Real Salt Lake: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Luxusfrosch (talk | contribs)
2,826 edits
mNo edit summary
→‎Current roster: http://twitter.com/#!/KIRSoccer/status/95942306531782656
Line 209: Line 209:
{{Fs player |no=12 |nat=HAI |pos=MF |name=[[Jean Alexandre]]}}
{{Fs player |no=12 |nat=HAI |pos=MF |name=[[Jean Alexandre]]}}
{{Fs player |no=13 |nat=USA |pos=FW |name=[[Chris Agorsor]]}}
{{Fs player |no=13 |nat=USA |pos=FW |name=[[Chris Agorsor]]}}
{{fs player |no=14 |nat=ARM |pos=FW |name=[[Artur Aghasyan]]}}
{{Fs player |no=15 |nat=CRC |pos=FW |name=[[Álvaro Saborío]]}}
{{Fs player |no=15 |nat=CRC |pos=FW |name=[[Álvaro Saborío]]}}
{{Fs mid}}
{{Fs mid}}

Revision as of 12:18, 1 August 2011

Real Salt Lake
File:Real Salt Lake shield logo.svg
Full nameReal Salt Lake
Nickname(s)Claret and Cobalt, Royals, RSL
Real, Monarcas, La Realesa
Founded2004
GroundRio Tinto Stadium
Sandy, Utah
Capacity20,008
OwnerUnited States SCP Worldwide
United States Dave Checketts
United States Dell Loy Hansen
Head CoachUnited States Jason Kreis
LeagueMajor League Soccer
2010Western Conference: 2nd
Overall: 2nd
Playoffs: Quarter-Finals
WebsiteClub website
Current season

Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium.

Real Salt Lake became MLS's twelfth team upon their expansion into the league in 2005. The team won the MLS Cup in 2009, and reached the final of the 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League. The team's head coach is former United States international Jason Kreis.

History

Further information: History of Real Salt Lake

2004

On July 14, Major League Soccer officially awarded its 12th franchise to the state of Utah and ownership group SCP Worldwide, headed by Dave Checketts. Steve Pastorino was named general manager of the new team, and John Ellinger was hired as head coach. The team was officially named "Real Salt Lake" in October of that year. The announcement was met with some discontent[1] among local soccer fans (see below), but overall, the community remained excited about the new team.

On November 17, RSL acquired the first player in club history, trading with Dallas Burn for star forward Jason Kreis. Over the next several months, the team added several players, including MLS legends Clint Mathis and Eddie Pope.

2005

April 2, 2005, the team played its first official match, a windy, rain filled road contest against New York Metrostars. The match ended in a 0-0 tie. Jason Kreis scored the first goal in franchise history verses the LA Galaxy the following week on the road at the Home Depot Center in a 3-1 loss. RSL returned to Utah to play its first-ever home match on April 16. With 25,287 fans present at Rice-Eccles Stadium, Brian Dunseth scored a header in the 81st minute to deliver a 1-0 victory over the rival Colorado Rapids.[2]

The RSL faithful were thrilled, but from that point on, the season was mostly frustration and disappointment. The team did log back-to-back victories in May, but high hopes were quickly dashed as RSL's offense sputtered. The team set a league record by posting a 557-minute scoreless streak (later broken by Toronto FC). Real recovered enough to log back-to-back wins later in the year, but again met with disaster: the team lost 10 consecutive matches before managing a 2-2 draw on the road against the San Jose Earthquakes. The season ended with a 1-0 loss at home against Colorado, giving RSL an overall record of 5-22-5 in the franchise's inaugural season.

Despite the disappointing season, there were a few highlights. In June, Salt Lake hosted a World Cup qualifier match between Team USA and Costa Rica, drawing a boisterous crowd of 40,586 fans for the double-header at Rice-Eccles Stadium.[3] In August, Kreis notched his 100th career goal, becoming the first player in MLS history to reach that milestone.

2006

Real Salt Lake's sophomore season began much the way the rookie campaign ended. The team recorded five losses and one tie in the first six matches of the season. Overall, RSL had gone 18 consecutive matches without a victory – the longest winless streak in MLS history. But despite hitting rock-bottom, the team responded positively. On May 13, RSL routed LA Galaxy 3-0, with two goals scored by newly-acquired forward Jeff Cunningham. It was the first road victory in team history. A three-game homestand produced two wins and a tie, and suddenly Real looked like a playoff contender.

However, their fortunes changed quickly, with four losses and two ties in the next six matches. Yet RSL rebounded again, posting five wins, one tie, and just one loss from mid-July to mid-August. But the roller coaster season hit a low point with a demoralizing 6-0 loss at the hands of the New York Red Bulls. The team managed two wins and four draws in the last eight matches, but failed to qualify for the playoffs, finishing with a 10-13-9 record.

Cunningham provided most of Real's highlights during the up-and-down 2006 season. He had come to Salt Lake from Colorado - in exchange for Mathis, who had been a major disappointment for RSL. Cunningham earned the MLS Golden Boot by scoring a league-high 16 goals. He also added 11 assists, tied for the second-highest total in the MLS.

Despite mixed results on the field, RSL scored a huge victory off the field in 2006. After much controversy and debate (see below), the franchise finally secured a guarantee for a state-of-the-art, soccer-specific stadium to be built in Sandy – a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team broke ground for the structure on the morning of August 12, with representatives from soccer giant Real Madrid present, including superstar David Beckham.[4] That evening, RSL faced its namesake in front of a sellout crowd of 45,511 fans at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Salt Lake made a good showing, but Real Madrid won the exhibition match, 2-0.

2007

The 2007 season opened with high hopes. 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. But most of the pre-season buzz surrounded up-and-coming young players in the midfield. Mehdi Ballouchy returned after a solid rookie season in 2006, and RSL acquired highly-touted Freddy Adu in an off-season trade with D.C. United. At just 17 years old, Adu was already a three-year MLS veteran and was thought by some to be the future star of American soccer.

But the club's excitement quickly gave way to disappointment. In the first match of the season, RSL controlled throughout, but a fluke goal by Carlos Ruiz in the final minute of stoppage time salvaged a 2-2 draw for FC Dallas on Real's home turf. RSL was devastated by the crushing result. The players appeared lifeless as they were outscored 6-0 in their next three games. In a stunning move, Ellinger was fired[5] 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. Cunningham – who had feuded with Kreis on more than one occasion – was traded to Toronto. Tejada was out-of-shape and played just two minutes for RSL before being released. Adu left mid-season to pursue a career in Portugal. By the end of the year, several other key players – such as Ballouchy and Klein – had been traded away. In addition, veteran defender Eddie Pope retired. The team finished with a disappointing 6-15-9 record, missing the playoffs yet again.

2008

Although the previous season seemed like a giant step backwards for RSL, the team added several players in 2007 that provided a foundation for future success. Kyle Beckerman, Robbie Findley, and Yura Movsisyan came to Salt Lake via trades from other MLS teams, while Fabián Espíndola and Javier Morales were brought from their native Argentina to bolster the offensive attack. Early in 2008, the club added central defenders Nat Borchers and Jamison Olave to solidify the backline. Rimando held off rookie Chris Seitz to remain the team's first-choice goalkeeper.

As Real established chemistry together, they emerged as a force to be reckoned with – at least in Salt Lake. RSL marched through the regular season with just one loss at home, against eight wins and six ties. The team's home field advantage improved dramatically in October with the opening of Rio Tinto Stadium, the new soccer-specific stadium in Sandy. However, road matches were a different story: RSL posted a dismal 2-9-4 record outside the state of Utah.

But when they desperately needed a road result in the last match of the regular season, the team came up big. Movsisyan scored on a rebound shot in the 90th minute to secure a 1-1 draw in Colorado, good enough to clinch the first-ever playoff spot in franchise history. 2008 marked the first non-losing season for the club, as Real finished with a 10-10-10 record. Also, Movsisyan's late strike gave the team a positive goal differential (40 goals for, 39 against) for the first time ever.

RSL advanced past Chivas USA in the first round, winning 1-0 at home and drawing 2-2 on the road. However, the season ended in disappointing fashion, as Red Bull New York handed RSL a rare home loss in the Western Conference Final, ending Real's postseason run. Despite the setback, optimism ran high in the organization, knowing that the team was moving in the right direction. Beckerman provided strong leadership as team captain, and Morales emerged as the spearhead of the offense, setting a team record with 15 assists during the regular season.

2009: MLS Cup champions

Robbie Russell (in red) scored RSL's winning penalty kick in the 2009 MLS Cup Final
See also: 2009 MLS Cup

Real Salt Lake was the last team to qualify for the MLS playoffs in 2009. As the eighth overall seed, but the fifth place finisher in the Western Conference, the club was moved to the Eastern Conference playoff bracket. They defeated the defending champions Columbus Crew 4–2 on aggregate, and won the Eastern Conference championship by beating the Chicago Fire on penalty kicks after a 0–0 draw in regulation.

Real Salt Lake defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy during the MLS Cup November 22 at Qwest Field.[6] Real Salt Lake played the L.A. Galaxy to a 1–1 tie through overtime and won the MLS cup (5–4 on penalties) to complete the upset.[7] Real Salt Lake qualified for the group stage of CONCACAF Champions League 2010–2011.

Real Salt Lake were formally honored by President Barack Obama on 4 June 2010 at a White House press conference. At the conclusion of the press conference, Obama was presented with a Real Salt Lake jersey with his name on the back and the number 10.

2010: Defending the title

On September 4, 2010, Real Salt Lake tied the MLS record set by the Columbus Crew the year prior (2008–2009) of 22 straight unbeaten games at home by beating the New York Red Bulls 1–0. Real Salt Lake has not lost a league game at home since May 2009.

On October 16, 2010 Real Salt Lake improved their home unbeaten streak to 25 games in a row after beating the FC Dallas 2–0. This win gave Real Salt Lake the most consecutive home games without a loss in MLS history.[8][9] This streak was ended at 29 games on May 28, 2010, with their loss to the Seattle Sounders FC.

RSL simultaneously tied the record for a Single Season Home Unbeaten Streak with zero losses in Rio Tinto Stadium in the 2010 regular season. This tied the only other standing Single Season Home Unbeaten Streak, held by the San Jose Earthquakes in the 2005 season.[10]

After a successful first season at the club, Álvaro Saborío was made Salt Lake's first ever Designated Player, signing a four-year contract with the club on December 1, 2010.

2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League

See also: 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League
File:JavierMorales.JPG
Javier Morales scored for RSL in the final of the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League

As MLS Cup champions, Real Salt Lake were placed in Group A of the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League with Cruz Azul of Mexico, Toronto FC of Canada and Arabe Unido of Panama. Real Salt Lake started their CONCACAF Champions League tournament on August 18 at Rio Tinto Stadium playing the Panamanian champions, Árabe Unido. Real Salt Lake won the game 2–1 with both goals scored by Alvaro Saborio. Next, Real Salt Lake went down to Mexico City to take on Cruz Azul on August 25. No American team had ever won in Mexico City before, and RSL looked to be the first. Late in the game, RSL had a commanding lead of 3 goals to 1 over Cruz Azul. However, Cruz Azul wasn't about to go down quietly, and within 12 minutes they put four goals on RSL to defeat them 5-4.

On September 15, 2010, Real Salt Lake took on Toronto FC at home, in Rio Tinto Stadium. Toronto struck early in the ninth minute, with a goal by Santos. However, Kyle Beckerman scored in the 21st minute, leading to three more goals throughout the match. RSL won the match 4–1 ,and took second place in Group A, behind Cruz Azul. Later that month, on September 22, Real Salt Lake went down to Panama to take on Árabe Unido for the 2nd time. This time, Real Salt Lake defeated Árabe Unido 3–2 on their home soil. Cruz Azul tied with Toronto FC the same night, and so RSL was on top of Group A with 9 points. Cruz Azul had 7 points with two more games for both teams to play.

On September 28, Real Salt Lake went north up to Canada to take on Toronto FC for a second time. RSL needed at least one more point to clinch one of the two top spots in their group in order to move on to the next round. The game ended up tying 1-1, giving RSL enough points to clinch the spot.

The 6th and final game for the first round of Group A came on October 19, when Cruz Azul came to Rio Tinto Stadium. Both teams stood on top of Group A with 10 points each, and the winner would take top of the group. With mostly second-tier players on the field, Real Salt Lake ended up beating Cruz Azul 3–1 in front of a record crowd of 20,463 fans, with two goals coming from rookie Paulo Araujo Jr. Real Salt Lake ended the first round at first place in Group A. This win also made Real Salt Lake the first ever MLS club to win its group in the CONCACAF Champions League.[11]

After a lackluster 0-0 tie against the Columbus Crew in Columbus, Real Salt Lake defeated the Crew 4-1 back home on March 1, 2011 at Rio Tinto Stadium to advance to the semifinals. The win over Columbus made Real Salt Lake the first ever American team to advance past the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League, although two American have previously won the CONCACAF Champions Cup(LA Galaxy and DC United).

On March 15, 2011, Real Salt Lake beat Saprissa 2-0 in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League Semifinals at Rio Tinto Stadium and then lost 2-1 in Costa Rica on April 5, 2011. However, this was enough to secure advancement to the CONCACAF Champions League Final by an aggregate score of 3-2. Also, in doing so Real Salt Lake became the first MLS team to ever reach the CONCACAF Champions League Final.

Thanks in part to their performance in the Champions League, RSL became the first American club ever to crack the Top 25 World Rankings at WorldClubRankings.com (in April 2011).[12]

On April 20, 2011, Real Salt Lake played their first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League Final at Estadio Tecnológico against CF Monterrey. RSL's Javier Morales was able to score an equalizing goal 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's Humberto Suazo scored the only goal of the game, giving Monterrey a 3-2 aggregate victory.

Colors and badge

The team's official colors are claret red, cobalt blue, and Real gold.[13]

Stadium

Rio Tinto Stadium, RSL's home stadium since 2008

In 2005 a soccer-specific stadium for the team was approved for Sandy, a suburb of Salt Lake City. However, funding for the stadium was still hard to come by. A vote in early 2006 struck down a funding proposal for the stadium. However, Tom Dolan, the mayor of Sandy, said that he would not give up on his fight to approve the proposal in Sandy. The funding plan was revised, but was struck down later in 2006 over disagreements in the appropriation of millions of hotel-tax dollars for a financially unproven sports franchise. The proposal for Sandy was declared "dead" by Checketts at that point, putting the team's future in doubt. Dave Checketts said that he wanted the team to remain in Utah, but would sell it if a proposal was not put forward by August 12, 2006.

Parties from several cities, including Rochester, New York[14] and St Louis, Missouri, expressed interest in purchasing the franchise and moving it. Other stadium sites in the area were also proposed, including the Utah State Fairgrounds in Salt Lake, and the tiny town of Vineyard, just west of Provo. Finally, on the very day Checketts had set as a deadline to have a stadium plan in place or decide to sell the team, and after months of up and down discussions with local municipalities, county, and state officials and a change in the funding structure, a tacit agreement between Checkets, Sandy City, and Salt Lake County was put in place, and Real Salt Lake announced that they would move forward with the construction of Real Salt Lake Stadium,[15] which would ultimately be named Rio Tinto Stadium. The groundbreaking, coinciding with the Xango Cup, Real's match against international power Real Madrid, took place that afternoon featuring elected leaders, team officials, as well as the entire rosters of both Real Salt Lake and Real Madrid. On August 15, the deal was officially approved by the Salt Lake County Council.[16]

The stadium plan encountered difficulties however after the Debt Review Committee of Salt Lake County voted against the stadium proposal 4–0 on January 26, 2007 citing what they saw as Real Salt Lake's financial inviability as the reasoning behind the lack of support. County mayor Corroon concurred with the DRC and the stadium plan was effectively killed on January 29, 2007. 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.[17]

The Sandy Stadium proposal was not completely dead, however: a new stadium proposal was made on February 2, that would divert 15 percent, roughly $2 million a year, of the county's hotel taxes to the stadium project beginning in July until 2017.[18] Such a deal would have to have been made by February 9, or the deal would have been completely off.[19] The bill was passed by the State Senate.[20]

After Governor Huntsman made a move that would allow the team to remain in Salt Lake County: the Utah House approved House bill 1SHB38, by a 48–24 margin, effectively approving $35 million towards the development of Real Salt Lake's new home. The governor was expected to sign the bill,[21] and ultimately did so.

Sandy City, along with the state of Utah and representatives of the team, finally came to an agreement regarding the placement of the Real stadium. The deal was shot down about a week prior to the agreement by the Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon saying it was too risky. However, Utah's governor, Jon Huntsman, Jr. said that soccer was here to stay. The $110 million dollar stadium was built in Sandy, a suburb of Salt Lake City. Rossetti's California office was the architecture firm responsible for the design of the new stadium. The stadium's opening date was set for October 9, 2008, when Real Salt Lake hosted the New York Red Bulls.[22]

Club culture

Name

The title "Real" (Spanish pronunciation: [reˈal]) is derived from the Spanish language where it is traditionally used by certain Spanish football clubs such as Real Madrid of La Liga. It is translated into English as "royal" and it is taken by teams that are given the title by the King of Spain whether through favoritism or otherwise. Real Salt Lake, although having established a relationship in 2006 with Real Madrid, its title of 'Real' is not particularly used in the traditional and appropriate context. This led, as stated later, to much uproar to soccer traditionalists and intellectuals.

Dave Checketts and SCP Worldwide partners Dean Howes, Kenneth Munoz, Michael McCarthy, and Chris Bevilacqua chose Real Salt Lake for the team's name because they desired to associate the team with a successful soccer club, Real Madrid, as well as to develop a brand that was clearly associated with association football.

The choice of Real Salt Lake was initially met with derision in the fan community, as many fans thought the name should more accurately reflect the Salt Lake area.[citation needed] Other team names considered were Salt Lake City Highlanders, Salt Lake Soccer Club, Alliance Soccer Club and Union SLC.[23] However, in recent years, criticism from local fans and the media has waned, and the club has instituted a formal relationship with Real Madrid.[24]

Real Madrid and Youth Academy

As of September of the 2006 season, Real Salt Lake and Real Madrid have signed a 10-year co-operative agreement. Among the provisions of the deal are a biennial friendly match between the two teams to take place in Salt Lake City, annual February training for RSL at the Real Madrid practice facility in Spain, and, perhaps most importantly, the creation of a $25 million elite youth academy in SLC that will train up to 200 players from ages 12 to 18.[25] The academy, a co-operative project for which Real Madrid will pay half the cost, will include academic facilities and dormitory housing, arguably becoming the first true soccer "youth system" in MLS, along with the Red Bull Academy effort of Red Bull New York. In this sense, it is part of a growing league-wide trend toward the emphasis of youth development, a trend which has been encouraged by the main office and jump-started by the league's decision to allow individual teams to maintain rights to the products of potential youth development systems.

Rivalries

RSL's major rivals are the Colorado Rapids, which it competes with for the annual Rocky Mountain Cup. With Major League Soccer's expansion in 2005, Real Salt Lake became the second team in the Rocky Mountain region and the Colorado Rapids' closest neighbor. The supporters of the two clubs created a competition between the two sides to foster and memorialize this budding rivalry. Colorado won the Rocky Mountain Cup in its inaugural year, 9 points to 3, and successfully defended the Cup in 2006 by a margin of 7 points to 4. Real Salt Lake won the Rocky Mountain Cup in the 2007 Season, 7 points to 4 points, and defended the cup successfully in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Other teams considered rivals for Real Salt Lake are Chivas USA, which also joined Major League Soccer in 2005, and the Los Angeles Galaxy, whom RSL defeated in the 2009 MLS Cup.

Supporters groups

Real Salt Lake has seven official supporters groups, The Loyalists, RCB (Rogue Cavaliers Brigade), SCU (Salt City United), Section 26, La Barra Real, TRP (The Royal Pride)[26], and the newest group The Royal Army. All supporters groups except Section 26 and The Royal Army (which is dispersed throughout the stadium) sit in the south stands.

Mascot

Leo the Lion is the official mascot of Real Salt Lake.

Songs

The post-victory song is the Bob Marley anthem, "Iron Lion Zion". It was decided after an internal vote, because it fit the team's criteria for a celebration song. The team anthem is called "The Mighty R-E-A-L" and is performed by Indie rock group and Utah natives Meg & Dia.[27] There is an alternate anthem created by Alban and Tony of the CBG called "RSL Anthem.".[28] Alban and Tony made yet another song upon Real Salt Lake clinching a spot in the MLS Championship game. The song is called "Glory RSL" and can also be searched on YouTube. When a goal is scored by Real Salt Lake in Rio Tinto Stadium, the song "The Sweet Escape" by Gwen Stefani is played throughout the stadium.

Sponsorship

On November 17, 2006, RSL announced a multi-million dollar jersey sponsorship deal with XanGo. Additional sponsors include JetBlue Airways and Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Broadcasting

Radio broadcasts are on KALL AM 700 (English) and KTUB AM 1600 (Spanish). KUTV handles local television broadcasts, with most matches broadcast on KUTV's digital television channels.[29]

Players and staff

Current roster

As of June 8, 2011.[30]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK United States USA Tim Melia
2 DF United States USA Tony Beltran
3 DF United States USA Robbie Russell
4 DF Colombia COL Jámison Olave
5 MF United States USA Kyle Beckerman (captain)
6 DF United States USA Nat Borchers
7 FW Argentina ARG Fabián Espíndola
8 MF Canada CAN Will Johnson
10 MF El Salvador SLV Arturo Alvarez
11 MF Argentina ARG Javier Morales
12 MF Haiti HAI Jean Alexandre
13 FW United States USA Chris Agorsor
15 FW Costa Rica CRC Álvaro Saborío
No. Pos. Nation Player
17 DF United States USA Chris Wingert
18 GK United States USA Nick Rimando
20 MF United States USA Ned Grabavoy
21 MF United States USA Luis Gil
22 MF Argentina ARG Nelson González (on loan from Quilmes)
23 FW Brazil BRA Paulo Araujo Jr.
24 GK United States USA Kyle Reynish
25 FW United States USA Donny Toia
26 MF United States USA Collen Warner
27 FW United States USA Cody Arnoux
28 DF United States USA Chris Schuler
30 DF United States USA Rauwshan McKenzie
77 MF Jamaica JAM Andy Williams

Reserve Team Players

This list shows players who have played for the team in official 2011 MLS Reserve Division games, but are not part of the senior roster.[31]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— DF United States USA Julio Alarcon
— DF United States USA Eduardo Fernandez
— MF United States USA David Flores
— MF United States USA Phanuel Kavita
No. Pos. Nation Player
— FW United States USA Nico Muniz
— FW El Salvador SLV Maikon Orellana
— MF United States USA Ricardo Velasco

Notable former players

This list of former players includes those who received international caps while playing for the team, made significant contributions to the team in terms of appearances or goals while playing for the team, or who made significant contributions to the sport either before they played for the team, or after they left. It is clearly not yet complete and all inclusive, and additions and refinements will continue to be made over time.

Retired numbers

Head coaches

Achievements

Record

Year-by-year

Year Regular Season Playoffs US Open Cup CONCACAF
Champions' League
2005 5th, West Did not qualify Third Round Did not qualify
2006 6th, West Did not qualify Fourth Round Did not qualify
2007 6th, West Did not qualify Did not qualify Did not qualify
2008 3rd, West Semi-Finals Did not qualify Did not qualify
2009 5th, West Champions Did not qualify Did not qualify
2010 2nd, West Quarter-Finals Did not qualify Did not qualify
2011 Quarter-Finals Finals
2012 Did not qualify

Year-by-year stats

Year League Record Top Scorer
P W L D F A Pts Name G
2005 32 5 22 2 30 65 20 Jason Kreis 90
2006 32 10 13 9 45 49 39 Jeff Cunningham 16
2007 30 6 15 9 31 45 27 Chris Brown 50
2008 30 10 10 10 40 39 40 Yura Movsisyan 70
2009 30 11 12 7 43 35 40 Robbie Findley 12
2010 30 15 4 11 45 20 56 Álvaro Saborío 12
Total 184 57 76 48 234 253 222 Robbie Findley 29

International tournaments

Group Stage v. Mexico Cruz Azul -- 3:1, 4:5
Group Stage v. Canada Toronto FC -- 4:1, 1:1
Group Stage v. Panama Árabe Unido -- 2:1, 3:2
Quarterfinals v. United States Columbus Crew -- 0:0, 4:1
Semifinals v. Costa Rica Deportivo Saprissa -- 2:0, 1:2
Finals v. Mexico Monterrey -- 2:2, 0:1

Team records

MLS regular season only, through end of 2010 season

  • All-Time regular season record: 57–76–51 (Through Oct. 30 2010)

MLS records

  • Fewest goals allowed: 20[note 1](previous record 23, Houston 2007)
  • Overall goal difference: +25[note 1](previous record +22, San Jose 2005 and D.C. United 2007)
  • Home goal difference: +24[note 1] (previous record +23, Real Salt Lake 2009)
  • Total home points (30-game season): 37[note 1] (previous record 35, Columbus 2009)
  • Fewest home losses: 0[note 1] (equals previous record set by San Jose in 2005)
  • Fewest home goals allowed: 7[note 1] (previous record 8, Colorado 2004)[32]
  • Longest home unbeaten streak in an MLS regular season: 29 [33]

Player awards

Awards given by the MLS to Real Salt Lake players.

Average attendance

Regular season / Play-offs

  • 2005: 18,037 / missed Play-offs
  • 2006: 16,366 / missed Play-offs
  • 2007: 15,960 / missed Play-offs
  • 2008: 16,179 / 19,632
  • 2009: 16,375 / 11,499
  • 2010: 17,095 / 19,324

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f Record was set in the 2010 season.

References

  1. ^ http://www.deseretnews.com/cgi-bin/cqcgi_plus/@plus.env?CQ_SESSION_KEY=RTNYEDTWUYCG&CQ_CUR_DOCUMENT=30&CQ_TEXT_MAIN=YES
  2. ^ http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700264165/Real-Salt-Lake-Things-have-changed-a-lot-since-05-opener.html
  3. ^ http://www.mlssoccer.com/content/landon-donovan-kasey-keller-power-united-states-3-0-world-cup-qualifier-victory-over-costa-r
  4. ^ Araton, Harvey (January 12, 2007). "SPORTS OF THE TIMES; American Soccer Takes a Bold Gamble On a Boldface Name". The New York Times.
  5. ^ http://www.deseretnews.com/article/695198790/Tireless-Ellinger-setting-sails.html
  6. ^ "Salt Lake beat L.A. Galaxy to MLS title". ESPN. 2009-11-23. Retrieved 2009-11-23.
  7. ^ Lewis, Michael (2009-11-23). "David Beckham, L.A.Galaxy stars fizzle as Real Salt Lake wins MLS title in shootout, 5–4". NY Daily News. New York. Retrieved 2009-11-23.
  8. ^ http://www.realsaltlake.com/news/2010/10/rsl-notes-quotes-rsl-2-0-fcd
  9. ^ http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/sports/50502703-77/rsl-azul-cruz-paulo.html.csp
  10. ^ http://www.mlssoccer.com/content/2010-full-season-stats
  11. ^ "Real Salt Lake, Club World Champions?". usdish.com. Retrieved 2011-04-26.
  12. ^ World Club Rankings Top 25 - April 18, 2011
  13. ^ Real Salt Lake colors
  14. ^ Rhinos confirm talk with MLS club in Utah
  15. ^ Real Salt Lake joined by Real Madrid Saturday at 12:00 noon to break ground on Sandy stadium site
  16. ^ KUTV news – Soccer stadium finally a ReALity
  17. ^ KSL Newsradio: Soccer stadium deal is dead
  18. ^ Stadium plan: It's ba-a-ack!
  19. ^ Stadium deal due by Friday — or else
  20. ^ Senate paves way for a Sandy stadium
  21. ^ Utah House approves stadium funds
  22. ^ "RSL confirms Oct. 9 stadium opening". The Salt Lake Tribune. 2008-08-05. Retrieved 2008-08-05. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  23. ^ USSoccerPlayers: Sounders Already Scoring
  24. ^ Real Madrid will be back in '08
  25. ^ Salt Lake Tribune article announcing the RSL-RM deal
  26. ^ http://rslroyalarmy.com/
  27. ^ adidas MLS Soccer
  28. ^ [1]
  29. ^ http://web.mlsnet.com/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20090320&content_id=228204&vkey=pr_rsl&fext=.jsp&team=t121
  30. ^ http://www.realsaltlake.com/players
  31. ^ http://www.mlssoccer.com/reserve-league-schedule
  32. ^ http://www.realsaltlake.com/news/2010/12/numbers-behind-rsls-record-setting-season
  33. ^ http://www.realsaltlake.com/news/2011/06/rsls-kreis-were-not-dire-straits-now

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Real Salt Lake.

Template:2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Real_Salt_Lake&oldid=442499856"