Real Salt Lake

Lore & Background

The club plays its home games at America First Field, 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 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. In domestic soccer, Real Salt Lake won the 2009 MLS Cup, then finished as runners-up in the 2010 Supporters Shield and in both the 2013 U.S. Open Cup and 2013 MLS Cup. The club additionally finished runners-up in the 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League, becoming the first American club to reach the final under 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.

Reader's Guide

The Spanish title Real, 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. 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. The Real Salt Lake name was initially met with skepticism, with it being accused of contrivance. 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.

Did You Know?

• Real Salt Lake won the 2009 MLS Cup, defeating the LA Galaxy in a penalty shootout.
• Real Salt Lake's fully owned USL affiliate, Real Monarchs, won the USL Championship in 2019.