SANDY, Utah – (Friday, August 23, 2019) – Real Salt Lake welcomes the Colorado Rapids to Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday, August 24 as the club looks to claim its 11th Rocky Mountain Cup title in the last 13 seasons. With a win, draw or loss by one goal, RSL will keep the regional rivalry trophy for the fourth consecutive season after posting a 3-2 win over the Rapids in Colorado on May 11. Kickoff from Sandy on Saturday is set for 8:00p MT and will be broadcast live on KMYU and the KSL TV app and on the radio on ESPN700.
Tickets to Saturday’s match start at just $17 and can be purchased by visiting RSL.com or by calling 844.REAL.TIX.
Saturday’s match will mark the third and final match of RSL’s three-match home stand that has seen the club vault into fourth place in the Western Conference table as the race for a home playoff match tightens. Should RSL claim victory over Colorado and the LA Galaxy fail to win, RSL will jump to second place in the Western Conference standings.
RSL is coming off a hard-fought match against league-leaders LAFC last Saturday that saw LAFC claim a 2-0 victory courtesy of two second-half goals. Due to occurrences against LAFC, RSL will be without DF Aaron Herrera and FW Corey Baird against Colorado as Herrera’s red card will force him out of Saturday’s match while Baird will serve a one-match suspension due to yellow card accumulation.
RSL and Colorado have met on one previous occasion in 2019, a match that saw RSL claim a gritty 3-2 victory in Commerce City behind goals from Baird, FW Sam Johnson and MF Albert Rusnák. With a win on Saturday, RSL will claim its 11th Rocky Mountain Cup in the last 13 seasons. The Rapids arrive in Utah on the back of a 2-2 draw at the Houston Dynamo and currently sit in 11thplace in the Western Conference with a 7-13-6 (27 points) record.
How to Follow Real Salt Lake vs.Colorado Rapids– Saturday, August24, 2019
· Coverage Begins: 7:30 p.m. MT
· Local TV: KMYU w/ 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: N/A
Game Notes for Saturday’s RSL vs. COLGame Guide Available Online
The link to the Adobe PDF version of the Game Guide in advance of Saturday’s contest between Real Salt Lake and the Colorado Rapids 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.
RSL enters the match seeing 10 different players notch goals for the club. The team is led in scoring by Designated Player FW Sam Johnson and MF Albert Rusnák with nine goals apiece and Rusnák adding an additional four assists.
2018 RSL Golden Boot winner MF Damir Kreilach has remained a steady presence in the midfield for RSL in 2019, providing four goals and five assists in 24 starts this season. Playmaker FW Jefferson Savarino has six goals and five assists to his name, enough to earn a call-up to the Venezuelan Men’s National Team for the 2019 Copa America in Brazil.
On the backline, DF Nedum Onuoha has been a mainstay at centerback in his first full season with the club, featuring in 20 of the club’s 26 matches thus far. The former Manchester City and Queens Park Rangers defender has seen been paired alongside Homegrown DFs Justen Glad, Erik Holt and Marcelo Silva and on occasion, MF Nick Besler. On both sides of the backline, Homegrown DFs Aaron Herrera, Brooks Lennon and Donny Toia have battled for starting positions at right and left back. Herrera leads the defensive group in matches played in 2019 having featured in 25 of RSL’s 26 matches.
In goal, legendary GK Nick Rimando has featured in 22 matches in 2019, earning seven shutouts. Prior to the commencement of the season, Rimando announced that 2019 – his 20th season in MLS would be his last and was recently selected by MLS Commissioner Don Garber for the 2019 MLS All-Star game in Orlando, Florida on July 31. On July 6, Rimando became the first player in MLS to start and play in 500 regular season matches as he continues to set the bench mark for players across the league. GK Andrew Putna has also seen action in goal this season, starting four of RSL’s 18 matches while earning one shutout on the year in RSL’s dominant 3-0 victory over 2019 expansion side FC Cincinnati on April 19.
