Real Salt Lake


Real Salt Lake, also known as RSL, are an American professional soccer franchise that competes as a member club of Major League Soccer in the Western Conference. RSL began play in 2005 as an expansion team of the league. The club was founded in 2004 when the club's first owner and founder was awarded an expansion berth in Major League Soccer.
The club plays its home games at Rio Tinto Stadium, a soccer-specific stadium located in the Salt Lake City suburb of Sandy, Utah, which they share with their sister team, Utah Royals FC. Before moving to Rio Tinto, RSL played home games at Rice-Eccles Stadium, located on the campus of the University of Utah, from 2005–2007. The team is currently led by interim head coach Freddy Juarez.
In domestic soccer, Real Salt Lake won the 2009 MLS Cup and they finished runners-up in the Supporters Shield in 2010, and the 2013 edition of the U.S. Open Cup. They were also runners-up in the 2013 MLS Cup. The franchise regional success to date was in the 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League, where RSL finished runners-up in the tournament becoming the first American club, since the CONCACAF Champions League format was introduced in 2008, to advance to the final stage of the tournament. Their fully owned USL affiliate, Real Monarchs, won the 2019 USL Championship, the second division title in American soccer.

Name

The title Real is a Spanish word that means 'royal' in English. The term is usually used by Spanish clubs who have received royal patronage from a reigning Spanish king, the most famous of which include Real Madrid, Real Zaragoza, Real Betis and Real Sociedad. In choosing the name Real, owner Dave Checketts intended to create a brand name that would become well known for its simplicity, as well as an association with the world-famous club in Madrid that the club had been striving toward.
One of the reasons for using Real was founder Dave Checketts' admiration for Real Madrid during his time as the general manager of the National Basketball Association 's Utah Jazz franchise. Checketts also found it encouraging that Real Madrid had a basketball team as well.
Local reaction to the new team's name was initially met with mixed feelings. On top of that, some thought that the name sounded contrived, and did not truly reflect the Salt Lake area, with other suggested team names such as "Highlanders", "Salt Lake SC", or "Union SLC" being more preferred. However, by at least 2014, reaction to the name had improved, with the team establishing its identity as a representative of Salt Lake.

History

Early years (2005–2006)

Real Salt Lake became the twelfth MLS franchise when Major League Soccer awarded an expansion franchise on July 14, 2004, to SCP Worldwide, headed by Dave Checketts. Jason Kreis became the first player in RSL history, coming in a trade from the Dallas Burn. Other notable players that played in RSL's early years includes veterans Clint Mathis, Eddie Pope and Jeff Cunningham.
RSL's first season was 2005 under head coach John Ellinger. RSL began play on April 2, 2005 against New York MetroStars at Giants Stadium, which ended in a scoreless tie. The following week, Jason Kreis scored the first goal in franchise history in a 3–1 loss to LA Galaxy at the Home Depot Center. RSL played its first-ever home match on April 16, 2005, before 25,287 fans at Rice-Eccles Stadium; Brian Dunseth scored a header in the 81st minute to deliver a 1–0 victory over the Colorado Rapids. The season was mostly a disappointment, however, with the team setting a league record by posting a 557-minute scoreless streak. They were also on a 10-game losing streak before managing a 2–2 draw on the road against San Jose Earthquakes. The first season finished with a record of 5–22–5.
In 2006, Real Salt Lake's second season, the team recorded five losses and one tie in the first six matches of the season. RSL had gone 18 consecutive matches without a victory—the longest winless streak in MLS history. Jeff Cunningham, who came to Salt Lake from Colorado, provided most of Real's highlights during an otherwise poor 2006 season. The team failed to qualify for the playoffs, finishing with a 10–13–9 record.

Turnaround and new stadium (2007–2008)

Real Salt Lake boasted a formidable attack with Cunningham and Kreis up front, joined by recently signed Panamanian international Luis Tejada. They were supported by veteran talent in the midfield and defense, such as Chris Klein, Carey Talley, and newly arrived goalkeeper Nick Rimando.
Their first game of the 2007 MLS season was a 2–2 draw for FC Dallas on Real's home turf. RSL were outscored 6–0 in their next three games. In a stunning move, Ellinger was fired and replaced by Kreis, who immediately retired as a player. Also, general manager Steve Pastorino resigned and was later replaced by Garth Lagerwey. The franchise launched a massive re-construction project that continued throughout the year. The team finished with a disappointing 6–15–9 record, missing the playoffs yet again.
In the 2008 MLS season, working with new General Manager Garth Lagerwey, RSL added several key players including Kyle Beckerman, Robbie Findley, Javier Morales, Nat Borchers and Jamison Olave. As Real established chemistry together, they emerged as a force when playing at home. The team's home field advantage improved dramatically in with the opening in October 2008 of Rio Tinto Stadium, the new soccer-specific stadium in Sandy. Through the regular season, their home record ended at 8–1–6. Finishing 2008 with a 10–10–10 record, RSL advanced to the playoffs for the first time. RSL advanced past Chivas USA in the first round of the playoffs. The post-season ended, however, with a RSL lost to the Red Bulls in the Western Conference final.

MLS and CONCACAF success (2009–2012)

In the 2009 MLS season, RSL proved nearly invincible at home, having a 9–1–5 record in Rio Tinto Stadium, with a record-setting +23 goal differential. Real Salt Lake did not lose a league game at home since May 2009. However, the team struggled to maintain form during road games. In the final weeks of the regular season, RSL found itself in a battle for the final two spots in the MLS playoffs. However, thanks to a victory over Colorado in the final game of the regular season, RSL clinched a position in the 2009 MLS playoffs. Despite finishing with a losing record overall, the team was granted the last spot through a tie-breaker.
Real Salt Lake went on to win the 2009 MLS Cup by defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy in the November 22 final. RSL played the L.A. Galaxy to a 1–1 tie through overtime and won the MLS Cup. Robbie Russell won the game on a penalty kick. Goalkeeper Nick Rimando was named Man of the Match. The victory in the 2009 MLS Cup qualified RSL for the 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League.
The 2010 season saw RSL continue its home unbeaten streak. On October 16, 2010 Real Salt Lake improved their home unbeaten streak to 25 games after beating the FC Dallas. This win gave Real Salt Lake the most consecutive home games without a loss in MLS history. RSL tied San Jose Earthquakes 2005 record for a single-season home unbeaten streak with zero losses in the 2010 regular season. Real Salt Lake finished second in the race for the Supporters Shield with a record. Goalkeeper Nick Rimando led the league with 14 shutouts, and Jámison Olave was named MLS Defender of the Year. In the MLS playoffs, however, RSL lost to FC Dallas in the first round.
For the 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League, Real Salt Lake were placed in Group A with Cruz Azul of Mexico, Toronto FC of Canada and Arabe Unido of Panama. Real Salt Lake finished first in Group A, with a perfect 3–0 home record and a 1–1–1 away record.
RSL continued its run in the 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League knockout rounds in spring 2011. In the quarterfinals, Real Salt Lake advanced by beating the Columbus Crew 4–1 over two games. In the semifinals, Real Salt Lake beat Saprissa 2–0 in the home leg, before losing the away leg 1–2. The 3–2 aggregate was enough for Real to advance and become the first MLS team to reach the CONCACAF Champions League finals.
Real Salt Lake played the first leg of the finals at Mexican side Monterrey. RSL's Javier Morales scored in the 89th minute, ending the game in a 2–2 draw. The second leg of the final was held on April 27, 2011, at Rio Tinto Stadium; Monterrey scored the only goal of the game, giving Monterrey a 3–2 aggregate victory.
In their 2011 MLS season, RSL's home unbeaten streak ended at 29 games on May 28, 2011, with their loss to the Seattle Sounders FC. Real finished the regular season with a 15–11–8 record and finished third in the western conference. In the MLS playoffs, RSL defeated Seattle Sounders 3–2 on aggregate. In the conference finals, RSL lost 3–1 to the LA Galaxy and were eliminated. RSL qualified for the 2012–13 CONCACAF Champions League, since LA had won both the 2011 MLS Cup and Supporters' Shield, and RSL had the next best record.
In 2012, Real finished second in the Western conference during the regular season. In the playoffs, RSL lost to Seattle in the conference semifinals, and were eliminated from the playoffs. In the 2012–13 CONCACAF Champions League, RSL were placed in Group 2 with Herediano of Costa Rica and Tauro of Panama, but were eliminated at the group stage.

New ownership, managers, and academy (2013–present)

In 2013, Checketts sold his stake in Real Salt Lake to minority owner Dell Loy Hansen. Before the season, the club also traded key players Jámison Olave, Fabián Espíndola and Will Johnson. RSL finished the season in second place in the Western Conference with a 16–10–8 record, and reached both the Open Cup and MLS Cup finals, losing both to D.C. United and Sporting Kansas City, respectively.
After the season, head coach Jason Kreis left Real Salt Lake to become the first head coach of expansion club New York City FC, with long-time assistant coach Jeff Cassar replacing him at the helm. Despite the departure, the club finished the 2014 season in third in the Western Conference, with a record of 15–8–11 totaling 56 points, and qualified for the 2015-16 CONCACAF Champions League. In the MLS Cup Playoffs, RSL was eliminated in the conference semifinals by eventual champions LA Galaxy 5–0 on aggregate.
Despite a five-game unbeaten start to the 2015 season, the team eventually began to struggle in the standings, coupled with a loss to Sporting Kansas City in the semi-finals of the 2015 Open Cup. RSL also lost key player Nat Borchers, who they traded to the Portland Timbers before the season and all-time goalscorer Álvaro Saborío, traded away to D.C. United mid-season. Although late-season signings Luis Silva and Juan Manuel Martinez provided strong performances, the team did not qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2007.
The 2016 season started with the Quarterfinals on the 2015–16 CONCACAF Champions League where they were eliminated by eventual runner up Tigres UANL of Liga MX by an aggregate score of 3–1. The 2016 season saw Real Salt Lake return to the playoffs but they were once again eliminated by the LA Galaxy, this time by a 3–1 score line on the road in the Western Conference play in game. In the off season, longtime legends Javier Morales and Jamison Olave did not have their options exercised by the club.
On March 20, 2017 the club announced that head coach Jeff Cassar had been dismissed from his duties only three games into the season. Daryl Shore was named interim head coach for the two games against the New York Red Bulls and Minnesota United. On March 29 it was announced that Mike Petke would take over the head coaching position following the game against Minnesota United on April 1. Despite a dazzling late season run, the team finished one point shy of making the playoffs.
The 2018 season was heralded with the opening of the new $78 million Training Center and Zion's Bank Real Academy in Herriman, Utah. The facility was praised for offering world-class training amenities year round for Real Salt Lake and the organization's other teams the NWSL's Utah Royals FC and the men's second division side Real Monarchs. It also houses the team's youth academy, which was moved from Casa Grande, Arizona, offering a single location and clear path for acquiring and developing young talent.
2019 saw the final seasons of both long-time goalkeeper Nick Rimando and defender Tony Beltran, both of whom retired following the end of the campaign. The club also saw the dismissal of head coach Mike Petke on August 11, following an incident between the coach and match officials during the 2019 Leagues Cup. Initially named interim manager for the remainder of the season, assistant coach Freddy Juarez was eventually named as head coach following the season.

Colors and badge

The team's official colors are claret red, cobalt blue, and real gold.

Uniform evolution

Home, away, and third uniforms.
NameLocationYears in useCapacity
Rice-Eccles StadiumSalt Lake City, Utah2005–200845,071
Rio Tinto StadiumSandy, Utah2008–present20,213

In 2005 a soccer-specific stadium was approved for Sandy, a suburb of Salt Lake City. However, a vote in 2006 struck down a funding proposal. Dave Checketts said that he would sell it if a proposal was not put forward. Parties from several cities, including Rochester, New York and St. Louis, Missouri, expressed interest in purchasing the franchise and moving it.
Finally, after months of discussions an agreement was put in place and Real Salt Lake announced that they would move forward with the construction of Real Salt Lake Stadium.
The Debt Review Committee of Salt Lake County, however, voted against the stadium. In response, Real Salt Lake's owner announced the team would be sold and likely move out of the Salt Lake area after the 2007 season. However, a new stadium proposal was passed by the State Senate. The Utah House approved House bill 1SHB38, approving $35 million towards the development of Real Salt Lake's new home. The governor signed the bill.
The $110 million stadium was built in Sandy, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The stadium was named after its sponsor, Rio Tinto Group. The stadium's opening date was set for October 9, 2008.

Attendance by season

DNQ = Did not qualify;
NHG = No home game during playoffs

Longest home unbeaten streaks

RankGames unbeatenStart dateEnd dateRecord
129June 6, 2009May 14, 2011
214March 17, 2018September 15, 2018
214March 12, 2016September 16, 2016
412July 4, 2014March 29, 2015
412March 29, 2008August 29, 2008

Club culture

Affiliated Teams

The main rival of Real Salt Lake is considered to be the Colorado Rapids, with the two teams being the closest to each other geographically, and also competing for the annual Rocky Mountain Cup. Competition first began upon Salt Lake's entry into Major League Soccer in 2005, with the cup itself being awarded by a bi-partisan "Committee of 10", made up of fans from each respective club. Although dominated by the Rapids early on, Salt Lake has since taken a 9–4 series lead over their rivals, and are the current holders of the cup, having won it during the 2017 season.
Although no annual trophy is involved, since 2011, the more fierce rival has become Sporting Kansas City, which was born out of a 2011 preseason brawl, and culminated in a physical RSL defeat in the 2013 MLS Cup after a penalty shootout. Since that time, the teams have regularly competed for supremacy at the top of the Western Conference, and even during Real Salt Lake's rebuilding years, have faced off in many heated exchanges.
The team also maintains smaller, fan-driven rivalries with both Los Angeles based teams and Seattle Sounders FC. The latter is derived from their meeting in the 2012 MLS Cup Playoffs and due to Seattle prying away Garth Lagerway, the general manager who built the roster of the team's Golden Years in 2014.

Supporters groups

Real Salt Lake has five supporters groups—Salt City United, Rogue Cavaliers Brigade, Section 26, Riot Brigade and La Barra—which as of 2019 all exist under a larger unified umbrella group known as The Riot.
Leo the Lion is the official mascot of Real Salt Lake.

Club anthem

In 2011, Branden Steineckert, drummer of punk band Rancid and a supporter of Real Salt Lake, composed the song "Believe" in honor of the club. Initially posted on YouTube, the song has since been adopted as the team's official anthem, being sung at the beginning of every home game, as well as after all goals scored by RSL.

Revenue and profitability

As Real Salt Lake is a small-market team, one of the team's biggest challenges is bringing in enough revenue to remain competitive. Opening Rio Tinto Stadium in October 2008 provided a significant revenue boost to the team. Real Salt Lake went from 4,000 season-ticket holders before October 2008, to 8,750 in 2012, 10,000 in 2013, and 15,000+ in 2016.

Sponsors

RSL has a multimillion-dollar sponsorship deal with LifeVantage. It previously had a multimillion-dollar deal with XanGo a nutritional supplements company based in Utah, to carry the XanGo logo on the front of RSL jerseys from the 2007 season until 2014. Additional sponsors include JetBlue Airways and Maverik, Inc.

Broadcasting

Radio broadcasts air on KALL AM 700 and KTUB AM 1600.
As of the 2015 season, Sinclair Broadcast Group holds television rights to Real Salt Lake games that are not aired by Major League Soccer's national television partners. The telecasts feature pre- and post-game coverage. Sinclair's Utah station KMYU serves as the team's flagship station, and telecasts are syndicated to other Sinclair-owned stations in the region, and non-Sinclair stations in Albuquerque, Phoenix and Tucson. In 2018, the team extended its television deal with Sinclair, and announced a streaming partnership with KSL-TV, under which it will offer in-market streaming of RSL's regional broadcasts, as well as Utah Royals FC and Real Monarchs, on digital platforms.

Players and staff

Current roster

No.PositionPlayerNation

Technical and coaching staff

Retired numbers

No.PlayerPositionNationTenure
9Jason KreisForward United States2005–2007
11Javier MoralesMidfielder Argentina2007–2016

Team captains

General managers

Head coaches

Head coachTenureGamesWinLossDrawWin %PPGPlayoffsNotes
John EllingerJanuary 2005 – May 3, 20077116391633.8%0.900/2Inaugural head coach
Jason KreisMay 3, 2007 – December 10, 2013261112856455.2%1.526/7First championship
Jeff CassarDecember 18, 2013 – March 20, 201712145433350.8%1.392/3
Daryl ShoreMarch 20, 2017 – April 3, 2017201125.0%0.50/0interim
Mike PetkeApril 3, 2017 – August 11, 20199137391548.9%1.381/2
Freddy JuarezAugust 11, 2019 – present1785458.8%1.641/1interim until December 3, 2019

Honors

Source:

Team results

Year-by-year statistics

Notes:
SeasonQualification methodRoundOppositionHomeAway
2010–112009 MLS Cup championGroup Stage Árabe Unido2–13–2
2010–112009 MLS Cup championGroup Stage Cruz Azul3–14–5
2010–112009 MLS Cup championGroup Stage Toronto FC4–11–1
2010–112009 MLS Cup championQuarterfinals Columbus Crew4–10–0
2010–112009 MLS Cup championSemifinals Saprissa2–01–2
2010–112009 MLS Cup championFinals Monterrey0–12–2
2012–132011 MLS Supporters' Shield
third place		Group Stage Herediano0–00–1
2012–132011 MLS Supporters' Shield
third place		Group Stage Tauro F.C.2–01–0
2015–162014 MLS Supporters' Shield
fourth place		Group Stage Municipal1–01–0
2015–162014 MLS Supporters' Shield
fourth place		Group Stage Santa Tecla2–10–0
2015–162014 MLS Supporters' Shield
fourth place		Quarterfinals UANL1–10–2

MLS records

The reserve team of Real Salt Lake, named Real Monarchs SLC, was created on September 10, 2014 as a bridge between the club's academy program and the first level team. The team began play in the Western Conference of the United Soccer League during the 2015 season, playing their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium along with their parent team. Starting in 2018, the Monarchs will move to Zions Bank Stadium, a 5,000-seat facility located at RSL's new training center in Herriman.
A women's soccer team, called Real Salt Lake Women, was founded in 2008. The team is currently a member of the Western Division of United Women's Soccer, the second tier of women's soccer in the United States and Canada, and plays its home games at Ute Field, on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.
Real Salt Lake added a second women's team, this one in the top-level National Women's Soccer League, in November 2017. This team effectively replaced FC Kansas City in the NWSL, as FC Kansas City soon folded and all of its player contracts were assigned to the new RSL franchise. Shortly thereafter, the new team, which will share Rio Tinto Stadium, was unveiled as Utah Royals FC.

Player records

Career

RankPlayerNationGoalsYears
1Álvaro Saborío631272010–2015
2Javier Morales492402007–2016
3Joao Plata461752013–2019
4Robbie Findley361372007–2010, 2013–2014
5Fabián Espíndola351252007–2012
6Yura Movsisyan311102007–2009, 2016–2017
7Kyle Beckerman303402007–present
8Albert Rusnák27922017–present
9Jefferson Savarino21822017–2019
10Jeff Cunningham19382006–2007
10Damir Kreilach19672018–present

Next active player who could break into the top 10:
RankPlayerNationAssistsYears
1Javier Morales812402007–2016
2Joao Plata431752013–2019
3Kyle Beckerman393402007–present
4Andy Williams291892005–2011
5Albert Rusnák26922017–present
6Jefferson Savarino20822017–2019
7Fabián Espíndola171252007–2012
8Luke Mulholland161232014–present
9Robbie Findley151372007–2010, 2013–2014
10Ned Grabavoy141582009–2014
10Chris Wingert142482007–2014, 2016–2017

Next active players who could break into the top 10:
RankPlayerNationGoalsYears
1Nick Rimando36902007–2019
2Kyle Beckerman340302007–present
3Chris Wingert24722007–2014, 2016–2017
4Tony Beltran24512008–2019
5Javier Morales240492007–2016
6Nat Borchers205102008–2014
7Andy Williams189142005–2011
8Joao Plata175462013–2019
9Jámison Olave159132008–2012, 2015–2016
10Ned Grabavoy158102009–2014

Next active player who could break into the top 10:
RankPlayerNationShutoutsYears
1Nick Rimando1183692007–2019
2Jeff Attinella5292013–2016
3Kyle Reynish482007–2012
3D.J. Countess4272005
3Scott Garlick4312006–2007
6Andrew Putna272018–present
7Zac MacMath122020–present
7Matt Van Oekel172017
7Chris Seitz172007–2009

Single season

RankPlayerNationSeasonGoalsAssists
1Álvaro Saborío2012173
2Jeff Cunningham20061611
3Joao Plata2014136
4Damir Kreilach2018128
4Álvaro Saborío2010124
4Robbie Findley2009124
4Álvaro Saborío2013122
8Álvaro Saborío2011112
9Albert Rusnák2018107
9Albert Rusnák2019105
9Fabián Espíndola2011103

RankPlayerNationSeasonAssistsMinutes
1Javier Morales2008152511
2Albert Rusnák2017142579
3Javier Morales2015122124
3Javier Morales2014122645
5Jeff Cunningham2006112404
5Joao Plata2016112478
5Jefferson Savarino2018112853
8Javier Morales2013102281
9Javier Morales201292119
9Javier Morales201092163
9Kyle Beckerman201192423

RankPlayerNationSeasonShutoutsMinutes
1Nick Rimando2010142430
2Nick Rimando2011132970
3Nick Rimando2012122790
4Nick Rimando2019102610
5Nick Rimando200992285
5Nick Rimando201392430
7Nick Rimando201582160
7Nick Rimando201782488
7Nick Rimando200882700
10Nick Rimando201472160
10Nick Rimando200772430
10Nick Rimando201872925

Hat tricks

Player honors

League honors

MLS All-Star appearances

Players in bold currently play for Real Salt Lake.

Player awards

The following awards were given to Real Salt Lake players by Major League Soccer in the season indicated:

Team honors

Golden boot

Defensive Player of the Year