SANDY, Utah (Monday, January 30, 2017) – Real Salt Lake’s 2017 preseason travels continue this week in Tucson, AZ, with two official preseason games planned this week as part of the Desert Diamond Friendlies, hosted by FC Tucson.
Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. MT, RSL faces the New York Red Bulls, with several of the club’s new additions – MF Albert Rusnák, M/F Luis Silva, FW Chad Barrett, DF David Horst and GK Matt VanOekel, homegrown signing Jose Hernandez and 2017 MLS SuperDraft picks DF Reagan Dunk, DF Justin Schmidt and GK Andrew Putna – potentially expected to make their RSL debuts in Head Coach Jeff Cassar’s setup, which sees nine of 11 starters and a core of 16 players overall return from last year’s side, which qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs for the eighth time in the last nine seasons.
Tuesday’s 11:00 a.m. MT kickoff against New York Red Bulls is the first of at least six live streams in this 2017 Real Salt Lake preseason, the club’s 13th in Major League Soccer. The full schedule follows:
REAL SALT LAKE 2017 PRESEASON SCHEDULE
Preseason Segment #1 – Casa Grande / Tucson, AZ
Tuesday, Jan. 31 – RSL v. NY Red Bulls at Tucson, AZ – 11:00 a.m. – LIVE on RSL.com
Friday, Feb. 3 – RSL v. San Jose at Tucson, AZ – 11:00 a.m. – LIVE on RSL.com
Preseason Segment #2 – Portland Timbers Preseason Tournament @ Portland, OR
Tuesday, Feb. 7 – Travel from SLC to Portland, OR
Thursday, Feb. 9 – RSL vs. Portland Timbers – 8:30 p.m. MT – LIVE on RSL.com
Sunday, Feb. 12 – RSL vs. Vancouver Whitecaps – 3:30 p.m. MT – LIVE on RSL.com
Wednesday, Feb. 15 – RSL vs. Minnesota United FC – 6:00 p.m. MT – LIVE on RSL.com
Thursday, Feb. 16 – Return to Utah
Preseason Segment #3 – Southern California
Sunday, Feb. 19 – Travel from SLC to Irvine, Calif.
Tuesday, Feb. 21 – RSL v. LA Galaxy at Carson, Calif. – time TBD – LIVE on RSL.com
Friday, Feb. 24 – RSL v. Alashkert (Armenian Premier League Champion) – time/site/stream TBD
Saturday, Feb. 25 – Return to Utah
Sat., March 4 – RSL v. Toronto FC – 2:30 p.m. MT – 2017 MLS Opening Weekend
A trio of RSL players who spent the first week in Casa Grande – DF Justen Glad, DF Danilo Acosta, M/F Sebastian Saucedo, along with a fourth, academy product Brooks Lennon – departed Arizona on Saturday to prepare for the United States’ U-20 training camp, which starts Tuesday in Orlando, Fla., prior to the late February CONCACAF Qualifying Tournament for this Summer’s FIFA World Youth Championships. The U.S. seeks qualification out of a regional group that includes Panama, St. Kitts, and Haiti, with the games played in Costa Rica on Feb. 18 (U.S. v. Panama, 2:00 p.m. MT), Feb. 21 (U.S. v. Haiti, 3:30 p.m. MT) and Feb. 24 (U.S. v. St. Kitts & Nevis, 3:30 p.m. MT).
A group of 10 Real Monarchs players along with several members of the USL club’s technical staff – including new Head Coach Mike Petke and Assistants Mark Briggs and Matt Glaeser – have also spent the Arizona portion of preseason with RSL, prior to the USL club’s Feb. 11 training camp report date in Sandy, UT.
RSL GK Nick Rimando – Major League Soccer’s all-time leader in wins, shutouts, games, starts and minutes – earned a clean sheet after starting and playing the full 90 minutes in Sunday’s 0-0 USA draw with Serbia, including two saves in the final 20 minutes at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. The start under new U.S. manager Bruce Arena’s was Rimando’s first since April 15, 2015 in Mexico, with January camp wrapping up this Friday, Feb. 3 in Chattanooga, TN, with a friendly against Jamaica, which will feature RSL MF Omar Holness. Both Rimando – who has spent January with the U.S. – and Holness are expected to rejoin RSL over the weekend in preparation for Monday’s “Media Day” in Sandy and Tuesday’s departure to Portland for the Timbers Preseason Tournament.
