SANDY, Utah (Friday, October 15, 2016) – Real Salt Lake kicks off the final week of its 12th Major League Soccer season with its postseason destiny under its control, as a Sunday afternoon kickoff against rival Kansas City is slated for 3:00 p.m. MT at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy. The game will be televised via KMYU with David James and Jay Nolly on the call, and can also heard via RSL outlets ESPN700 AM (English, Bill Riley, Spencer Warne & Jeremy Horton) & 102.3 FM / 1600 AM (Spanish, Fernando Hortal & Nelson Moran). Pre-game coverage on ESPN700 airs live locally at 2:30 p.m. MT.
Fans are encouraged to arrive at Rio Tinto Stadium early – gates open at 1:30 p.m. MT, with Carnival Real at 1:00 – in order to participate in and view a pre-game ceremony honoring the distinguished trio of RSL icons – GK Nick Rimando, Captain Kyle Beckerman and MF Javier Morales – who complete 10 seasons of service at Sunday’s home game. The 3:00 p.m. MT kickoff against Kansas City marks the penultimate contest of the campaign, with RSL traveling to Seattle for the season finale on MLS “Decision Day” – Sunday, October 23 (2:00 p.m. MT kickoff).
RSL – which can finish as high as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference (pending other results in the final two games) with six points against KC and Seattle – will also have scoreboard watching in full effect the rest of the way, as the permutations involving RSL and its two opponents as well as LA Galaxy and Portland Timbers represent the five teams battling for the final four West spots, behind Colorado and Dallas.
According to nearly all of the predictive models and algorithms for the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, RSL has approximately a 94% chance of being one of the six Western Conference sides in the postseason – follow THIS LINK for more specific breakdowns. With just two games remaining this regular-season, RSL remains likely to host a home playoff game as a top four seed in the West, but must capture the full three points in each of the club's remaining games to feel secure. To OPT-IN NOW for your 2017 Season Ticket Membership location and in order to secure this year's preferred Playoff pricing, please contact your Fan Relations representative at 801.727.2702!
RSL boasts a 6-3-1 all-time home record against Kansas City, defeating the rival on both visits last season to extend its active unbeaten run to seven across reg. season and playoff contests between the clubs. RSL has posted a 4-0-3 MLS mark against Sporting since KC last won at Rio Tinto Stadium back on July 20, 2013, with a stoppage-time victory that ultimately gave Sporting the right to host MLS Cup 2013 against RSL later that year, which it won dramatically via a 10-round / 20-player shootout on a bitterly cold December afternoon.
Earlier this season, RSL won in both visits to Kansas City, riding goals from DF Justen Glad and MF Luke Mulholland in a 2-1 win on April 2, then seeing FW Juan Manuel Martinez and FW Yura Movsisyan tally on either side of a KC own goal in a 3-1 win on May 21. Sporting KC did eliminate RSL in the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Semifinal stage with a 3-1 victory last August.
How to Follow Real Salt Lake v. Sporting Kansas City
- Coverage Begins: 3:00 p.m. MT on SUNDAY
- Local TV: KMYU – David James and Jay Nolly
- English Radio: ESPN700 AM (2:30 p.m. MT) – Bill Riley, Spencer Warne & Jeremy Horton
- Spanish Radio: 102.3 La Gran D FM / 1600 AM – Nelson Moran & Fernando Hortal
- Online: The @RealSaltLake Twitter feed provides updates
Game Guide for Sunday’s RSL v. Kansas City Matchup 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 by clicking HERE.
