SANDY, Utah (Saturday, October 21, 2017) – Real Salt Lake (12-15-6, 42 points, West #8) continues its 2017 MLS Cup “Playoff Push” with a 2:00 p.m. MT Sunday afternoon kickoff at Rio Tinto Stadium against rival Sporting Kansas City. RSL enters the final regular-season weekend of 2017 just one point out of the sixth and final playoff position, needing a win and dropped points by both San Jose & Dallas to qualify for the postseason for the ninth time in 10 years. All 22 MLS clubs kick off simultaneously on “Decision Day” to determine matchups for the 2017 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, which begin on Wednesday.
Unbeaten in 11 of its last 14 overall since early July, RSL has posted a 12-12-4 overall record in its new era under Head Coach Mike Petke, whose club is 8-4-4 at home this year. RSL is unbeaten in its last seven home games, and carries an active four-game win streak into Sunday’s reg. season finale at Rio Tinto Stadium.
Sunday’s meeting will be the third of the year between RSL and Kansas City, which defeated the Claret-and-Cobalt 3-0 in April and earned a 1-1 draw in Sandy back in July. In that, the teams’ most recent meeting, RSL DF Marcelo Silva – expected to return Sunday from a one-game suspension – made his club debut, while FW Luis Silva scored the first of his six goals this season.
The attacking Silva is tied with Venezuelan FW Jefferson Savarino at six regular-season goals on the season, one behind the three-way “Golden Boot” triumvirate of MF Albert Rusnák, FW Joao Plata and FW Yura Movsisyan, each with seven goals. Rusnák’s 13 assists thus far this year – with one game remaining – sets a new standard for the second-highest single-season total in club history (surpassing the 12 set in 2016 by Plata and 2014 by Javier Morales) – and sits just two helpers shy of matching Morales’ club-record 15 assists in 2008.
How to Follow Real Salt Lake v. Sporting Kansas City – Sun., October 22, 2017
- Coverage Begins: 2:00 p.m. MT
- Local TV: KMYU – David James and Brian Dunseth
- English Radio: ESPN700 AM (1:00 p.m. MT) – Bill Riley & Jay Nolly
w/ Jeremy Horton & Spencer Warne (pre-/post-game)
- Spanish Radio: 102.3 La Gran D FM / 1600 AM – Nelson Moran & Fernando Hortal
- Online: The @RSLmatchday Twitter feed provides updates
Game Notes for Sunday’s RSL v. Kansas City game Available Online
The link to the Adobe PDF version of the Game Guide in advance of Sunday’s contest between Real Salt Lake and Sporting Kansas City is available HERE.
