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Real Salt Lake

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Real Salt Lake
Nickname(s)Claret and Cobalt[1]
Short nameRSL
FoundedJuly 14, 2004; 20 years ago (2004-07-14)
StadiumAmerica First Field
Sandy, Utah
Capacity20,213[2]
OwnersGail Miller
Head coachPablo Mastroeni
LeagueMajor League Soccer
2024
Websitersl.com
Current season

Real Salt Lake (RSL) is an American professional soccer club based in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Founded in 2004, the club began play in 2005 as an expansion team.

The club plays its home games at America First Field (formerly known as Rio Tinto Stadium), a soccer-specific stadium located in the Salt Lake City suburb of Sandy, Utah, which they shared with their sister team, Utah Royals FC. Before moving to America First Field, RSL previously played home games at Rice-Eccles Stadium, located on the campus of the University of Utah, from 2005 to 2007. The team is currently led by head coach Pablo Mastroeni.[3]

In domestic soccer, Real Salt Lake won the 2009 MLS Cup, and they finished as runners-up in the Supporters Shield in 2010 and the 2013 editions of both the U.S. Open Cup and MLS Cup. The club additionally finished runners-up in the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League, becoming the first American club to do so during the tournament's group stage format. Their fully owned USL affiliate, Real Monarchs, won the USL Championship, the second division in American soccer, in 2019.

Name

[edit]

The Spanish title Real (Spanish pronunciation: [reˈal]), meaning "royal" in English, has been used since the early 20th century by Spanish soccer clubs who have received royal patronage from a reigning monarch — most notably Madrid, Zaragoza, Betis and Sociedad. In choosing the name Real for the Salt Lake-based team, initial owner Dave Checketts intended to create a brand name that would become well-known for its simplicity, followed the European-style naming conventions of the league, and would potentially foster a partnership with Real Madrid — admired both because of their successful soccer history and close association with basketball (similar to Checketts' own history with Utah's NBA team).[4][5]

Local reaction to the new team's name was initially met with mixed feelings, with the name being accused of contrivance.[6][7] Other suggested team names, such as "Highlanders", "Salt Lake SC", or "Union SLC", were initially preferred for the club by locals. However, by at least 2014, reaction to the name had drastically improved, with the team establishing an identity representative of the Salt Lake community.[8][9]

History

[edit]
Main article: History of Real Salt Lake

Early years (2005–2008)

[edit]
Robbie Russell (in red) playing for Real Salt Lake

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. United States U-17's coach John Ellinger was named as the initial manager of the club, with forward Jason Kreis becoming the club’s first player. RSL began play on April 2, 2005, in a match against the MetroStars at Giants Stadium that ended as a scoreless draw[10]; Kreis would score the team’s first ever goal the following game on the road against the LA Galaxy. The club’s first ever home match, and victory, would occur on April 16 in front of 25,287 fans at Rice-Eccles Stadium, with defender Brian Dunseth securing a victory over Rocky Mountain Cup rival Colorado Rapids.[11]

However, both the 2005 and 2006 seasons would prove to be relative disappointments for the club. Despite strong performances from key players Kreis, Eddie Pope, Andy Williams, and Jeff Cunningham, RSL would embark on a 10-game losing streak in the former and an 18-game winless run in the latter, finishing each season among the worst teams in the league. [12][13]

The 2007 season began with the club making moves for veteran talent to build around – most notably bringing in goalkeeper Nick Rimando and midfielder Kyle Beckerman pre-season. However, following continued poor form, Ellinger was fired in May and unexpectedly replaced as head coach by Kreis, who immediately retired as a player to take the role.[14] Similarly, general manager Steve Pastorino resigned in September and was replaced with Garth Lagerway; this new partnership spurred a rebuild of the squad with the addition of key players including Javier Morales, Chris Wingert, Fabián Espíndola, Nat Borchers, Jámison Olave, and Will Johnson.

The 2008 season saw the club begin to achieve successes, finishing with an even record and qualifying for the MLS Playoffs for the first time. The season additionally saw the opening of America First Field, a soccer-specific stadium for the club in Sandy. The club advanced past Chivas USA in the first round of the playoffs before losing to the New York Red Bulls in the Western Conference final.[15]

MLS and CONCACAF success (2009–2012)

[edit]

The 2009 season saw the club post a near-perfect home record to propel itself into a playoff-qualification battle, won on the final day against the Colorado Rapids.[16][17] Seeded as the lowest Eastern Conference team (due to the playoff format of the time), RSL progressed through the playoffs to the 2009 MLS Cup, where they defeated the LA Galaxy in a penalty shootout to win their first championship.[18] Rimando was named as the MLS Cup MVP for multiple saves during the shootout, and the win qualified RSL to their first ever continental competition, the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League.

As defending champions, RSL proved to have its best season as a club in 2010, posting a 25 game unbeaten streak and home and zero losses at home on the way to a second-place finish in the MLS Supporters Shield standings.[19][20] Rimando finished as the league’s best goalkeeper, with Olave named as MLS Defender of the Year and newly acquired forward Álvaro Saborío establishing himself as a primary goal scorer. The group stages of the Champions League saw the club finishing first[21]; however, an early MLS playoff exit saw increased focus on 2011, where wins over the Columbus Crew and Saprissa in the Champions League found RSL as the first MLS team to reach the competition’s final. Played as a two-legged draw against C.F. Monterrey, a tie in the first game in Mexico was cancelled out by a 1-0 win by Monterrey in Utah on April 22.

The remainder of the 2011 season saw an end to the home unbeaten streak at 29 games, but successful re-qualifications to both the playoffs and CONCACAF Champions League. This was followed by a second-place Western Conference finish in 2012, as well as a group-stage elimination in the 2012-13 CONCACAF Champions League.[22]

Hansen ownership (2013–2021)

[edit]

In 2013, Checketts sold his stake in the club to minority owner Dell Loy Hansen.[23] The season saw the departure of key players Olave, Espindola, and Johnson; [24] however, the club garnered another second place Western Conference finish, as well as trips to both the 2013 MLS Cup and 2013 U.S. Open Cup final, where the team lost to Sporting Kansas City and D.C. United, respectively. Following the season, Kreis left the club to coach expansion side New York City FC, with assistant coach Jeff Cassar replacing him[25][26]; despite this, the club finished with a then-high points total of 56 points in 2014, qualifying for CONCACAF before being eliminated early in the playoffs.

2015 saw the further departures of Borchers and Saborío, which lead to the team failing to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2007.[27][28] A push to the quarterfinals of the 2015-16 CONCACAF Champions League helped contribute to a stronger 2016 season and brief return to the playoffs. However, this season saw even further departures, with Morales and Olave leaving the club following 2016.[29]

A poor start to the 2017 season saw Cassar dismissed as head coach[30], with Mike Petke taking over the position in April – however, despite a late-season run, the team failed to make the playoffs.[31] 2018 saw improvements on the field, as the club finished sixth in the conference led by strong performances from Albert Rusnák and Damir Kreilach. However, the season was primarily focused on the opening of the Real Academy and Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, which provided a new home for the club, the NWSL’s Utah Royals FC, reserve side Real Monarchs, and the club’s youth academies.[32]

2019 saw the final seasons of both Rimando and long-time defender Tony Beltran, both of whom retired following the end of the campaign. The club also saw the dismissal of head coach Petke on August 11, following an incident with 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.[33][34]

The 2020 season, significantly shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic, nonetheless saw announcement that Hansen would sell his stakes in Real Salt Lake, Utah Royals FC, and Real Monarchs following controversy over his past use of racist language.[35] Additionally, long-time club captain – and final remaining member of the 2009 MLS Cup winning side – Beckerman retired following the season's end, having played more regular season games than any outfield player in MLS history.[36]

Blitzer and Smith ownership (2022–2025)

[edit]

RSL began the 2021 season with no defined ownership, with MLS controlling the process of sale to new ownership.[37] Despite a relatively strong start to the season, Juarez unexpectedly left as head coach on August 27 to become an assistant coach with Seattle Sounders FC, leaving his own assistant Pablo Mastroeni to see out the season as interim.[38] Under Mastroeni, the team made a late-season push to the playoffs, qualifying on the final day of the season through a stoppage-time goal by Kreilach to give RSL a win over Sporting Kansas City.[39] Despite barely qualifying, the team progressed to the conference finals for the first time since 2013 before being defeated by the Portland Timbers. This success led to Mastroeni being named permanent head coach following the season.[40]

Prior to the 2022 season, the franchise was acquired by sports team investors Ryan Smith and David Blitzer.[41][42] Under their stewardship, the club became a steady presence in the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2022 and 2023 - guided by notable players including Justen Glad, Jefferson Savarino, Chicho Arango, and Diego Luna - before recording their best ever single-season points total in 2024, qualifying for the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup in the process.

Miller ownership (2025–present)

[edit]

On April 18, 2025, Miller Sports + Entertainment, led by former Utah Jazz owner Gail Miller, acquired controlling interest in the franchise for $600 million, with Blitzer remaining as a minority owner.[43]

Colors and badge

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The team's colors are claret red, cobalt blue, and real gold.[44][45]

Uniform evolution

[edit]

Home, away, and third uniforms.[46][47][48]

  • Home
2005
2006–07
2008–09
2010–11
2012–13
2014–15
2016–17
2018–19
2020–21
2022–23
  • Away
2005
2006–07
2008–09
2010–11
2012–14
2015–16
2017–18
2019–20
2021–22
2023–24
  • Third/special
2008
2010–11
2018

Stadium

[edit]
America First Field has been RSL's home stadium since 2008.
Name Location Years in use Capacity
Rice-Eccles Stadium Salt Lake City, Utah 2005–2008 45,071
America First Field Sandy, Utah 2008–present 20,213

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.[49][50] 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.[51] However, a new stadium proposal was passed by the State Senate.[52][53][54] 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 opened on October 9, 2008.[55] In September 2022, Rio Tinto Stadium was renamed America First Field, with RSL and America First Credit Union announcing a naming rights deal.[56]

Club culture

[edit]

Rivalries

[edit]
Further information: Rocky Mountain Cup
Leo the Lion at a "Meet the Players" event, August 2010

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.[57] 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. Initially dominated by the Rapids, Salt Lake has since taken a 12–5 series lead over their rivals, and are the current holders of the cup, having won it during the 2021 season.

Although no annual trophy is involved, the club's more fierce rival has become Sporting Kansas City, initially born out of a 2011 preseason brawl[58] and developed after the teams met in MLS Cup 2013.[59] Since that time, the teams have regularly competed in the Western Conference. Many of the matches, have been heated among longtime players who played from the two teams. Real Salt Lake has a record of 19 wins, 12 draws and 17 losses in all competitions against Sporting.[60]

The team also maintains smaller, fan-driven rivalries with the LA Galaxy, Los Angeles FC, and Seattle Sounders FC.[citation needed] The latter derived from a meeting in the 2012 MLS Cup Playoffs, later expanding through further playoff meetings and the losses of general manager Garth Lagerway, head coach Freddy Juarez, and club captain Albert Rusnák to the club.[61]

Supporters groups

[edit]

Real Salt Lake has seven officially recognized supporters groups — Salt City United, Rogue Cavaliers Brigade, Section 26, Riot Brigade, La Barra Real, Section 11 ("The Swarm"), and Los Caballeros Reales — which as of 2019 all exist under a larger unified umbrella group known as The Riot.[62]

Leo the Lion is the official mascot of Real Salt Lake.[63]

Club anthem

[edit]

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, at the end of every home game if the result is a win, as well as after all goals scored by RSL.[64] The song used prior to the anthem was "The Sweet Escape" by Gwen Stefani.

Revenue and profitability

[edit]

As Real Salt Lake is a small-market team, one of the team's biggest challenges is bringing in enough revenue to remain competitive.[65] 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,[65] and 15,000+ in 2016.[66]

Sponsorship

[edit]
Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
2005–2008 Adidas —
2009–2012 Xango
2012–2013 Xango (home)
LifeVantage (away)
2014–2023 LifeVantage
2024–present Intermountain Health

RSL has a long-term sponsorship deal with Intermountain Health.[67] It previously had sponsorship deals with LifeVantage[68][69] and Xango.[70] Additional sponsors include JetBlue Airways,[71] Maverik, Inc., Ford, WCF Insurance, and Zions Bank.[72] Their corporate sponsors are America First Credit Union, Adidas, Atlas Disposal, City Creek Center, Coca-Cola, Collins Roofing Inc., Continental Tires, England Logistics, Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development, Great Clips, Key Bank, Les Olson Company, MarketStar, Michelob ULTRA, Pikus Concrete, Planet Fitness, Presidio, RealMedia, Sew Sweet, Sherwin-Williams, Siegfried and Jensen, Summit Technology, Toro, Toyota, Utah Children's Dental Network, Utah: Life Elevated, WGU, YESCO, and Zagg brands.[73]

Broadcasting

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Radio broadcasts air on KSL AM 1160, FM 102.7 (English) and KTUB AM 1600 (Spanish).

From 2023, every Real Salt Lake match is available via MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app. Prior to the all-streaming deal, the club was aired across Utah on a number of television networks and stations.

Sinclair Broadcast Group held television rights to Real Salt Lake games that were not aired by Major League Soccer's national television partners. The telecasts (which, until its discontinuation, were originally presented by Sinclair's American Sports Network) featured pre- and post-game coverage. Sinclair's Utah station KMYU served as the team's flagship station, and telecasts were syndicated to other Sinclair-owned stations in the region, and non-Sinclair stations in Albuquerque, Phoenix and Tucson.[74] In 2018, the team extended its television deal with Sinclair,[75] and announced a streaming partnership with KSL-TV, under which it offered in-market streaming of RSL's regional broadcasts, as well as their former sister club Utah Royals FC (NWSL) and reserve club Real Monarchs (then in the USL), on digital platforms.[76][77] In 2020, the team extended its television deal with Sinclair until 2022.[78]

Players and staff

[edit]
For details on former players, see All-time Real Salt Lake roster.

Roster

[edit]
As of April 25, 2025[79]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Brazil BRA Rafael Cabral
3 DF United States USA Kobi Henry (on loan from Reims)
4 DF Colombia COL Brayan Vera
6 MF Paraguay PAR Braian Ojeda
7 MF Argentina ARG Pablo Ruiz
8 MF United States USA Diego Luna
9 FW Nigeria NGA William Agada
10 FW Portugal POR Diogo Gonçalves
11 MF Poland POL Dominik Marczuk
12 FW Jamaica JAM Matthew Bell
13 MF Colombia COL Nelson Palacio
14 DF United States USA Emeka Eneli
15 DF United States USA Justen Glad
16 FW United States USA Tyler Wolff
17 FW Australia AUS Lachlan Brook
18 GK United States USA Zac MacMath
19 FW United States USA Bode Hidalgo
21 FW Ivory Coast CIV Axel Kei
23 FW Australia AUS Ariath Piol
24 GK United States USA Max Kerkvliet
No. Pos. Nation Player
26 DF United States USA Philip Quinton
29 DF United States USA Sam Junqua
30 MF United States USA Owen Anderson
31 GK United States USA Mason Stajduhar
32 DF United States USA Zackery Farnsworth
33 DF United States USA Tommy Silva
34 MF United States USA Luca Moisa
36 FW Spain ESP Jesús Barea
37 DF United States USA Luis Rivera
38 MF United States USA Jude Wellings
39 MF United States USA Aiden Hezarkhani
40 MF United States USA Omar Marquez
41 DF United States USA Juan Gio Villa
72 FW United States USA Zavier Gozo
91 DF Jamaica JAM Javain Brown
92 MF Germany GER Noel Caliskan
98 DF Greece GRE Alexandros Katranis
— FW Nigeria NGA William Agada
— FW Scotland SCO Johnny Russell

Out on loan

[edit]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
27 FW Ghana GHA Forster Ajago (on loan to Lexington SC)
— MF Jamaica JAM Kevon Lambert (on loan to Louisville City)

Technical and coaching staff

[edit]
Title Name
President John Kimball
Sporting Director/CSO Kurt Schmid
General manager Vacant
Assistant general manager Tony Beltran
Club Operations Jason Kreis
Head coach Pablo Mastroeni
Assistant coach Jámison Olave
Assistant coach Anthony Pulis
Assistant coach Nate Miller
Goalkeeping coach Mirza Harambašić
Performance Coach Sean Buckley
Director of video analysis Rob Rogers
Director of athletic performance Theron Enns
Director of team administration Chase Rusden
Team administrator Rory James
Player care manager Christian Peters
Head athletic trainer Jacob Joachim
Assistant athletic trainer Luke Cantin
Equipment manager Benjamin Chavez

Last updated: January 6, 2024
Source: Real Salt Lake

Retired numbers

[edit]
Main article: List of retired numbers in association football
No. Player Position Nation Tenure
9 Jason Kreis[80] Forward United States United States 2005–2007
11 Javier Morales[81] Midfielder Argentina Argentina 2007–2016

Jason Kreis's number 9 was not worn by RSL players after the time of its retirement in 2011. However, in 2019, when the club decided to retire Javier Morales's number 11, Kreis pleaded with the club to recirculate his number 9. As a result, both number 9 and number 11 are still circulated numbers for the club. Kreis and Morales's names and numbers are "retired" and displayed prominently above the player's tunnel on the west concourse of America First Field.[82]

Team captains

[edit]
Nationality Name Tenure
 United States Jason Kreis 2005–2007
 United States Eddie Pope 2007
 United States Kyle Beckerman 2008–2020
 Slovakia Albert Rusnák 2021
 Croatia Damir Kreilach 2022–2023
 Colombia Chicho Arango 2024
 United States Emeka Eneli 2025–present

General managers

[edit]
Name Tenure
Steve Pastorino 2004–2007
Garth Lagerwey 2007–2014
Craig Waibel 2015–2019
Elliot Fall 2019–2023

Ownership history

[edit]
  • Dave Checketts (2005–2013)
  • Del Loy Hansen (2009–2020)
  • MLS (2021)
  • Ryan Smith (2022–2025)
  • David Blitzer (2022–present)
  • Gail Miller (2025-present)

Head coaches

[edit]
  • Includes MLS regular Season, MLS Playoffs, CONCACAF Champions League, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, and Leagues Cup.
As of April 25, 2025
All-time coaching stats
Head coach Tenure Games Win Loss Draw Win % PPG Playoffs Notes
United States John Ellinger January 2005 – May 3, 2007 71 16 39 16 33.8% 0.90 0/2 Inaugural head coach
United States Jason Kreis May 3, 2007 – December 10, 2013 261 112 85 64 55.2% 1.52 6/7 First championship
United States Jeff Cassar December 18, 2013 – March 20, 2017 121 45 43 33 50.8% 1.39 2/3
United States Daryl Shore March 20, 2017 – April 3, 2017 2 0 1 1 25.0% 0.5 0/0 interim
United States Mike Petke April 3, 2017 – August 11, 2019 91 37 39 15 48.9% 1.38 1/2
United States Freddy Juarez August 11, 2019 – August 27, 2021 55 18 14 23 53.6% 0.8 1/2 interim until December 3, 2019
United States Pablo Mastroeni August 27, 2021 – present 149 61 57 31 51.3% 1.43 4/4 interim until December 13, 2021

Honors

[edit]
National
Competitions Titles Season
MLS Cup 1 2009
Western Conference (Playoffs) 1 2013
Eastern Conference (Playoffs) 1 2009

Team results

[edit]

Year-by-year

[edit]
Main article: List of Real Salt Lake seasons

This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by RSL. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Real Salt Lake seasons.

Season League Position Playoffs USOC Continental / Other Average
attendance 		Top goalscorer(s)
Div League Pld W L D GF GA GD Pts PPG Conf. Overall Name(s) Goals
2020 1 MLS 22 5 10 7 25 35 –10 22 1.00 11th 21st DNQ NH Leagues Cup
MLS is Back Tournament 		NH
Ro16 		5,655 Croatia Damir Kreilach 9
2021 MLS 34 14 14 6 55 54 +1 48 1.41 7th 13th SF NH 15,283 Croatia Damir Kreilach 16
2022 MLS 34 12 11 11 43 45 −2 47 1.38 7th 14th R1 R3 20,470 Venezuela Sergio Córdova 11
2023 MLS 34 14 12 8 48 50 −2 50 1.41 5th 11th R1 SF Leagues Cup R16 19,429 Venezuela Jefferson Savarino 7
2024 MLS 34 16 7 11 65 48 +17 59 1.74 3rd 6th R1 Ro32 Leagues Cup GS 20,295 Colombia Cristian Arango 17

^ 1. Avg. attendance include statistics from league matches only.
^ 2. Top goalscorer(s) includes all goals scored in League, MLS Cup Playoffs, U.S. Open Cup, MLS is Back Tournament, CONCACAF Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, and other competitive continental matches.

CONCACAF Champions Cup

[edit]
See also: MLS performance in Champions League
As of April 25, 2025
Real Salt Lake in CONCACAF competition
Season Qualification method Round Opposition Home Away
2010–11 2009 MLS Cup champion Group stage Panama Árabe Unido 2–1 3–2
Mexico Cruz Azul 3–1 4–5
Canada Toronto FC 4–1 1–1
Quarter-finals United States Columbus Crew 4–1 0–0
Semi-finals Costa Rica Saprissa 2–0 1–2
Finals Mexico Monterrey 0–1 2–2
2012–13 2011 MLS Supporters' Shield

third place

Group stage Costa Rica Herediano 0–0 0–1
Panama Tauro F.C. 2–0 1–0
2015–16 2014 MLS Supporters' Shield

fourth place

Group stage Guatemala Municipal 1–0 1–0
El Salvador Santa Tecla 2–1 0–0
Quarter-finals Mexico UANL 1–1 0–2
2025 2024 MLS Supporters' Shield sixth place Round One Costa Rica Herediano 0–0 1–2
  • Win %- Number of wins divided by number of games played (ties count as half a win)
  • Games decided by a PK Shoot out counted as win or loss not Draw.
As of April 25, 2025
CONCACAF Champions League Team, by Team records:
Team Country Home Away Total
GP W L D F A GD Win % GP W L D F A GD Win % GP W L D F A GD Win %
Árabe Unido  PAN 1 1 0 0 2 1 +1 100% 1 1 0 0 3 2 +1 100% 2 2 0 0 5 3 +2 100%
Columbus Crew  USA 1 1 0 0 4 1 +3 100% 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 50.0% 2 1 0 1 4 1 +3 75.0%
Cruz Azul  MEX 1 1 0 0 3 1 +2 100% 1 0 1 0 4 5 −1 0.0% 2 1 1 0 7 6 +1 50.0%
Herediano  CRC 2 0 1 1 1 2 -1 25.0% 2 0 1 1 0 1 −1 25.0% 4 0 2 2 1 3 −2 25.0%
Monterrey  MEX 1 0 1 0 0 1 −1 0.0% 1 0 0 1 2 2 0 50.0% 2 0 1 1 2 3 −1 25.0%
Municipal  GUA 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 100% 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 100% 2 2 0 0 2 0 +2 100%
Santa Tecla  SLV 1 1 0 0 2 1 +1 100% 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 50.0% 2 1 0 1 2 1 +1 75.0%
Saprissa  CRC 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 100% 1 0 1 0 1 2 −1 0.0% 2 1 1 0 3 2 +1 50.0%
Tauro F.C.  PAN 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 100% 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 100% 2 2 0 0 3 0 +3 100%
Toronto FC  CAN 1 1 0 0 4 1 +3 100% 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 50.0% 2 1 0 1 5 2 +3 75.0%
UANL  MEX 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 50.0% 1 0 1 0 0 2 −2 0.0% 2 0 1 1 1 3 −2 25.0%
Total 11 8 1 2 21 7 +14 81.8% 11 3 4 4 13 15 -2 45.5% 22 11 5 6 34 22 +12 63.6%

Leagues Cup

[edit]
Season Round Opponent Result
2019 Quarter-finals Mexico Tigres UANL 0–1
2023 Group stage United States Seattle Sounders FC 3-0
Mexico Monterrey 0–3
Round of 32 Mexico Club León 3-1
Round of 16 United States Los Angeles FC 0–4
2024 Group stage Mexico Atlas 3-1
United States Houston Dynamo FC 0–3
2025 League stage Mexico América
Mexico Atlético San Luis
Mexico Querétaro

MLS records

[edit]
  • Fewest goals allowed: 20[83] (previous record 23, Houston 2007)
  • Overall goal difference: +25[83] (previous record +22, San Jose 2005 and D.C. United 2007)
  • Home goal difference: +24[83] (previous record +23, Real Salt Lake 2009)
  • Total home points (30-game season): 37[83] (previous record 35, Columbus 2009)
  • Fewest home losses: 0[83] (equals previous record set by San Jose in 2005)
  • Fewest home goals allowed: 7[83] (previous record 8, Colorado 2004)[84]

Associated teams

[edit]
See also: Real Monarchs, Utah Royals FC, and Real Salt Lake Women

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.[85]

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.[86] 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.[87] Shortly thereafter, the new team, which will share Rio Tinto Stadium, was unveiled as Utah Royals FC.[88]

Player records

[edit]

Career

[edit]
  • Players in Bold are still active
  • Only regular season matches played with Real Salt Lake counted towards all-time records. Stats from MLS play-offs, U.S. Open Cup, Super Liga and CONCACAF Champions league are not included.
As of December 11, 2024[89]

Single season

[edit]
  • Only regular season matches played with Real Salt Lake counted towards records.
  • Players in bold currently play for Real Salt Lake.
Legend
Indicates current or recent season
As of September 29, 2024[90]
Shutouts
Rank Player Nation Season Shutouts
1 Nick Rimando United States 2010 14
2 United States 2011 13
3 United States 2012 12
4 United States 2019 10
Zac MacMath United States 2022 10
6 Nick Rimando United States 2009 9
United States 2013 9
Zac MacMath United States 2023 9
9 Nick Rimando United States 2015 8
United States 2017 8
United States 2008 8

Hat tricks

[edit]
Player Date Opponent Result Competition
United States Jason Kreis July 13, 2005 Minnesota Thunder L 4–6 Open Cup
United States Robbie Findley April 2, 2009 Columbus Crew W 4–1 MLS
Costa Rica Álvaro Saborío July 7, 2012 Portland Timbers W 3–0
September 29, 2012 Chivas USA W 4–0
July 27, 2013 New York Red Bulls L 3–4
Argentina Javier Morales May 11, 2014 Houston Dynamo W 5–2
Croatia Damir Kreilach September 1, 2018 LA Galaxy W 6–2
Colombia Chicho Arango March 30, 2024 St. Louis City SC W 3–1
June 1, 2024 Austin FC W 5–1

Player honors

[edit]

League honors

[edit]

MLS All-Star appearances

[edit]
Kyle Beckerman

Players in bold currently play for Real Salt Lake.

Appearances Player Nation Years
8 Kyle Beckerman United States 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016
7 Nick Rimando United States 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019
3 Jamison Olave Colombia 2010, 2011, 2012
2 Tony Beltran United States 2013, 2015
Javier Morales Argentina 2009, 2010
Eddie Pope United States 2005, 2007
1 Chicho Arango Colombia 2024
Fabián Espíndola Argentina 2012
Justen Glad United States 2024
Will Johnson Canada 2009
Damir Kreilach Croatia 2021
Diego Luna United States 2024

Player awards

[edit]

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

Season Award Player(s)
2006 MLS Best XI United States Jeff Cunningham
MLS Golden Boot
2009 MLS Cup Most Valuable Player United States Nick Rimando
2010 MLS Best XI United States Nat Borchers, Colombia Jámison Olave, Argentina Javier Morales
MLS Defender of the Year Colombia Jámison Olave
MLS Newcomer of the Year Costa Rica Álvaro Saborío
2011 MLS Best XI Colombia Jámison Olave
2018 MLS Rookie of the Year United States Corey Baird
2024 MLS Young Player of the Year United States Diego Luna

Team honors

[edit]
  • The annual season-ending award winners are decided based on voting by RSL players.[91]

References

[edit]
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[edit]
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