HERRIMAN, Utah (Friday, March 1, 2024) – Real Salt Lake (0-1-1, 1 pt., 9th West MLS) kicks off the home portion of its 2024 regular season – the Club’s 20th and Major League Soccer 29th – this Saturday afternoon at America First Field in Sandy with a 12 Noon MT kickoff against West rival Los Angeles Football Club. While the match is tracking towards a sellout, tickets remain available at www.RSL.com/tickets.
***PLEASE NOTE: For 2024, America First Field has adopted a “No Bag Policy”. Bags larger than 4” x 6” x 2” are prohibited. Medical and diaper bags are permitted, but are required to be searched by security***
The Club’s 9000 South “tailgate” lot opens at 9a MT for the Supporters annual “Homebrew” contest, while gates open at 10:30a MT. The Supporters “March to the Match” begins at 11:00a from the tailgate lot into the South End, while all fans are encouraged to arrive early for a special pre-game ceremony honoring RSL FW and Captain Chicho Arango and his family for the Colombian striker’s 100th career professional goal, scored last week in the 1-1 draw at St. Louis.
Last week, RSL saw its MLS Opening Day unbeaten run snapped at 14 games, Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni’s side dropping an 0-2 decision at Miami against Lionel Messi & Co. Two RSL players made significant debuts at Chase Stadium in South Florida last week, as 17-year-old Mexican youth international Fidel Barajas played 24 minutes for his MLS debut, and MF Noel Caliskan – a short-term call-up from Real Monarchs of MLS NEXT Pro – made his RSL debut, appearing for 17 minutes with the Claret-and-Cobalt after making four combined MLS / U.S. Open Cup appearances a year ago with the Portland Timbers.
Last Saturday at St. Louis, it was newly-acquired RSL midfielder Matt Crooks who became the third player to make his RSL debut, combining with Diego Luna to set up Arango for his centennial goal. Another January acquisition – RSL left back Alexandros Katranis – could possibly make his 2024 MLS / RSL debut next Saturday, March 9, at America First Field in RSL’s Rocky Mountain Cup tilt at home against Colorado Rapids with a 7:30p MT kickoff.
Tomorrow’s kickoff starts at 12 Noon MT on Apple TV+ / MLS Season Pass w/ Max Bretos and Brian Dunseth (ENG) and Pablo Ramirez and Jesus Bracamontes (SPN). For local coverage, tune in at 11:00a 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).
Real Salt Lake v. Los Angeles Football Club – MLS Matchday 3
America First Field – Sandy, UT
Saturday, March 2, 2024 – 12:00 Noon MT
RSL v LOS ANGELES FC NOTES:
RSL and LAFC split their 2023 series, each team winning at the opposing side’s home. RSL fell 0-3 at home in early May to the visiting LAFC side, while winning 1-0 on October 1, with former Black-and-Gold striker Chicho Arango scoring the 81st-minute game-winner. LAFC also won a third contest between the teams last year, emerging 4-0 in the Leagues Cup Round of 16 contest after RSL metronome Pablo Ruiz’ 9th-minute non-contact knee injury, ending his season.
Back in 2018, LAFC arrived on the Wasatch Front for an RSL home opener, winning 5-1 at what was then Rio Tinto Stadium and handing RSL its worst-ever home loss – equaled by last year’s St. Louis CITY contest in Sandy, when a 0-0 halftime deadlock resulted in an 0-4 concession to the 2023 expansion team.
Despite dropping its home opener a year ago, 1-2, against visiting Austin FC for just its second home-opening loss ever, RSL has enjoyed great success in season kickoffs on Utah soil over the years, posting an all-time 7-2-6 (W-L-T) record in Sandy at the venue now known as America First Field, outscoring opponents 27-19 on aggregate. Prior to last season’s stumble, the lone previous home- opening setback was a brutal 1-5 performance in 2018 against expansion LAFC. During the entirety of the Club’s 19-year history, RSL is 8-2-9 overall (32-23 on aggregate), including the early Rice-Eccles years.
LAFC has always been comfortable in Sandy, winning at the typically road-resistant RSL venue in each of its six seasons. RSL is just 1W-6L-0T against the Black-and-Gold at America First Field, the teams splitting both LAFC visits during the Covid-affected 2020 season. In those seven MLS reg. season matches on Utah soil, LAFC has outscored RSL 18-6, by far the worst home goal differential in Claret-and-Cobalt annals.
One last note on Chicho Arango’s 100 career goals as a professional: 35 were scored in his 57 games played across all competitions for LAFC in the 17 months from August, 2021 through January, 2023, prior to his 13 games over five months at Pachuca (5 goals). Chicho also scored 27 with Millonarios (72 games), 9 with Envigado – his first professional club – in 85 games as a teenager, 8 goals in Spain with Valencia B (26 games), and 6 goals in 42 games on loan with Portuguese sides Aves and Tondela. With RSL, Chicho has 9 goals in 20 games played across MLS, Open Cup, Leagues Cup and Playoffs – so far.
