2025 CVI is Largest Integration Between Major Men’s and Women’s Professional Sports Leagues in North America
Passes Available Beginning Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 3p MST
The Coachella Valley Invitational has become a premier preseason event in global soccer, thanks to AEG’s expertise in producing world-class events. With state-of-the-art facilities, professional organization, and a unique environment, Coachella provides MLS clubs with a terrific opportunity to prepare for the 2025 upcoming season.
-MLS Commissioner Don Garber
HERRIMAN, Utah / INDIO, Calif. - (Tuesday, December 17, 2024) – Real Salt Lake announced its 2025 preseason slate today, highlighted by its participation in the Coachella Valley Invitational, where Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni’s team joins 13 other MLS clubs for a trio of preseason matches, 10 days of training sessions and various organizational meetings from February 3-13 as part of the CVI – which also hosts six clubs from the NWSL – at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif.
“RSL is excited to head to Coachella for the second leg of our 2025 preseason,” said Real Salt Lake Chief Soccer Officer Kurt Schmid, noting the the team will report to its Herriman facility on January 11 and spend a week in Santa Barbara in late January prior to its CVI participation. “We believe the Coachella Valley Invitational will provide the focus and intensity our team needs at the appropriate juncture in our preparations for both continental and League competition in mid-to-late February.”
RSL’s Coachella Valley Invitational participation precedes its 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup trip to Costa Rica on Wednesday, Feb. 19 against CS Herediano, currently managed by former RSL player Jafet Soto. Following the kickoff of RSL’s 21st Major League Soccer season on the weekend of Feb. 22/23, the Claret-and-Cobalt will host the second leg of its First-Round #ConcaChampions series against Herediano at America First Field in Sandy (6:30p MT kickoff, visit www.RSL.com/tickets for information).
Passes for all CVI exhibition matches will go on sale TOMORROW, Wednesday, December 18 at 3p MST at www.CoachellaValleyInvitational.com. The initial schedule of all 26 CVI matches (listed below) is highlighted by RSL’s Feb. 5 (San Jose Earthquakes) and Feb. 12 (NYRB) contests against MLS teams, including a match against 2024 MLS Eastern Conference champion New York Red Bulls. RSL will also compete in a closed-door scrimmage against an unnamed USL side on Sat., Feb. 8 in the area.
In addition to providing each of the participating MLS and NWSL teams the opportunity to prepare for their upcoming 2025 seasons in optimum weather at world-class facilities, CVI will give fans unprecedented access to watch some of MLS’s and NWSL’s most decorated and popular players and teams in an intimate setting, along with unique fan experiences.
The 14 MLS clubs participating in the 2025 Coachella Valley Invitational include:
- Austin FC
- Charlotte FC
- Chicago Fire FC
- LA Galaxy
- LAFC
- Minnesota United FC
- New York City FC
- New York Red Bulls
- Portland Timbers
- Real Salt Lake
- San Diego FC (preparing for their first ever season)
- San Jose Earthquakes
- Louis CITY SC
- Sporting Kansas City
“AEG is proud to once again partner with the MLS and NWSL to host clubs from across North America in a truly unique setting for fans, players, coaches and management,” said Dan Beckerman, President & CEO of AEG. “Coachella is an international showcase for the best in music, and AEG, through Goldenvoice and the LA Galaxy, are excited to utilize this setting to showcase the best in soccer. Palm Springs is an ideal destination with its vast infrastructure, resort hotels and hospitality options to be the host city for this impressive group of teams and their fans.”
CVI MLS MATCH SCHEDULE – All Passes and Ticket Packages Available Dec. 18
MLS DAY 1: Wednesday, Feb. 5
St. Louis CITY SC vs. Portland Timbers at 10:00 a.m. PT
LA Galaxy vs. Austin FC at 11:00 a.m. PT
Real Salt Lake vs. San Jose Earthquakes at 12:30 p.m. PT / 1:30 p.m. MT
Chicago Fire FC vs. LAFC at 1:30 p.m. PT
New York City FC vs. Sporting Kansas City at 3:00 p.m. PT
MLS DAY 2: Saturday, Feb. 8
Austin FC vs. Sporting Kansas City at 11:00 a.m. PT
San Diego FC vs. New York City FC at 12:00 p.m. PT
San Jose Earthquakes vs. New York Red Bulls at 1:30 p.m. PT
Portland Timbers vs. Chicago Fire FC at 2:30 p.m. PT
MLS DAY 3: Sunday, Feb. 9
LA Galaxy vs. Charlotte FC at 10:00 a.m. PT
Minnesota United FC vs. St. Louis CITY SC at 11:30 a.m. PT
MLS DAY 4: Wednesday, Feb. 12
Chicago Fire FC vs. San Jose Earthquakes at 10:00 a.m. PT
LA Galaxy vs. Minnesota United FC at 11:00 a.m. PT
New York Red Bulls vs. Real Salt Lake at 12:30 p.m. PT / 1:30 p.m. MT
Portland Timbers vs. San Diego FC at 1:30 p.m. PT
New York City FC vs. St. Louis CITY SC at 3:00 p.m. PT
MLS DAY 5: Saturday, Feb. 15
San Diego FC vs. New York Red Bulls at 10:00 a.m. PT
Charlotte FC vs. Portland Timbers at 10:00 a.m. PT
LA Galaxy vs. Chicago Fire FC at 12:00 p.m. PT
Minnesota United FC vs. New York City FC at 2:00 p.m. PT
With more than 250 acres of lush gardens and pristine polo fields, Empire Polo Club is one of the finest facilities for outdoor sporting events and executive conferences, in addition to hosting the annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and Stagecoach Festival. The fields at Empire Polo Club are operated by Goldenvoice, the Los Angeles-based concert promoter and live event company owned by AEG Presents.
“We are thrilled to return for the fourth consecutive year to the Empire Polo Club where MLS and NWSL fans can enjoy preseason soccer in a unique and intimate setting,” said Kara Korber, Sr. Director Business Development, AEG. “We continue to work closely with the leagues and teams to further develop this comprehensive preseason training model that will be our biggest event yet.”
For access to an exclusive presale and additional ticketing information, fans are encouraged to sign up at CoachellaValleyInvitational.com and follow @coachellavalleyinvitational on Instagram for the latest updates. Early bird pricing will be available beginning Wednesday, December 18, and end on Thursday, January 9.
Click HERE for Coachella Valley Invitational assets, including Empire Polo Club imagery, CVI logos and team logos.
CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MISCELLANY:
Real Salt Lake previously faced Herediano during the group stage of the 2012 CONCACAF Champions League tourney, the teams grouped alongside Panama’s Tauro FC. RSL fell 0-1 away at Herediano in the San Jose-based National Stadium, 0-1, in a match marred by a Nat Borchers red card. After two wins against Tauro home and away, that 2012 RSL side needed a win to advance in the fourth and final group stage match against Herediano, instead suffering a scoreless draw as the Utah side, without star striker Alvaro Saborio, were unable to score and support a clean sheet from GK Nick Rimando in a 0-0 result.
All-time, RSL’s record in CONCACAF Champions League games is 11-5-6 (W-L-T), including a home mark of 8-1-2 (the lone loss coming in the 2010/11 final to Monterrey). In 2024, RSL posted an overall 17-9-13 (W-L-T) record across multiple competitions, also earning a berth in this 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup, the Claret-and-Cobalt’s first foray in continental competition since the 2015/16 CCL run to the quarterfinals, where it was eliminated by Liga MX power Tigres by a 3-1 aggregate over two legs.
The mid-February 2025 kickoff at America First Field will be RSL’s earliest since its 2010/11 foray into CONCACAF Champions League, where RSL advanced all the way to the Final, dropping the two-legged affair to Mexican power Monterrey on a 2-1 aggregate scoreline, with an 0-1 loss at what was known as Rio Tinto Stadium in one of the Sandy venue’s all-time most memorable moments.
This past year, RSL posted a dominant 12-3-3 / 39-point mark across all competitions at the 16-year-old venue.
CONCACAF conducted the competition’s Official Draw tonight, setting the matchups and bracket for the region’s premier international tournament, which features 27 clubs across North America, Central America and the Caribbean. The 2025 CCC Champion, to be crowned in a single-elimination final on June 1, will receive a berth in the 2025 FIFA Intercontinental Cup and 2029 FIFA Club World Cup, along with over $5 million in financial distributions and prize money.
Round One will be played in February, 2025, the winner between Real Salt Lake and CS Herediano based on aggregate score after two legs advancing to face MLS Cup 2024 Champion LA Galaxy in the Round of 16.
2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup Schedule (subject to change)
Round One (two legs): Feb. 18-20 (away at Herediano) + Feb. 25-27 (home at America First Field)
Round of 16 (two legs): March 4-6 (RSL / Herediano winner to host) + March 11-13 (at LA Galaxy)
Quarterfinals (two legs): April 1-3 + April 8-10
Semifinals (two legs): April 22-24 + April 29 - May 1
Final (one leg): Sunday, June 1
Tickets for Real Salt Lake’s home match against CS Herediano in Round One of the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup will go on sale via SeatGeek next week. Season Ticket Member seat locations are secured through their Right of First Refusal membership benefit and Season Ticket Members will have a specific window to opt out of receiving tickets at the reduced STM rate for the highly anticipated season opener.
Competing in the CONCACAF Champions Cup for a fourth time in club history and Ranked No. 18 in the CONCACAF Club Ranking Index, Real Salt Lake qualified for the 60th edition of the Confederation’s annual club championship as one of five MLS regular-season standings qualifiers.
RSL in CONCACAF Champions Cup
2010-11: Won Group, Advanced to Finals
2012-13: Eliminated in Group Stage
2015-16: Won Group, Advanced to Quarterfinals
2025: Round One in February
In preparation for the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup and the Major League Soccer campaign – with opening weekend set for Feb. 22-23 – Real Salt Lake will begin the Club’s upcoming preseason on Jan. 11, when players report to Salt Lake City for entrance physicals, testing and meetings. The team will then travel to California for two stints, the first from Jan. 23-30 and a second from Feb. 3-13 for preseason trainings and matches.
During the 2024 season, RSL Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni’s team established a new Club all-time single-season points record (59), its best in 20 seasons, and also clinched a return to the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup with a Decision Day 2-1, come-from-behind victory over Vancouver. RSL All-Star and eventual 2024 MLS Young Player of the Year MF Diego Luna scored his eighth goal of the season on a 73rd-minute equalizer, just 10 minutes before Luna set up DF Alex Katranis for what ended up being an 83rd-minute game-winner on the Vancouver goalkeeper’s own goal.
America First Field in Sandy is where the Claret-and-Cobalt excelled in the most recent season, with 11 wins and three draws against just three losses in MLS action, in addition to a 12th home win in last August’s Leagues Cup tourney over LIGA MX power Atlas FC.
Despite an active eight-game unbeaten run, RSL was eliminated via the penalty-kick tiebreaker for a third consecutive season after advancing into the postseason for the 14th time in the last 17 seasons, and for the fourth consecutive year under the guidance of Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni, who has improved the point totals and seeding in each of his four seasons. The 2024 campaign represents RSL’s eighth 50-point season in Club history – and its first since 2019 – with the 2024 edition of the Claret-and-Cobalt looking to return to the West Final for the first time since 2021.
The Oct. 5 victory at San Jose – with a Luna game-winner and the Club’s ninth clean sheet of the season – improved RSL’s 2024 road record to 5-4-8 / 23 points, allowing RSL to accrue its second-highest road point total in 20 MLS seasons, trailing only last year’s 28-point mark.
In addition to the 2024 season’s 59-point total eclipsing the 57 points accrued in the 2012 season, the 16th win in 34 games matches the Club’s second-highest win total in its 20 MLS campaigns (2013, 2019), trailing only the 17 won in 2012.
This most recent campaign was also the highest-scoring season in Real Salt Lake’s 20 MLS years, with 65 goals through 34 matches, eclipsing the 57 scored in 2013. RSL’s pair of goals scored on Decision Day enabled the 2024 side to match the all-time Club mark of 38 goals on home soil, matching the 2018 season’s production in Sandy.
Key 2024/25 MLS Offseason Dates & Roster Mechanisms:
(Dates, Times [MT] – Subject to Change)
- Thu., Dec. 19 – 2025 MLS Schedule Unveiled for all 30 teams (approx. 12 noon MT)
- Thu., Dec. 19 – Re-Entry Process, Stage Two (11a MT)
- Fri., Dec. 20 – 2025 MLS SuperDraft (12 noon MT)
- Sat./Mon., Jan. 11-13 – 2025 RSL Preseason Begins
- Thu., Jan. 23 – depart for Preseason Trip #1 – Santa Barbara, Calif.
- Game #1 – Fri., Jan. 24 v NYCFC (TBD)
- Game #2 – Wed., Jan, 29 v Minnesota United FC (TBD)
- Thu., Jan. 30 – return from Preseason Trip #1 – Santa Barbara, Calif.
- Mon., Feb. 3 – depart for Preseason Trip #2 – Indio, Calif.
- Game #3 – Wed., Feb. 5 v San Jose Earthquakes (1:30p MT)
- Game #4 – Sat., Feb. 8 v USL side TBD
- Game #5 – Wed., Feb. 12 v New York Red Bulls (1:30p MT)
- Thu., Feb. 13 – return from Preseason Trip #2 – Indio, Calif.
- Wed., Feb. 19 – 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup Leg One – RSL @ Herediano (5:30p MT) – site TBD / San Jose, CRC
- Sat./Sun., Feb. 22-23 – 2025 MLS Regular Season // RSL Season #21 Kicks Off
- Wed., Feb. 26 – 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup Leg Two – RSL v Herediano (6:30p MT) @ America First Field / Sandy, UT
ABOUT THE COACHELLA VALLEY INVITATIONAL
Developed and operated by AEG, The Coachella Valley Invitational (CVI) is the largest preseason event in North American professional soccer history and in 2025 will feature 20 Major League Soccer (MLS) and National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) clubs playing preseason exhibition matches, training and holding organizational meetings at one site, leading up to the start of their seasons. The upcoming edition of the CVI is the largest integration between major men’s and women’s professional sports leagues in North America. The Empire Polo Club hosts a variety of special events, corporate meetings and private gatherings including the annual Coachella Music and Arts Festival and Stagecoach country festival in Indio, CA. Open to the public, MLS preseason matches are set to take place February 1-15 with NWSL matches slated for February 16-22. For more information and to purchase event passes, visit coachellavalleyinvitational.com.
ABOUT AEG
Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, AEG is the world’s leading sports and live entertainment company. The company operates in the following business segments:
- Music through AEG Presents, which is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performances, including the production and promotion of global and regional concert tours, an extensive portfolio of clubs, theaters and other music venues, concerts and special events and world-renowned festivals such as the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival;
- Venues and Real Estate, which develops, owns and operates world-class venues, as well as major sports and entertainment districts like Crypto.com Arena and L.A. LIVE, Uber Platz in Berlin and The O2 in London;
- Sports, as the world’s largest operator of high-profile sporting events and sports franchises including the LA Kings, LA Galaxy and Eisbären Berlin;
- Global Partnerships, which oversees worldwide sales and servicing of sponsorships including naming rights, premium seating, and other strategic partnerships.
- And Ticketing, which provides more than 400 clients worldwide with ticketing services that cover the gamut of entertainments, including sporting events, arena tours, music clubs festival, rodeos and family events.
Through its worldwide network of venues, portfolio of powerful sports and music brands and its integrated entertainment districts, AEG entertains more than 90 million guests annually. More information about AEG can be found at www.aegworldwide.com.
CONTACT:
Trey Fitz-Gerald
Real Salt Lake
Michael Roth
AEG
Jillian Salas
AEG
Jamie Alvarez
LA Galaxy
