REAL SALT LAKE TO HOST CHARLESTON IN FOURTH-ROUND OF LAMAR HUNT U.S. OPEN CUP
Real Salt Lake will host USL Pro side the Charleston Battery in the fourth-round of the 2013 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at 7:30 p.m. MT on Wednesday at Rio Tinto Stadium.
Should RSL beat the Battery on Wednesday, it will host the winner of the Chivas USA-Carolina RailHawks matchup in the tournament’s Quarterfinals on June 26 at 7:30 p.m. MT at Rio Tinto Stadium.
RSL beat the second-division Atlanta Silverbacks 3-2 after extra time in the third-round of the Open Cup on May 28 at Rio Tinto Stadium to advance to Wednesday’s fourth-round against Charleston. The Claret-and-Cobalt jumped out to an early lead in that game, going ahead in the third minute through Captain Kyle Beckerman. The Utah side controlled the remainder of the match but couldn’t quite see things out, conceding an equalizer in the 87th minute to take the game into extra time. RSL responded well in overtime, scoring twice in a three-minute stretch in the first period of added time before allowing a late consolation goal to win 3-2.
The Battery beat the San Jose Earthquakes 1-0 in the Open Cup third-round at Blackbaud Stadium to advance to Wednesday’s game. Charleston has a strong history in the Open Cup, finishing as runners-up in 2008, making the Semifinals in 1999 and 2004 and reaching the Quarterfinals in 2007, 2009 and 2010. Click here for a full team profile of the Battery.
Wednesday’s game is included in the RSL Season Ticket Package as “Bonus Game B.” Individual game tickets to the Open Cup contest are available and can be purchased online at www.RealSaltLake.com/Tickets, at the Rio Tinto Stadium box office or over the phone at 801-727-2700.
REAL SALT LAKE CARRIES FIVE-GAME UNBEATEN RUN INTO WEDNESDAY’S GAME
Real Salt Lake enters Wednesday’s match on a five-game unbeaten streak across all competitions. The Claret-and-Cobalt has won four of its last five games in all comps and is 6-1-1 since the start of May in MLS and Open Cup play.
The Utah side’s 5-1-1 record in its last seven MLS matches is tied for the best mark in MLS with Seattle Sounders FC during that seven-game span, while the team’s 16 points since the start of May is best in the league. RSL has been incredibly prolific in front goal during its hot streak, scoring 17 goals in its last seven MLS games and 20 goals in its last eight across all competitions. The Claret-and-Cobalt is tied for first in the league with the Portland Timbers with 24 goals in MLS play this year.
RSL RESERVES TO TRAVEL TO PHOENIX FOR RESERVE LEAGUE MATCH ON SATURDAY
The Real Salt Lake Reserves will return to action this Saturday with a MLS Reserve League match at USL Pro club Phoenix FC. This will be the RSL Reserves’ second match against Phoenix this year after the Claret-and-Cobalt tied the expansion side 0-0 at Rio Tinto Stadium on April 22.
Saturday’s match will kickoff at 8:30 p.m. MT at Sun Devil Soccer Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.
REAL SALT LAKE FW OLMES GARCIA WINS MLS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Real Salt Lake FW Olmes Garcia was named MLS Player of the Week by the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) on Monday for his two goal performance off the bench in RSL’s 3-1 win over the LA Galaxy on Saturday.
Garcia, 20, has four goals in nine MLS games this year after signing with the Claret-and-Cobalt in February. In addition to his four goals, the Colombian attacker has hit the woodwork an astonishing four times this season.
REAL SALT LAKE GK NICK RIMANDO JOINS U.S. NATIONAL TEAM IN SEATTLE
Real Salt Lake GK Nick Rimando left the Claret-and-Cobalt on Sunday to join the U.S. national team in Seattle ahead of Tuesday’s World Cup Qualifying match against Panama at CenturyLink Field. Rimando will return to Rio Tinto Stadium as a member of the U.S. squad for its June 18 qualifier against Honduras at the Sandy facility.
Rimando will miss Wednesday’s Open Cup match but will not miss any MLS action while on international duty.
RSL’S ALVARO SABORIO AND ABDOULIE MANSALLY FEATURE IN WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS
Real Salt Lake FW Alvaro Saborio and DF Abdoulie Mansally both played for their respective national teams in World Cup Qualifiers over the weekend. Saborio came off the bench and played 33 minutes in Costa Rica’s 1-0 win over Honduras on Friday while Mansally played 21 minutes as a substitute in Gambia’s 3-0 loss to the Ivory Coast on Saturday.
Saborio and Costa Rica will play at Mexico on Tuesday in another CONCACAF Hexagonal match. Mansally and Gambia – which was mathematically eliminated from qualifying for the World Cup with its loss to the Ivory Coast – will play at Morocco on Saturday.
REAL SALT LAKE MF LUIS GIL NAMED TO U.S. ROSTER FOR FIFA UNDER-20 WORLD CUP
Real Salt Lake MF Luis Gil was named on Friday to the U.S.’s roster for this summer’s FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey. Gil and the U.S. team are currently in Portugal for a training camp ahead of the tournament, which the Americans will begin on June 21 with a Group A match against Spain. The Stars-and-Stripes will continue Group A play on June 24 against France before closing out the Group Stage on June 27 against Ghana.
The 19-year-old Gil will miss a minimum of three of RSL’s league matches and at least one of the club’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup games while with the U-20’s. The Garden Grove, Calif. native has two goals and one assist in 14 regular season games this year.
TICKETS FOR CONCACAF GOLD CUP DOUBLEHEADER AT RIO TINTO STADIUM ON SALE
Rio Tinto Stadium will host a CONCACAF Gold Cup doubleheader on July 13, with the U.S. taking on Cuba and Costa Rica facing Belize in Group Stage action. Tickets to the twin-bill are on sale now at the Rio Tinto Stadium box office, online at www.RioTintoStadium.com/events/gold-cup.php or over the phone at 801-727-2700.
Rio Tinto Stadium is the only venue in the country that will host the U.S. Men’s National Team twice this summer, with the Stars-and-Stripes playing a World Cup Qualifier against Honduras at the Sandy venue on June 18 before the Gold Cup doubleheader in July.
REAL SALT LAKE INJURY REPORT
Following is the Real Salt Lake injury report for Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup match against the Charleston Battery:
OUT: DF Rich Balchan (L shoulder surgery), DF Chris Schuler (L foot stress response signal), MF John Stertzer (R shoulder surgery)
QUESTIONABLE: None
