SANDY, Utah (Monday, May 2, 2022) - Two of the top Clubs in all of Mexico, Club Deportivo Guadalajara, and Club Santos Laguna, will battle each other at Rio Tinto Stadium, home to Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer. PRIMETIME Sports confirms the international friendly will take place on Wednesday, June 15, at 7:00 p.m. MT at Rio Tinto Stadium, presented by Utah Sports Commission. Festivities will kick off at 3:00 p.m. MT, with a Fan Fest on the University of Utah Health Plaza along the east side of the stadium.
“Welcoming Santos Laguna and Chivas – two premier clubs in Liga MX - to Rio Tinto Stadium is such an incredible opportunity for the region,” said John Kimball, President of Real Salt Lake. “It’s a testament to the fans in Utah that Liga MX would select Utah as a destination for events like this that include clubs of such high esteem in North America. We look forward to their arrival, the arrival of their passionate fans, and the excitement for soccer that it will bring to Salt Lake City.”
“We are thrilled to partner with Real Salt Lake to bring another marquee soccer event to Rio Tinto Stadium,” said Jeff Robbins, President and CEO of the Utah Sports Commission. “International events like this showcase globally why Utah is the state of sport and give local fans the opportunity to see the top players in North America compete.”
Chivas de Guadalajara prides itself on its Mexican heritage, being the only team that plays exclusively with athletes from Mexico. The club has one of the strongest records in Liga MX, with 12 league championships, four Cup titles and a CONCACAF Championship.
Santos Laguna will be making its third appearance at Rio Tinto Stadium and fourth match all-time in Utah. The Green and White Warriors have been Liga MX champion six times and have won the Campeon de Campeones, the emblematic Mexican championship match between the winners of the two most recent league champions. Their academy has made the club one of the most prolific creators of talent in Mexican soccer.
This match marks the second-consecutive year Rio Tinto Stadium has opened its doors to Liga MX teams, with Club America and Santos Laguna playing in front of a sold-out crowd in Sandy, Utah this past Fourth of July.
Fans will be able to enjoy a Fan Fest on the U of U Health Plaza beginning at 3:00 p.m., MT. There will be music, food, a championship trophy on site, and an autograph-signing session with a former Chivas legend.
Tickets go on sale Wednesday May 4th at the Rio Tinto Stadium box office, or on axs.com and ticketon.com, starting at 10:00 a.m. MDT.
To request media credentials, please click on https://bit.ly/39a0L6N. For any other media-related questions, please send an e-mail to media@ptimesports.com.
ABOUT REAL SALT LAKE
During the first week of January 2022, the RSL compendium of properties was acquired by global sports entrepreneur David Blitzer – who boasts interests in the Philadelphia 76ers (NBA), the New Jersey Devils (NHL), and six European soccer entities, including Crystal Palace (England), FC Augsburg (Germany), Estoril (Portugal), ADO Den Haag (Netherlands), Alcorcón (Spain) and Waasland-Beveren (Belgium). The Blitzer group also includes Utah-based Smith Entertainment Group, which owns the Utah Jazz (NBA), led by Ryan Smith.
Real Salt Lake kicks off its 18th Major League Soccer season this Spring, its first full season under Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni, who led the Utah side for the final 100 days last year, advancing to the 2021 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for the 11th time in the last 14 years.
The club's MLS Cup 2009 victory marked the state of Utah's only major professional championship in nearly 40 years, the title preceding an historic run to the 2010/11 CONCACAF Champions League Final. Buoyed by a passionate base boasting several thousand season ticket holders, RSL has enjoyed a prominent home-field advantage – posting a dominant 145-43-46 (Win-Loss-Draw) record across all competitions at home (2.06 points per game for a 0.771 win pct.) – since building its permanent Rio Tinto Stadium home in Sandy 13 years ago.
In 2015, the club expanded its development pyramid with the addition of Real Monarchs SLC, one of several MLS-operated clubs playing in the USL Championship, the United States' Division II setup. The Monarchs boast a pair of titles in its brief history, as the 2017 USL regular-season champions, later winning the USL Final in 2019. For the 2022 season and beyond, Real Monarchs will compete in the newly launched “MLS NEXT Pro” as part of a joint United States and Canada endeavor to complete the professional player pathway by connecting youth academies in MLS NEXT to first teams in Major League Soccer.
The entire RSL development pipeline, which includes the RSL Academy’s U-15 and U-17 teams, calls the expansive Zions Bank Training Center in Herriman, Utah their daily training home. With five world-class grass fields, two indoor turf fields, a residential dormitory, the STEM-based RSL Academy High School and the 5,000-seat Zions Bank Stadium located on a 42-acre campus, Utah’s sporting future is bright.
Added in 2020 was the elite RSL Academy basketball program, already earning accolades internationally for its vision, mission, and accomplishments.
The RSL Community Foundation was established in 2016, created with the goals of being active in the community year-round, utilizing the popularity and reach of RSL and the Monarchs in promoting health and wellness in children throughout the region, engaging supporters of soccer to raise funds and volunteer time for various local initiatives.
Early in 2021, the Claret-and-Cobalt unveiled “The RSL Way,” a document which publicly informs the Club’s core cultural values of Pride, Industry, Harmony, Community and Integrity, with the intention of stating the RSL’s founding principles and holding each employee accountable to both collective and individual missions.
ABOUT UTAH SPORTS COMMISSION
The Utah Sports Commission was created to be a catalyst for Utah in its Olympic legacy efforts and to help enhance Utah’s economy, image, and quality of life through the attraction, promotion, and development of national and international sports. Since the 2002 Olympics and Paralympics, the Utah Sports Commission has attracted nearly 900 major events to the state. The Sports Commission works closely with communities, sports entities, and organizations to provide event services ranging from the bid process, on-site logistics, volunteer coordination, sponsorships and promotional opportunities, and other related services. It is a not-for-profit 501(c)6 business league and Utah Sports Commission Foundation, a not-for-profit 501c3 charitable organization, is governed by an all-volunteer Board of Trustees consisting of statewide sports, business, community, and government leaders. For more information, visit www.utahsportscommission.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
ABOUT PRIMETIME SPORTS
PRIMETIME Sports has more than 20 years of experience working with multinational brands, agencies, leagues, teams, and rights holders focusing on the U.S. Hispanic market. For more information, please visit www.ptimesports.com
EN ESPANOL:
SANDY, Utah (Lunes 2 de Mayo, 2022) - Dos de los equipos mas respetados en Mexico, Club Deportivo Guadalajara y Santos Laguna, se enfrentarán al Estadio Rio Tinto, el hogár de Real Salt Lake de Major League Soccer. PRIMETIME Sports confirmó que el partido amistoso pasará el 15 de Junio a las 7:00 p.m. MDT presentado por la Comisíon Deportivo de Utah. La fiesta empieza a 3:00 p.m. MT con Fan Fest a la Plaza de Universidad de Utah al lade este del estadio.
“Dando la bienvenida a Santos Laguna y Chivas – dos clubes tan exitosos de Liga MX – al Estadio Rio Tinto en una opprtunidad increíble por la region,” dijo Real Salt Lake Presidente John Kimball. “Es un testamento a los aficionados en Utah que Liga MX selecionaría Utah como un destino para eventos asi que inclyue clubes de alta estima en Norte America. Anticipamos su llegada y la llegada de sus aficionados apasionados, la emoción para fútbol que venirá a Salt Lake City."
“Estamos animados a trabajo con Real Salt Lake a traer un otro evento de alta estima al Estadio Rio Tinto,” dijo Jeff Robbins, Presidente y CEO de Comisión Deportiva de Utah. "Eventos internacionáles como esto demuestra a todo el mundo que Utah es un estado de deportes, y trae aficionados locales la oportunidad a ver los top jugadores en Norte America competir.”
Chivas de Gudalajara tiene orgullo de su patrimonio Mexicano, y juege con jugadores exclusivamente de Mexico. El club tiene 12 campeonatos de Liga MX, 4 títulos de Copa y un Campeonato de la CONCACAF.
Santos Laguna viene al Estadio Rio Tinto pr la tercera vez, y ha jugado cuatro partidos en Utah. Los Guerreros de Verde y Blanca han sido campeon de Liga MX seis veces, y ha ganado el torneo Campeon de Campeones. Tambien, tiene una academia muy exitosa, y estan produciendo talento mas prolifico en Mexico.
El juego se marca el segundo año consecutivo que el Estadio Rio Tinto ha abierto sus puertas a Liga MX, y Club America y Santos Laguna jugaron frente de una multitud llena en Sandy, Utah, el 4 de Julio pasado.
Aficionados pueden difrutar la Fan Fest en la Plaza de U of U Health empezando a 3:00 p.m., MT. Habrá musica en vivo, comida, un trofeo campeonato y firma de autografos de une leyenda de Chivas.
Los boletos se venden empezando el Miercoles, 4 de Mayo a las 10:00 a.m. MDT. Se los pueden comprar en la taquilla de Estadio Rio Tinto, o por axs.com o ticketon.com.
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SOBRE PRIMETIME SPORTS
PRIMETIME Sports trabaja con marcas multinacionales, agencias y titulares de derechos, además de organizar y promover partidos internacionales de futbol en Estados Unidos. Para mayor información, por favor visite www.ptimesports.com.
