitute in Real Salt Lake's win, which was also RSL's first-ever road victory and snapped a three-game losing streak. His first goal came only three minutes after being inserted into the lineup when MF Chris Klein beat the Galaxy's offside trap and found MF Carey Talley on the right wing. Talley crossed the ball, just out of Galaxy GK Kevin Hartman's reach and Cunningham knocked the ball into an empty net.
In the 87th minute, Cunningham raced alone down the field to chase down a long pass played by FW Jason Kreis. After rounding Hartman a few yards outside the penalty area, Cunningham shot the ball into the open net. The win gives Real Salt Lake a boost going into a three-game homestand beginning with the second-place Kansas City Wizards on Saturday, May 20 at 7:00 p.m. MT at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
SPECIAL-EDITION WATCH PARTY FOR BARCELONA v. ARSENAL: Real Salt Lake invites Soccer Fans from across the Wasatch Front to Fiddlers Elbow/Salt Lake Pizza and Pasta for a special editions of the team's "Away Game Watch Party" tomorrow. On Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. MT, the much-anticipated UEFA Champions League final will be played between 2006 La Liga champion Barcelona and vaunted English Premier League power Arsenal, as the two of the world's biggest stars, Ronaldinho (Barcelona/Brazil) and Thierry Henry (Arsenal/France) square off for the European club title.
Fiddler's Elbow/Salt Lake Pizza & Pasta in Sugarhouse (1063 East 2100 South) is the new home for all RSL post-game and away game watch parties. Fans are invited to bring their families and friends to this new location to enjoy great food and watch your favorite soccer team, Real Salt Lake, in a casual, comfortable atmosphere surrounded by fellow RSL enthusiasts. Fiddler's Elbow is a tavern where you must be 21 to gain entrance, while Salt Lake Pizza and Pasta is a family friendly environment. The buildings are connected to each other and share the same ownership. </p>
RSL RESERVES TO BATTLE THE OGDEN OUTLAWS: RSL will take on the USL Premier Development League Ogden Outlaws at Ogden High School (2828 Harrison Blvd) TONIGHT at 6:30 p.m. MT. The expansion Outlaws kicked off their 2006 season on Saturday, May 13 against Brigham Young University. Tickets for the match are on sale now and can be purchased $8 for adults and $5 for children under the age of 12 by calling (801) 476-4276. For more information, fans can log onto www.ogdenoutlaws.com.
RSL PLAYERS AND COACHES ON LOCAL RADIO: RSL MF Chris Klein will be featured live on the Bill Riley Show on KALL 700 AM today at 5:30 p.m. MT with guest host Steve Brown. Klein notched two assists in the 3-0 road victory at Los Angeles on Saturday. RSL GK Scott Garlick continues his weekly show with Ryan Hatch and David Fox on "Hatch and Hollywood" at 2:30 p.m. MT on Wednesday, May 17. Garlick had eight saves for RSL in his 45th career shutout on Saturday.
RSL also invites fans to join RSL players, coaches and front office staff at the Jerry Seiner Salt Lake dealership's Iceberg Café located at 1530 South 500 West every Thursday for the weekly "Jerry Seiner/RSL Coaches Show" at 6:00 p.m. MT. The KALL 700 Bill Riley Show will broadcast LIVE each week at Jerry Seiner Salt Lake from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. MT, with Coach Ellinger and RSL personalities featured during the final hour. </p>
Each week, fans can compete against players, coaches and each other in the X-BOX FIFA 2006 Challenge. Supporters can enter a drawing to qualify to play in the Carnival Real X-BOX competition at every home game, where an X-BOX will be given away to the most outstanding player. RSL's next 2006 X-BOX FIFA Challenge will be Saturday, May 20 at Carnival Real when RSL takes on the Kansas City Wizards at Rice-Eccles Stadium at 7:00 p.m. MT. Carnival Real opens at 6:00 p.m.</p>
FAN VOTING CONTINUES FOR THE 2006 SIERRA MIST ALL-STAR GAME VS. CHELSEA FC: Real Salt Lake fans are invited to vote for their favorite Real Salt Lake stars to face-off against English Premier League champion Chelsea FC in the 2006 Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game. Official online balloting is now open at www.RealSaltLake.com or at the league's official website, www.mlsnet.com, giving fans the chance to vote for the MLS All-Star XI in this year's game. The Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game will bring together the best MLS players for a marquee match-up with English powerhouse Chelsea FC on Aug. 5, 2006, in Chicago's handsome new soccer-specific stadium in Bridgeview, Ill. The game will be nationally televised live on ESPN at 4:30 p.m. MT.
Fans can vote for the All-Star XI online at www.RealSaltLake.com or www.mlsnet.com by selecting up to one goalkeeper, three defenders, five midfielders, and two forwards. Fans can vote up to 10 times per day. The online fan balloting program, which concludes on Friday, July 7, will comprise 25 percent of the total vote for the All-Star XI, with coaches and general managers, players and media each holding 25 percent of the vote to combine for the remaining 75 percent. The following RSL players appear on the 2006 MLS All-Star ballot:
GK Scott Garlick
DF Eddie Pope
DF Chris Brown
DF Carey Talley
DF Danny Torres
MF Douglas Sequeira
MF Andy Williams
MF Chris Klein
MF Kenny Cutler
MF Mehdi Ballouchy
FW Jason Kreis
FW Jeff Cunningham
The coach of the MLS All-Star squad will be the coach of the MLS team with the best record, as decided by the most total points in League play, following games played on Wednesday, July 5. The standard MLS tiebreakers will determine the coach if two or more teams are tied. The All-Star XI will be announced on Wednesday, July 12. The MLS All-Star reserves will be announced on Friday, July 14. Five players will be selected as reserves by the head coach and the final two will be selected by MLS commissioner Don Garber. </p>
This year's All-Star team will take on one of the world's top professional soccer clubs. Led by international soccer icons Frank Lampard, Arjen Robben, Hernan Crespo and Joe Cole, Chelsea FC is an all-star team of its own, and it has finished first in the prestigious English Premier League for two consecutive seasons. This year marks the third time that MLS All-Stars have taken on a high-profile international opponent. In 2003 the MLS All-Stars defeated Mexican club CD Guadalajara 3-1, and in 2005 they stormed English opponents Fulham 4-1. The format of the Sierra Mist All-Star Game makes it the most competitive all-star competition in professional American sports.</p>
2006 RSL TICKET PACKAGES ON SALE: RSL 2006 ticket packages are on sale and fans can now purchase full season, half season, the "High-Five" pack and flex season 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. Fans can also purchase single-game tickets by visiting the Utah Ticket Office at 451 South 1400 East, by logging onto www.UtahTickets.com or by contacting the Ticket Office at (801) 581-UTIX. Finally, fans can purchase The KFC Colonel's Corner $12 ticket voucher, the club's most affordable single-game ticket, by visiting any of the 36 KFC® restaurants in Utah.
REAL ELITE TRAINING PROGRAM: The Real Elite Training Program is a progressive summer training program for boys and girls ages 8-16 with previous playing experience and a strong desire to reach their maximum potential. There are a total of 18 sessions, three days a week, and two and a half hours per day. The benefits of the program include: exposure to the highest level of training; specializing in technique, tactic, fitness and teamwork; training from RSL soccer players and coaches; and two training shirts and ticket voucher to a select game. For more information, contact Teresa Nelson by phone at (801) 924-8565, by email at tnelson@RealSaltLake.com or by logging onto http://real.saltlake.mlsnet.com/MLS/rsl/player_development/.
MLS CAMPS: The Official Camp and Clinic of Major League Soccer is NOW the Official Camp & Clinic of Real Salt Lake! NEW for 2006, Fantasy Camp and focused Team Training experiences. To find out more about all of RSL's Youth Development Programs, call Scott Reynolds at (801) 924-8575 or by email at SReynolds@RealSaltLake.com. To partner with RSL to host MLS Camps in your community, call us today.
ACCESS REAL: Real fans can now receive up-to-date information on the team by signing up for the RSL Weekly Newsletter at the fans section of RealSaltLake.com.
