SANDY, Utah (Friday, July 14, 2023) – Real Salt Lake (9-7-7, 34 pts., 4th West) rides extended momentum seeking yet another Major League Soccer result on Matchday 26 Saturday at home against New York Red Bulls (6-8-8, 26 pts., 11th East) at America First Field. Saturday’s kickoff is at 7:30p MT with gates opening at 6:00p MT, RSL looking to reprise last weekend’s dominant 4-0 home win over Orlando City, a match which featured **Chicho Arango**’s debut goal for the Club just 23 minutes in, as well as strikes from **Justen Glad**, **Jefferson Savarino** and **Anderson Julio**. Three **Pablo Ruiz** assists set up the scoring onslaught – RSL’s largest margin of victory in two years – in support of the clean sheet, RSL’s seventh of the season across all competitions.
Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni’s side remains unbeaten in nine games played during June & July – six wins, three draws, with 19 RSL goals scored by nine different players. Dating back to April 8, RSL is unbeaten in 19 of its last 22 (12 wins, seven draws), a run which includes a Club-record 11 consecutive road results, including a NEW Club-record four straight wins away – a streak snapped with Wednesday’s come-from-behind 2-2 draw at Sporting Kansas City, featuring goals from Danny Musovski and Julio, as well as assists from Arango and Ruiz.
Saturday’s kickoff against New York Red Bulls starts at 7:30p MT on the Apple MLS Season Pass w/ Jenn Hildreth and Jill Loyden *(ENG) & Alejandro Figueredo and *Luis Gerardo Bucci (SPN); for local coverage, tune in at 6:30p MT for KSL Radio pre-game w/ David James & Jay Nolly via www.KSLSports.com / 1280 AM / 97.5 FM and www.KSLNewsRadio.com / 1160 AM).
RSL, RBNY HISTORY INTERTWINED
Real Salt Lake’s first-ever match was played in a Nor’easter at Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands against the former MetroStars, who later rebranded as the New York Red Bulls and played the first-ever match in the current Sandy venue then known as Rio Tinto Stadium, now America First Field … Both those matches ended in draws, unlike the Red Bulls’ devastating playoff win in 2008 here in Sandy, a 1-0 NYRB win that sent New York to MLS Cup 2008 as the West representative … That win was the Red Bull’s lone win in 13 attempts on Utah soil, RSL boasting six wins and six draws all-time against RBNY, who last visited the Wasatch Front in 2020, a 1-1 draw thanks to a Damir Kreilach stoppage-time equalizer …
CHICHO’S HISTORIC START
New RSL Designated Player FW ‘Chicho’ Arango announced his presence in Utah and his return to MLS with authority last Saturday, finding the back of the net just 23 minutes into his Claret-and-Cobalt debut, providing the game-winning goal in a dominant 4-0 win over Orlando. Arango became just the fifth of 200 players in RSL’s 19-year history to score in his debut (Dunseth, Tarley, Findley, Julio) and is now just eight goals shy of 100 for his professional career. The 28-year-old Colombian has publicly hoped to celebrate that milestone with RSL in the back half of the 2023 campaign, which includes the upcoming Leagues Cup and the U.S. Open Cup as well as MLS reg. season and potentially MLS Cup Playoff opportunities.
Arango followed up his debut goal with an assist in Kansas City Wednesday just seconds after coming on, setting up former LAFC teammate **Danny Musovski** for a critical goal early in the second half. Arango joined **Rubio Rubin** (2021) as the only two RSL players to score or assist in their first two matches with the Club; should Chicho earn his way onto the scoresheet Saturday, he would hold sole possession of that distinction with a 3-game debut contribution.
Arango’s arrival is expected to benefit several RSL players – including Musovski, along with FW **Jefferson Savarino**, MF **Diego Luna**, Captain **Damir Kreilach**, FW Andrés Gómez, Rubin and others – who all figure to see their attacking space, time, quality and opportunity increase. Arango, the former LAFC striker – was named the 2021 MLS Newcomer of the Year and part of the 2022 MLS Cup and Supporters Shield championship runs in LA – returns to MLS after six months at Pachuca in Liga MX. Arango – with two caps for the Colombian national team – boasts 32 goals in 58 all-time appearances with LAFC, and has been training with RSL since his June 10 arrival in Utah.
PALACIO DEBUT
On June 30, RSL officially welcomed U22 MF **Nelson Palacio**, a Colombian international permanently transferred from Atlético Nacional. Palacio becomes the fourth \Cafetero \– all acquired in the last six months – as Palacio and Arango join **Andrés Gómez** and **Brayan Vera** on the RSL roster. Only Portland Timbers (five) boast more Colombians on their current MLS roster, as Palacio could be eligible to play as early as Wednesday. Palacio started and played 72 minutes in his Club debut Wednesday at Kansas City, showing tactical skill and physical dominance, nearly scoring on a 40-yard blast from distance midway through the first half.
THREE-MONTH RUN STABILIZES SEASON
RSL is the hottest team in MLS, boasting the best mark in the League over last 5 / last 10 and last 15 games. Since April 8, RSL has now recorded 12 wins, three losses and seven draws in its last 22 games across multiple competitions, securing a berth in the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final four, the 109-year old tourney resuming on August 23 in Houston. During the recent slate of schedule congestion across MLS and Open Cup action, RSL boss Pablo Mastroeni and staff have used 28 different players including Designated Player **Chicho Arango**’s Claret-and-Cobalt debut, and that of new U-22 MF **Nelson Palacio** as No. 28 this week. Tickets for all upcoming RSL contests – including Saturday against New York and Leagues Cup matches against Seattle and Monterrey – are available at www.RSL.com/Tickets.
