SANDY, Utah (Friday, March 22, 2019) – Real Salt Lake is set to visit LAFC on Saturday in its return to Banc of California Stadium where the club began its run in the 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs. Kickoff from Los Angeles is set for 8:30 p.m. MT with the match being broadcast live locally on KMYU, the KSL TV app and ESPN 700.
The trip to California will see the Utah club return to the site of its dramatic 3-2 victory in the 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs Knockout Round, a match that saw MF Damir Kreilach score two world-class goals to silence the LAFC faithful. The playoff win marks the lone time RSL has topped LAFC, bringing the all-time record across all competitions to 1-2-0.
RSL is coming off of its first loss of the 2019 season at the hands of D.C. United last Saturday where it fell 5-0. RSL saw red cards on either side of halftime reduce the squad to nine men and hinder a full performance in its first trip to Audi Field but remains poised to field an experienced side against LAFC.
The match against LAFC will see the absences of six RSL players due to international duty and suspension. FWs Corey Baird (U.S.), Julian Vazquez (Mexico U-18) and Sam Johnson (Liberia), along with MF Albert Rusnák (Slovakia) will all be unavailable for Head Coach Mike Petke on Saturday due to call-ups from their respective national teams. FW Jefferson Savarino and DF Marcelo Silva will also be unavailable for Saturday’s match while serving one-match suspensions after the match against D.C. United.
How to Follow Real Salt Lake @ LAFC – Sat., March 23, 2019
· Coverage Begins: 8:00 p.m. MT
· Local TV: KMYU with David James (play-by-play), Brian Dunseth (color) & Samantha Yarock (sideline)
· Digital Streaming: KSL TV App
· English Radio: ESPN700 with Bill Riley (play-by-play) & Jay Nolly (color)
· Spanish Radio: 107.1 FM
Game Notes for Saturday’s RSL @ LAFC game Available Online
The link to the Adobe PDF version of the Game Guide in advance of Saturday’s contest between Real Salt Lake and Los Angeles Football Club is available HERE. If you have any problems obtaining the document, would prefer to receive it as an attachment, or are seeking more information on the match, please contact Taran Meyer in the RSL Communications Department via email at tmeyer@rsl.com.
Petke’s squad features a balanced attack that saw six players score five goals or more last season, led by club MVP and Golden Boot winner MF Damir Kreilach’s 12 goals to go with eight assists in his first MLS season. Rusnák finished last season with 10 goals and seven assists while FW Joao Plata had eight goals and eight assists and FW Jefferson Savarino notched seven goals and a team-leading 11 assists. Reigning AT&T MLS Rookie of the Year FW Corey Baird leads a dynamic crop of Homegrown talent from the Real Salt Lake Academy, scoring eight goals with five assists in his debut professional season.
Regular contributors in that group of young and rising talent from 2018 return as DF Justen Glad, DF Aaron Herrera, FW Sebastian Saucedo and the club’s Defensive Player of the Year, DF Brooks Lennon all look poised to be regulars for the side once again. Meanwhile, club legends MF Kyle Beckerman and GK Nick Rimando and DF Tony Beltran lead a young group into the club’s 15th season in the country’s top flight.
RSL welcomed nine new players to its squad for the 2019 season as FWs Julian Vazquez, Tate Schmitt and Sam Johnson; MFs Justin Portillo, Luis Arriaga and Everton Luiz join DFs Donny Toia and Erik Holt as well as GK David Ochoa all became new faces in the offseason.
