SANDY, Utah – Real Salt Lake (9-5-3, 30 points, West #1) will look to extend its winning streak to seven games across all competitions on Saturday, when it will take on Toronto FC (2-7-6, 12 points, East #9) at 11:00 a.m. at BMO Field.
Due to FCC regulations, CW30 will broadcast Saturday’s match on a tape delay, with the station’s coverage of the game beginning at 12:00 p.m. ESPN700 AM will broadcast the match live at 11:00 a.m., with pregame coverage beginning at 10:00 a.m. and an hour-long postgame show beginning immediately after the match. 102.3 La Gran D/1600 AM Spanish radio will broadcast the match beginning at 12:00 p.m.
RSL enters Saturday’s match on an absolute tear. The Claret-and-Cobalt has won its last six games across all competitions and is 9-1-1 in all comps since the start of May. With 30 points, RSL is tied with the Portland Timbers for the Supporters’ Shield lead and the team’s 26 goals scored are second in the league behind the Timbers.
Saturday’s match will be Real Salt Lake’s first road game in over a month. RSL wrapped a seven-game home stand on Wednesday with a 3-0 win over the Carolina RailHawks in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals. The Claret-and-Cobalt was 6-0-1 during its extended run at Rio Tinto Stadium, outscoring its opposition 20-6 during the run.
Real Salt Lake has been strong on the road so far this season, posting a 3-4-1 league record away from Rio Tinto Stadium. The Claret-and-Cobalt has still never won in Canada, however, with April’s 1-1 draw at Vancouver Whitecaps FC and May’s 3-2 loss at the Montreal Impact extending the team’s winless streak north of the border to 10 games in MLS and CONCACAF Champions League play.
RSL will be missing two players due to international duty on Saturday, with FW Alvaro Saborio with the Costa Rican national team ahead of the CONCACAF Gold Cup and MF Luis Gil traveling back from his run with the U.S. team at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Turkey. RSL Captain Kyle Beckerman, DF Tony Beltran and GK Nick Rimando are all with the team in Toronto but will leave the club on Sunday to join U.S. camp ahead of the Gold Cup.
Beckerman, Beltran, Rimando and Saborio will all be eligible for selection in a Rio Tinto Stadium Gold Cup doubleheader pitting the U.S. against Cuba and Costa Rica against Belize on Saturday, July 13. Tickets are still available for the Gold Cup doubleheader and can be purchased at the Rio Tinto Stadium box office, online or over the phone at 801-727-2700.
Real Salt Lake FW Joao Plata and DF Aaron Maund were both acquired by Real Salt Lake from Toronto FC this offseason. Plata had three goals and five assists in 36 league games with Toronto FC in 2011 and 2012 while Maund made 15 league appearances – including nine starts – for Toronto as a rookie in 2012.
RSL will return to action next Wednesday, July 3, when it will host the Philadelphia Union at 8:00 p.m. at Rio Tinto Stadium. Tickets are still available to the match – which will feature postgame fireworks – and can be purchased at the Rio Tinto Stadium box office, online at www.RealSaltLake.com/Tickets or over the phone at 801-727-2700.
How to Follow Real Salt Lake at Toronto FC
- Kickoff: 11:00 a.m. MT at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario
- TV: CW30 – Tape delayed broadcast to begin at 12:00 p.m. due to FCC regulations
- English Radio: ESPN700 AM – Match to be broadcast live at 11:00 a.m. MT; Pregame begins at 10:00 a.m. MT
- Spanish Radio: La Gran D 102.3 FM & Juan 1600 AM
- Online: The @RealSaltLake Twitter Feed will provide live match updates
Click here to download the PDF version of the MLS Game Guide for Saturday’s RSL-TOR matchup
RSL History v. Toronto FC
Real Salt Lake is 5-4-2 against Toronto FC in MLS action. The Claret-and-Cobalt won the last game between the sides, getting a stoppage time winner from former RSL MF Jonny Steele to beat TFC 3-2 at Rio Tinto Stadium on April 28, 2012.
RSL has never won at Toronto, posting a 0-3-2 mark against the Reds at BMO Field. The Utah side has actually never scored when playing at TFC, getting outscored 0-3 in its five league matches at BMO Field.
