Real Salt Lake

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CCL Recap: Morales, Williams lead RSL into CONCACAF semifinals

Decisive 4-1 win puts undermanned Columbus out of CCL tourney

SANDY, Utah – An inspired performance by midfielder Javier Morales and Andy Williams led Real Salt Lake to a 4-1 victory over the Columbus Crew at Rio Tinto Stadium on Tuesday night as RSL became the first-ever MLS team to qualify to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions League.

RSL scored two first-half goals on near identical plays as Costa Rican Álvaro Saborío and Morales found the back of the net in the 23rd and 36th minutes. A goal by Peruvian forward Andres Mendoza early in the second half cut the score to 2-1 and gave the Crew a glimmer of hope. However, a second Morales goal with 13 minutes remaining extinguished any hopes of a Columbus comeback. And Williams added the icing on the cake with a majestic free kick on the final play of the game.

Real Salt Lake advance to face the winner of the other quarterfinal between Saprissa and Olimpia. The second leg in that aggregate goal series takes place on Thursday night with the Costa Rican side carrying a narrow 1-0 lead.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/articl...caf-semifinals

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RSL to face Saprissa in Champions League

Costa Rican powerhouse downs Honduras' Olimpia 2-1 (3-1 agg.)

Costa Rican powerhouse Saprissa are lined up to be Real Salt Lake’s CONCACAF Champions League opponent in the semifinals.

“The Purple Monster” defeated Honduran side Olimpia 2-1 (3-1 agg.) on Thursday to claim the remaining semifinal spot.

Armando Alonso gave Saprissa the lead in the 26th minute after putting away his second chance off a cross from teammate Gabriel Badilla.

Eight minutes after the break, Roger Rojas tied things up with a tap-in from two yards out.

The deadlock stood just 10 minutes, though, as second-half Saprissa substitute Luis Cordero rifled home a free kick from just outside the penalty box only minutes after entering the match.

Real Salt Lake will look to keep their incredible form at home when they host Saprissa at Rio Tinto Stadium on March 15.

The Costa Ricans have proven to be equally as tough in their home venue, aptly nicknamed “The Monster’s Cave,” when they receive RSL in the return leg on April 5.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/articl...ampions-league

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In downpour, Beckerman goal provides thunder for RSL


SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The final score may not be as convincing as it was when Real Salt Lake beat the San Jose Earthquakes in last year's season-opener, but the result remained the same on Saturday.

Kyle Beckerman’s 63rd-minute goal, a ricochet off the left post, gave RSL a 1-0 victory—making this the second consecutive year they've walked out of Buck Shaw Stadium with three road points to open the season.

Unlike in last year’s 3-0 whipping, the Earthquakes could say this time that they had the run of play over the course of the 90 minutes. But RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando—put under absolute siege in the final 20 minutes—wouldn't break.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter...es-thunder-rsl

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Salt Lake heads to CCL finals

MLSers fall 2-1, but earn historic berth on 3-2 aggregate victory

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica - Real Salt Lake became the first American team to reach the CONCACAF Champions League finals, defeating Deportivo Saprissa 3-2 on aggregate despite a 2-1 victory by the Costa Rican side in the second leg Tuesday night.

Real Salt Lake, which won the opening leg 2-0 will face either Cruz Azul or Monterrey in the finals. Monterrey leads that series 2-1 heading into Wednesday's second leg at Estadio Azul in Mexico City.

The Mexican winner will host the first leg on April 20 with the second at Rio Tinto Stadium a week later.

It is just the second victory for a Major League Soccer club at the Monster's Cave in nine competitive matches. The Columbus Crew had the only other victory in a CONCACAF Champions League match on September 16, 2009.

http://www.concacaf.com/page/CL/News...331980,00.html

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As Good As Gold

Morales magic as RSL ties Monterrey, 2-2

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WATCH: RSL's Javier Morales returns to the pitch

Go behind the scenes as RSL's Morales makes his comeback

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/articl...-returns-pitch

[speeds]

Grrrr

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Lagerway, Real Salt Lake scout Japan for talent
RSL GM says J-League full of "technical, hard-working players"


Real Salt Lake have taken their search for talent to a whole new part of the world for the club.

Early in December, general manager Garth Lagerwey journeyed to Japan for the first time to scout some J-League talent. The trip, albeit brief, was a productive one for the RSL boss.

“J-League is, I think, pretty similar to MLS,” Lagerwey reported to MLSsoccer.com this week. “It’s a league that’s full of technical, hard-working players. It’s not as physical as MLS is, but we feel like long term, it’s a league where we can draw some players from.

“We’re not going to get a center back from Japan probably – these aren’t 6-foot-4, burly athletes, but they’re technical and they’re hard-working.”

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/articl...t-japan-talent

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RSL's residency program growing in size and stature
Arizona residency gives underserved kids chance to develop talent


Real Salt Lake knew it would take some time for their strategy to pay off. That’s still true. But the hope remains that eventually the club’s academy program in Casa Grande, Ariz., will pay massive dividends soon.

RSL’s Arizona operation is unique in MLS — a residential program in the middle of the desert about 100 miles from Phoenix – the idea is to develop talent that fits in at the parent club. This is crucial for a small-market team that has seen tremendous success without splashy Designated Player signings. The future at Rio Tinto is going to come from homegrown talent, such as Nico Muñiz, the first academy graduate to join the first team.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/articl...ze-and-stature

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Cobalt tops Claret 3-1
in RSL intrasquad scrimmage


PHOENIX – Real Salt Lake’s intrasquad scrimmage Sunday afternoon at the Reach 11 Soccer Complex took place without a number of frontline players on either side. However, that didn’t mean the three-period match lacked for highlights and standout efforts.

The Cobalt side defeated the Claret squad 3-1 as forward Fabián Espíndola scored a goal and added an assist, Ned Grabavoy added a goal, and 22-year-old Argentine forward Emiliano Bonfigli, a Supplemantal Draft pick, scored and recorded an assist for the winning team.

WATCH: Highlights, reaction from RSL's scrimmage
http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/articl...quad-scrimmage

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NY Falls to Real Salt Lake 1-0 in Final Preseason Match

Red Bulls close out the 2012 preseason
with a 1-0 loss to RSL in FC Tucson Desert Diamond Cup

http://www.newyorkredbulls.com/news/...reseason-match

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Rapids-RSL all-time player connections
Eleven players have played for both teams in RMC rivalry


Commerce City, Colo. - Eleven players have played for both the Colorado Rapids and Real Salt Lake over the years. Below we take a look at each players' stats with both Colorado and Salt Lake, and in Rocky Mountain Cup matches while wearing the other team's colors. Stats through April 5, 2012.

The teams meet for the first of three matches this year on Saturday, April 7 at Rio Tinto Stadium in Utah. The game will be broadcast live on DISH Network Ch 457 (SD) / 9574 (HD) and DirectTV Ch 680 (SD) / 680-1 (HD), and tape delayed on Altitude TV at 10 pm MT.

http://www.coloradorapids.com/news/2...er-connections

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RSL push on from mediocre midweek showing in victory


, Utah – Real Salt Lake capped off their third game in eight days with a 2-0 win over their Rocky Mountain rivals on Saturday night at Rio Tinto Stadium.

And while the result against the Rapids was satisfying, what had players and coaches smiling after the match was the fact that they put together a much more complete performance than on Wednesday against Montreal.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/articl...wing-vs-rapids

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Rulers Of The Rockies
Saborio, John score in each half as RSL claim Rocky Mountain Cup


http://www.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter...col/highlights

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Recap:
RSL 2, Vancouver 1

RSL gets pair of Sabo goals to beat Vancouver 2-1

SANDY, Utah (Friday, July 27, 2012) – Real Salt Lake (13-7-3, 39 points, West #2) got a pair of goals from FW Álvaro Saborío to beat Vancouver Whitecaps FC (9-7-7, 34 points, West #3) 2-1 in front of a crowd of 18,702 at Rio Tinto Stadium on Friday night. Saborío twice gave RSL the lead, opening the scoring in the 33rd minute and cancelling out Vancouver FW Darren Mattocks’ second half equalizer with a 58th minute strike.

http://www.realsaltlake.com/news/201...-2-vancouver-1

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Recap:
10-man RSL fall 1-0 to Herediano in CCL opener

Salt Lake’s CONCACAF Champions League hopes were handed an early setback as they fell 1-0 to Costa Rica’s Herediano on Tuesday evening at the Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica in San José.

Playing their first game in the competition since dropping the 2010-11 final to Monterrey, RSL already find themselves in a hole, though they can look forward to a pair of home games as they attempt the top spot in Group 2.

Elias Aguilar's well-worked strike from just outside the area in the 14th minute stood up as the game-winner and Nat Borchers’ 57th-minute red card plus an injury to Jámison Olave compounded RSL’s woes.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter...er-v-rsl/recap

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Braun's debut a bright spot in RSL's loss at Colorado


SANDY, Utah — There wasn't much to take away from Real Salt Lake's 1-0 loss to Colorado last Saturday. RSL were lethargic, tired, a step slow. But there was one bright spot: Justin Braun.

Acquired from Montreal on July 11, Braun logged 63 strong minutes in his debut appearance for his hometown club, manning a striker’s role in place of usual starter Fabian Espindola.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/articl...-loss-colorado

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Going To The Dance
RSL clinch playoff berth with slim 2-1 win over plucky Timbers


http://www.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter...por/highlights

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Recap: Saborio, RSL out-class last-place Chivas USA 4-0


CARSON, Calif. – Álvaro Saborío scored a hat trick as Real Salt Lake rolled past Chivas USA 4-0 at the Home Depot Center Saturday night.

Saborío’s first two goals came in the eighth and 11th minutes and the hosts never recovered; Saborío put the game out of reach in the 65th minute.

RSL (16-11-4) used the points to move into sole possession of second place, three points clear of both Seattle and the LA Galaxy. RSL could stand to gain some help from their Rocky Mountain Cup rivals as Colorado host the Galaxy on Sunday.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter...hv-v-rsl/recap

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Recap: RSL 2-L.A. 1

Claret-and-Cobalt ride Espindola brace to down Galax

CARSON, Calif. – Real Salt Lake (17-11-4, 55 points, West #2) battled back after conceding an early goal to beat the L.A. Galaxy 2-1 at The Home Depot Center in Los Angeles, riding a pair of Fabian Espindola goals – his 8th & 9th of the year – to the victory, which puts RSL five points clear of the Galaxy (15-12-5, 50 points, West #3) and six points clear of Seattle (13-7-10, 49 points, West #4 - pending Sunday’s home match against Portland) into 2nd place in the MLS Western Conference. RSL needs just two points gained (or lost by Los Angeles) from its final two games to secure at least the No. 3 seed in the West.

http://www.realsaltlake.com/news/201...cap-rsl-2-la-1

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Real Salt Lake announces first 3 games of 2013

RSL to open 2013 at San Jose; Home opener 3/16 v. Colorado



http://www.realsaltlake.com/news/201...t-3-games-2013

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Report: RSL acquire Findley's rights in trade with Portland


Soccer By Ives is reporting that RSL have acquired the rights to striker Robbie Findley from Portland via trade, laying the groundwork for the return of the forward who scored 29 goals for the Claret-and-Cobalt from 2007 to 2010.

RSL declined to comment on the report when contacted by MLSsoccer.com.

Portland selected Findley in the 2011 MLS Expansion Draft, securing his MLS rights should a return materialize. His best season came during RSL's 2009 MLS Cup-winning campaign, as he scored 12 goals and added four assists in 27 appearances.

That season, along with a call-up to the United States' World Cup squad, fueled a move to Championship side Nottingham Forest, where he has scored six goals in 25 appearances since signing with the club in December 2010. More recently, the 27-year-old spent time on loan with League Two's Gillingham, tallying one assist in seven games after joining in September.


http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/articl...trade-portland

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Real Salt Lake signs GK Josh Saunders, MF Khari Stephenson

RSL adds ex-LA 'keeper Saunders, Jamaican int'l Stephenson

Player: Josh Saunders
Position: Goalkeeper
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 210 lbs.
Date of Birth: March 2, 1981
Place of Birth: Grants Pass, OR
College: University of California
Citizenship: US
How Acquired: Signed by Real Salt Lake on Feb. 22, 2013

Player: Khari Stephenson
Position: Midfielder
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 185 lbs.
Date of Birth: January 18, 1981
Place of Birth: Kingston, Jamaica
College: Williams College
Citizenship: Jamaica
How Acquired: Signed by Real Salt Lake on Feb. 22, 2013

http://www.realsaltlake.com/news/201...ari-stephenson