RSL hosts the LA Galaxy in the first leg of the MLS Cup Playoff series - Kick at 6:00 p.m. MT
SANDY, Utah (Friday, Oct. 31, 2014) - Real Salt Lake will open the MLS Cup Playoffs with a Western Conference Semifinal match against the LA Galaxy on Saturday night at Rio Tinto Stadium. The RSL-LA contest will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network, 100.7 FM and 102.3 La Gran D FM.
The Claret-and-Cobalt ended the 2014 regular season in third place in the Western Conference at 15-8-11 (56 points). RSL posted a three-match unbeaten streak to finish the regular season while posting shutouts in all three matches. It is the seventh consecutive season that RSL has reached the playoffs and fifth straight year in which it has earned at least 15 wins and 50 points.
Real Salt Lake closed out the MLS regular season with a 2-0 shutout win over Chivas USA on October 22 at Rio Tinto Stadium. FW Alvaro Saborio scored in the first half on a penalty and MF Kyle Beckerman added another in the second half while GK Nick Rimando earned his seventh shutout of the season in front of a sellout crowd. RSL finished the regular season with a record of 11-1-5.
FW Joao Plata finished the season as the club's leading scorer with 13 goals, followed by MF Javier Morales with nine goals, Saborio with eight goals and MF Luke Mulholland with six goals. Morales led the club with 13 assists, followed by Mulholland with seven and Plata with six. Rimando surpassed the MLS record with 115 career shutouts, posting seven clean sheets in 2014 on his way to a 13-4-7 record with a league-best 1.04 goals against average.
Salt Lake and LA split the three-match regular season series, although they haven't met since July 12. The two teams met in the season opener on March 8 at the StubHub Center, with RSL winning on the strength of an 80th-minute goal from Plata. Two weeks later, they played to a 1-1 draw at Rio Tinto Stadium, Saborio scoring for RSL and FW Robbie Keane equalizing for the Galaxy. In the final match, FW Gyasi Zardes scored the lone goal to give LA the victory, evening up the series.
Real Salt Lake is 11-11-6 all-time in regular season meetings with the LA Galaxy and a 1-2-1 record in the playoffs for a 12-13-7 record across all competitions. The Claret-and-Cobalt has had more success at home against the Galaxy, posting a 6-3-4 home record and a 4-2-2 record since opening Rio Tinto Stadium in 2008. That includes a 2-0 win in extra time in the 2013 Western Conference Semifinal.
The Galaxy finished second in the Western Conference at 17-7-10 (61 points). Keane was the top scorer with 19 goals while also adding 14 assists. Zardes added 16 goals and MF Landon Donovan finished with 10 goals and 19 assists. GK Jaime Penedo finished the season 15-7-7 with eight shutouts and a 1.14 goals against average.
How to Follow Real Salt Lake v. LA Galaxy
- Kickoff:6:00 p.m. MT v. LA Galaxy
- TV: NBC Sports Network
- English Radio: 100.7 FM (Pregame begins at 5:00 p.m. MT)
- Spanish Radio: 102.3 La Gran D FM
- Online: The @RealSaltLake Twitter Feed will provide match updates
Game Guide for Saturday's RSL-LA Match Now Available Online
Following is the link to the Adobe PDF version of the MLS Game Guide in advance of Wednesday's contest between Real Salt Lake and Chivas USA. If you have any problems obtaining the document, would prefer to receive it as an attachment, or are seeking more information on the match, please contact Director of Media Services Matt Gaschk in the RSL Communications Department via email at mgaschk@realsaltlake.com.
CLICK HERE to download the PDF version of the MLS Game Guide for Wednesday's RSL-LA matchup
