SANDY, Utah (Friday, March 18, 2022) – Real Salt Lake (2-0-1, 7 points, T-1 West) looks to extend its three-game unbeaten run to start the 2022 Major League Soccer season when it returns to Rio Tinto Stadium to host Nashville SC this Saturday, March 19 at 7:30 p.m. MT. A few thousand tickets remain available via www.RSL.com/tickets.
Saturday’s match will be locally broadcast on KMYU (2.2 over-the-air, 643/22 Comcast, 12 Satellite) and available to stream via the KSL TV & KSL Sports apps, as well as via KSLSports.com. Fans can also follow via ESPN700 AM radio. Spanish-speaking fans can tune in on KBMG Latino 106.3 FM, La Gran D 102.3 FM and KTUB 1600 AM for the local radio broadcast.
Real Salt Lake vs Nashville SC
Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, Utah
Saturday, March 12 at 7:30 p.m. MT
Game Notes for Saturday’s RSL vs NSH game Available Online
The Adobe PDF version of the 2022 MLS Game Guide in advance of Saturday’s contest between Real Salt Lake and Nashville SC can be found here. Media members looking to receive the document as an attachment or have further questions are asked to please contact Meg Van Dyk in RSL Communications via email at meg.vandyk@rsl.com
2022 Records: Real Salt Lake (2-0-1, 7 points, T-1 West); Nashville SC (1-1-1, 4 points, T-8 West)
Head-to-Head: The two sides have only played each other on one prior occasion, with Nashville SC competing in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference during the 2020 and 2021 season. The one and only matchup between the two resulted in a 0-0 draw at Rio Tinto Stadium on May 15, 2021. Much like Saturday’s match, the previous competition was also played in the fourth week of the 2021 MLS season.
STORYLINES TO WATCH:
Comeback Cardiac Kids
Last Saturday in snowy Foxborough, RSL’s resilience was once again on display, the Club’s “never say die” approach erasing an 0-2 deficit with three goals in the final 12 minutes to capture the full three points. As seen throughout 2021, especially during the Pablo Mastroeni era, RSL provided late, game-changing moments. The Claret-and-Cobalt led MLS a year ago with 10 stoppage-time goals, while also scoring 20 goals in the regular/post-season after the 75th minute.
Homegrowns, Newcomers Lead The Way
The longest-tenured member of RSL – centerback Justen Glad, the 24-year old with 167 total games played for the Utah side – rose from the Academy ranks to the brink of national team inclusion, providing the 88th-minute equalizer a week ago. Minutes later, it was Glad’s Academy teammate, Tate Schmitt, who seized the hero’s moment with a 93+ game-winner against all odds.
In the 78th minute, it was FC Augsburg loanee Sergio Cordova opening his RSL account, running onto a Bobby Wood ball to cut the New England lead in half to 2-1, setting up the late fireworks for RSL, and it was 2022 MLS SuperDraft selection Jasper Löffelsend with the assist on Schmitt’s game-winning goal.
Head of the Class
2022 MLS SuperDraft pick Jasper Löffelsend signed a one-year contract with Real Salt Lake just prior to the Club’s season opener at Houston Dynamo FC on Feb. 27. Since then, the Pitt product and German native has appeared in all three RSL matches, playing 15 minutes as a second-half substitute. This past weekend against New England Revolution, Löffelsend became the first member of the 2022 MLS SuperDraft class to find the scoresheet, providing the assist on DF Tate Schmitt’s game-winning goal in the third minute of stoppage time. Löffelsend became the 51st RSL player with a game-winning assist in the Club’s 18-year history, and the 123rd player to record an assist for the Claret-and-Cobalt.
The only other member of his draft class to contribute offensively for his team was selected 80 picks ahead of Löffelsend in Ben Bender, first-overall pick from Charolette FC. However, Bender has totaled 120 minutes in comparison to Löffelsend’s 15 minutes played.
Upcoming Player Milestones
With his appearance against New England Revolution, RSL winger Justin Meram is now just two appearances from reaching the 300 games played milestone. Meram joined RSL in 2020 and has recorded 55 of his 298 regular-season appearances as a member of the Utah side. Meram is currently 14th amongst active MLS players for games played across all MLS competitions, having appeared in 318 matches between the regular and post season.
Additionally, RSL DF Johan Kappelhof is three appearances away from 150. Meanwhile, Homegrown DF Aaron Herrera is three appearances from 100 games played, all of which will have been played for the Claret-and-Cobalt. Herrera will be just the second RSL Homegrown Player to reach the centennial mark, all with Real Salt Lake, the other being DF Justen Glad, who has now appeared in 160 matches.
Nashville Roster Changes
Perhaps the biggest change to Nashvile’s roster since last year comes in the form of a departure, with Canadian right back Alistair Johnston being sold to CF Montreal in exchange for a million dollars in allocation money. Johnston played in 44 matches for Nashville between 2020 and 2021, becoming a staple with the Canadian National Team during his time in Music City. Nashville did, however, managed to pick up midfielder Sean Davis from New York Red Bulls. The midfielder had appeared in 175 matches with the Red Bulls, acting as their captain in recent years.
Connections: Neither team has a player that has represented both sides. However Real Salt Lake Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni previously coached Nashville’s Eric Miller during his time as the head coach of Colorado Rapids. Additionally, as a player with the Rapids, Mastroeni was coached by Nashville Head Coach Gary Smith. RSL Assistant Coach Brett Jacobs – who joined Pablo’s staff in late January – arrives on the Wasatch Front after serving the last two seasons on Smith’s staff in Nashville.
