SANDY, Utah (Monday, January 7, 2019) – Real Salt Lake announced the club’s 2019 MLS regular season schedule on Monday, solidifying the calendar for the club’s 15th season in Major League Soccer and 11th full season at Rio Tinto Stadium. RSL will play 11 of the 17 home matches on Saturdays, with all 34 regular season matches slated to be televised locally on KMYU, the KSLTV app and KSL.com.
RSL will play 34 matches, two against each of the 11 Western Conference opponents and one against each of the 12 teams in the Eastern Conference. As previously announced, RSL opens the regular season on the road on March 2 against the Houston Dynamo before the home opener on March 9 at Rio Tinto Stadium against Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
FIREWORKS
Real Salt Lake will hold its annual Independence Day fireworks match at Rio Tinto Stadium on July 3 when Columbus Crew SC visits for the first time since 2017, with a fireworks display scheduled to follow the match. RSL is 3-1-6 during July 4 fireworks matches.
MEMORIAL DAY CLASH WITH ATLANTA
RSL will host the defending MLS Cup Champions Atlanta United on May 24 in the only Friday home match of the season. The matchup will be televised nationally on Univision and Univision Deportes, with the local broadcast remaining on KMYU, KSL.com and the KSLTV app.
SUMMER NIGHTS AT THE RIOT
Rio Tinto Stadium was among the biggest home field advantages in MLS in 2018, with RSL going 11-2-4 in Sandy for the most home wins in the Western Conference. That home record will be put to the test when RSL plays nine out of 13 matches at the RioT from June 29-September 11. In addition to the July 3 match against Columbus, RSL will also face rival Sporting Kansas City on June 29 and closes out the stretch with three straight home matches against Seattle Sounders FC (August 14), LAFC (August 17) and the Colorado Rapids in the final meeting of the 2019 Rocky Mountain Cup (August 24).
HARD ROAD TO OPEN SEASON
Salt Lake faces a tough first half of the season, with six of the first nine matches on the road, including RSL’s first ever visit to Audi Field to face D.C. United on March 16 and the first ever meeting against expansion FC Cincinnati at Nippert Stadium on April 19.
PETKE RETURNS TO RED BULL ARENA
On June 1, RSL Head Coach Mike Petke will make his return to Red Bull Arena, where he starred as a player and lifted the Supporters’ Shield for the club’s first major trophy in 2013. The match will be the second in a two-game road trip that starts against the Montreal Impact on May 29 and is the final match before the league goes on hiatus for the 2019 Gold Cup, returning to action on June 22.
2019 REAL SALT LAKE MLS SCHEDULE
DAY DATE MATCHUP NOTE:
Sat. March 2 @ Houston RSL Opens 15th Season in Texas
SAT. MARCH 9 VANCOUVER Whitecaps Visit in RioT Opener
Sat. March 16 @ D.C. United RSL Pays First Visit to Audi Field
Sat. March 23 @ LAFC Site of 2018 Underdog Playoff Victory
SAT. MARCH 30 FC DALLAS RSL Went 1-0-1 Against Dallas in ‘18
Sat. April 6 @ Seattle 10 Years Later, RSL Returns to Site of 2009 MLS Cup
SAT. APRIL 13 ORLANDO East Cellar-Dwellers from 2018
Fri. April 19 @ Cincinnati Maiden Voyage to 2019 Expansion Side
Sun. April 28 @ LA Galaxy Can RSL Top Zlatan in SoCal?
SAT. May 4 PORTLAND RSL Faces ’18 Western Conference Champs
Sat. May 11 @ Colorado First Installment of ’19 Rocky Mountain Cup
SAT. MAY 18 TORONTO Can ‘17 Cup Champs Bounce Back After Down Year?
FRI. MAY 24 ATLANTA MLS Cup Champs Visit on Memorial Day Weekend
Wed. May 29 @ Montreal First of Three Straight Away from Utah
Sat. June 1 @ New York Red Bulls Petke’s First Visit to RBNY as Opposing Coach
Sat. June 22 @ Chicago Int’l Break Ends with Visit to Windy City
SAT. JUNE 29 SPORTING KC Bitter Rivalry Resumes as Revenge is Sought
WED. JULY 3 COLUMBUS Caleb Porter Leads Crew SC
Sat. July 6 @ San Jose Three-Game Week Ends at Avaya Stadium
SAT. JULY 13 PHILADELPHIA
SAT. JULY 20 MINNESOTA RSL Undefeated at Home Against Loons?
Sat. July 27 @ Dallas Texas Heat Not Historically Kind to RSL
SAT. AUGUST 3 NEW YORK CITY Villa-less NYCFC Return to Utah
Sat. August 10 @ Kansas City Site of Fierce 2018 Playoff Exit
WED. AUGUST 14 SEATTLE Always an Intriguing Matchup Between West Foes
SAT. AUGUST 17 LAFC RSL Looks to Avenge 2018 Home Opener
SAT. AUGUST 24 COLORADO Three-Game Homestand Ends w/ RMC On the Line
Sat. August 31 @ Portland Another Late-Season Matchup at Providence Park
WED. SEPT. 11 SAN JOSEA Big Mid-Week Tilt Entering Final Month of the Season
Sun. Sept. 15 @ Minnesota First Trip to Allianz Field for RSL
Sat. Sept. 21 @ New England Cross-Country Trip Starts Busy Week for RSL
WED. SEPT. 25 LA GALAXY Major Playoff Implications?
SUN. SEPT. 29 HOUSTON RSL Closes 2019 Home Slate vs Texas Foe
Sun. Oct. 6 @ Vancouver RSL Wraps Up 2019 in Traditionally Tough Venue
*Home Matches in BOLD
Schedule subject to change; please visit www.RSL.com for up-to-date information
