HERRIMAN, Utah (Friday, March 1, 2024) – In conjunction with both U.S. Soccer and Major League Soccer, Real Salt Lake (0-1-1, 1 pts, MLS 9th West) confirms its participation in the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, one of eight (8) MLS sides entering the 111-year old tourney at the Round of 32 stage, which will kick off May 6/7. Specific dates, times, opponent and venue will be determined as the tournament results proceed, along with pairing draws after each round.
RSL earned selection as a non-CONCACAF Champions Cup qualifier based on the 2023 MLS Supporters Shield standings, alongside Atlanta, Dallas, Kansas City, LAFC, San Jose and Seattle. While Houston is currently engaged in its continental pursuits, as the Open Cup defending champion it will also participate in 2024.
Last season, RSL advanced to the USOC Semifinal Round, where it lost 3-1 at the Dynamo in 120-minutes of extra time, while previously winning road matches at Las Vegas (3-1 AET), at Portland (4-3) and at Colorado (1-0), as well as a home Quarterfinal against LA Galaxy (3-2).
2023 OPEN CUP REVIEW: RSL’s “road warrior” mentality emblematic of the 2023 season was galvanized in part by the Club’s Open Cup run, which saw the team experience various forms of drama: a 120-minute war of attrition in Las Vegas, multiple comebacks on the Portland turf against the rival Timbers, a tense Rocky Mountain Cup victory just three days after a comfortable regular-season win in same venue against the Rapids, all prior to a home win that saw a 3-0 lead with 10 minutes remaining cut not once but twice against the visiting Galaxy. In the road Semifinal at Houston – with RSL just a result away from hosting Lionel Messi & Inter Miami CF in Sandy for the first time ever in the LHUSOC Final – the Claret-and-Cobalt conceded first and overcame the absence of metronome Pablo Ruiz to get to the 105th minute tied at 1-1 in sweltering Houston, before the final 15 minutes of overtime were marred by two goals conceded and a Brayan Vera red card.
RSL’s ALL-TIME OPEN CUP HISTORY: While RSL is 6-2-1 all-time against lower-division sides at home, thanks to last year’s Semifinal run the Club now owns an all-time 34-game, 17-year tourney record of 15-16-3 (W-L-T), including MLS “qualifying” games from 2007-10. The overall home record at Rice-Eccles Stadium (3-1-0) and the former Rio Tinto Stadium (9-5-2) is 12-6-2, with RSL splitting the penalty-kick tiebreakers in Sandy – both in 2016.
Starting with the 2016 shootout loss to Seattle, RSL had dropped four consecutive Open Cup contests at home prior to last year’s 3-2 win over the Galaxy; the 0-3-1 mark during that time includes 90-minute home losses before 15,000+ at RioT in 2018 (Sporting KC), 2019 (LAFC), and 2022 (No. Colo.). The 2020 and 2021 tournaments were canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, ending 106 years of consecutive play.
Buoyed by last year’s run, RSL has now advanced to the U.S. Open Cup’s “final four” on three occasions: 2013, 2015 and 2023 … The Club’s five-game 2013 run included every match at home, with three against lower-division USL/NASL sides, prior to a 2-1 home win over MLS rival Portland Timbers FC that enabled RSL to host a three-win D.C. United side in that year’s Final. Despite the imbalance indicated by League performance, RSL squandered that rare opportunity to lift hardware at home, losing 0-1 on a late first-half goal by MF Lewis Neal, who had been in preseason with RSL that fateful year, which also saw RSL drop the MLS Cup final at Kansas City via penalty-kick shootout.
In 2015, RSL rode three home wins – against Seattle’s USL “S2” side and again versus Portland Timbers FC and LA Galaxy – to advance to that year’s semifinal. However, RSL lost 1-3 in that road Semifinal away at Kansas City, despite an early 1-0 lead thanks to an Olmes Garcia goal.
PURSUING MULTIPLE TROPHIES: The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup returns for 2024, with RSL and seven other American sides NOT competing in the CONCACAF Champions Cup this year competing for the nation’s oldest trophy, regardless of sport. 11 MLS NEXT Pro teams in the tourney’s First Round in mid-March, with RSL and the other Round of 32 entrants slated to be drawn into the tourney following the Round of 64 stage (Thu., April 18 pairings draw), with games to be played in the May 6/7 window.
Other key LHUSOC dates (subject to change):
May 6/7 – Round of 32 (April 18 draw)
May 20/21 – Round of 16 (May 8 draw)
July 8/9 – Quarterfinal
August 27/28 – Semifinal (July 10 draw)
Sept. 25 – Final
In late July, RSL enters the 2024 Leagues Cup, the second year of the 47-team, 78-game tournament, with three CONCACAF Champions Cup berths on the line. RSL is grouped with a road tilt away at Houston Dynamo (MLS) and an Atlas CF (MEX) match at America First Field in its West 2 group, with single-elimination knockout games to follow leading up to an August 25 title match.
Based on last year’s fifth-seeded West finish (14W-12L-8T, 50 points, 48 GF / 50 GA), RSL will be grouped with both Houston and Liga MX side Atlas F.C. in Leagues Cup 2024 this July … RSL last faced Atlas in the 2022 Leagues Cup “Showcase” match in Utah, dropping a 1-2 decision despite former DF Aaron Herrera’s wondergoal from 65 yards away over the retreating goalkeeper.
In late July, RSL will once again travel to Houston for a group stage LC match in addition to its two MLS reg. season games against the Dynamo, with RSL now winless in its last six games against Houston – all last year – across all competitions. Prior to the active six-game streak without a win against the South Texas side, RSL had seen great success against the Dynamo, which defeated RSL for the first time in 11 games dating back to 2017 in last year’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Semifinal.
RSL OPEN CUP MISCELLANY
- A total of 152 players have appeared in RSL’s 34-game Open Cup history during the previous 19 years, with 13 players making their USOC debuts for the Club in the 2023 run. Amongst active 2024 players, 20 boast Open Cup experience with RSL, not including current loanees Rubio Rubin, Jaziel Orozco & Delentz Pierre.
- While RSL has lost just twice at home to a lower-division side – April, 2022 to No. Colo. Hailstorm and May, 2012 to Minnesota Stars FC (NASL) – it has dropped three road USOC contests to teams from lower leagues. The Club’s first-ever LHUSOC game was 2005 in the Round of 16, Jason Kreis’ hat trick surpassed by Melvin Tarley’s four-goal game in a 4-6 (AET) loss for RSL at Minnesota. RSL lost at Atlanta in the 2014 Open Cup, in Jeff Cassar’s LHUSOC coaching debut – and in 2017 at Sacramento in what would be Mike Petke’s lone USOC match with RSL.
- Former RSL DF Tony Beltran – now the Club’s Assistant General Manager – owns the most U.S. Open Cup appearances in team history, playing in 17 games and starting 15 – three more than the runner-up in each category. Beltran – who scored just one goal in his 20,652 Major League Soccer regular-season minutes – scored twice in Open Cup contests – tied for third all-time – to go along with two assists, also third place in RSL’s LHUSOC annals.
- Since May, 2012, RSL has played 23 Open Cup contests. 15 of those have been at home, the Club posting an 8-5-2 (W-L-T) mark in that time, splitting the resultant penalty tiebreakers. Prior to last year’s 3-2 Quarterfinal win over the Galaxy, RSL was winless at home in four consecutive Open Cup matches, the Club’s last prior 90-minute victory in the competition coming on July 14, 2015 in a 1-0 decision, also over LA Galaxy Former DF Aaron Maund with the 87’ stunner in that one.
