SANDY, Utah (Friday, March 1, 2018) – Real Salt Lake opens its 15th season in Major League Soccer on Saturday at the Houston Dynamo with kickoff set for 4:00 p.m. MT. Coverage of the match will begin at 3:30 p.m. MT and will be carried locally on KMYU and over the top on the KSL TV app.
Head Coach Mike Petke leads his side into BBVA Compass Stadium for the beginning of the regular season after a six-week preseason that saw the club travel to California, Hawaii and Arizona in preparation for his second full season in charge of the club. The last time RSL visited Houston, the Utah club walked away with a dramatic 2-1 victory courtesy of a stoppage time brace from MF Albert Rusnák. RSL claimed a 2-1 victory over the Dynamo on two occasions in 2018, going undefeated against the Texas side a season ago.
RSL travels to Texas to face the Dynamo after the Texas side booked a place in the ScotiaBank Concacaf Champions League Quarterfinal after claiming a 2-1 (3-1 aggregate) victory over CD Guastatoya in Houston on Tuesday.
How to Follow Real Salt Lake @ Houston Dynamo – Sat., March 2, 2019
- Coverage Begins: 3:30 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: 101.5 FM The Eagle with Spencer Warne (play-by-play) & Jay Nolly (color)
- Spanish Radio: 107.1 FM
Game Notes for Saturday’s RSL @ HOU game Available Online
The link to the Adobe PDF version of the Game Guide in advance of Saturday’s opening contest between Real Salt Lake and Houston Dynamo is availableHERE. 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 Matt Gaschk in the RSL Communications Department via email at mgaschk@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 eight 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.
RSL will begin the home portion of the 2019 schedule on March 9 when it hosts Vancouver Whitecaps FC on March 9 at Rio Tinto Stadium. Tickets are available at RSL.com/Tickets or by calling 844.REAL.TIX.
