Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer as a member of the Western Conference. Founded in 2004, the club began play in 2005 [Major League Soccer season|2005] as an expansion team.
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 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.
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 [USL Championship season|2019].
Name
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 — most notably Madrid C.F.|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.The new team's name was initially met with mixed feelings, with the name 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.
History
Early years (2005–2008)
Real Salt Lake became the twelfth MLS team 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; 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.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.
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.
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.
MLS and CONCACAF success (2009–2012)
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. Seeded as the lowest Eastern Conference team, 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.As defending champions, RSL proved to have its best season to date 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. 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 finish first.
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.
Hansen ownership (2013–2021)
In 2013, Checketts sold his stake in the club to minority owner Dell Loy Hansen. The season saw the departure of key players Olave, Espindola, and Johnson; 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; 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 departures of Borchers and Saborío, which led to the team failing to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2007. 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.
A poor start to the 2017 season saw Cassar dismissed as head coach, with Mike Petke taking over the position in April – however, despite a late-season run, the team failed to make the playoffs. 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.
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.
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. 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.
Blitzer and Smith ownership (2022–2025)
RSL began the 2021 season with no defined ownership, with MLS controlling the process of sale to new ownership. 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. 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. 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.Prior to the 2022 season, the franchise was acquired by sports team investors Ryan Smith and David Blitzer.
Miller ownership (2025–present)
On April 18, 2025, Miller Sports + Entertainment, led by former Utah Jazz owner Gail Miller, acquired a controlling interest in the franchise for $600 million, with Blitzer remaining as a minority owner.Colors and badge
The team's colors are claret red, cobalt blue, and real gold.Uniform evolution
Home, away, and third uniforms.HomeAway- '''Third/special'''
Stadium
| 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 |
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 opened on October 9, 2008. In September 2022, Rio Tinto Stadium was renamed America First Field, with RSL and America First Credit Union announcing a naming rights deal.
Club culture
Rivalries
The main rival of Real Salt Lake is considered to be the Colorado Rapids, with the two competing for the annual Rocky Mountain Cup. The two clubs are the closest to each other geographically, and began the rivalry upon RSL's entrance into Major League Soccer in the 2005 season. As of the 2026 season, RSL holds the edge in the cup, winning 14 times to Colorado's 7.Although no annual trophy is involved, the club also maintains a fierce rivalry with Sporting Kansas City. Initially born out of a preseason brawl in 2011, the rivalry escalated following the 2013 MLS Cup, in which RSL was defeated by Kansas City in penalties. Both teams have regularly competed in the Western Conference.
Fans of the club also maintain smaller-scale rivalries with the LA Galaxy, Los Angeles FC, and Seattle Sounders FC.
Supporters groups
Real Salt Lake has seven officially recognized supporters groups — Salt City United, Rogue Cavaliers Brigade, Section 26, Riot Brigade, La Barra Real, Section 11, and Los Caballeros Reales — 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, at the end of every home game if the result is a win, 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.Sponsorship
RSL has a long-term sponsorship deal with Intermountain Health. It previously had sponsorship deals with LifeVantage and Xango. Additional sponsors include JetBlue Airways, Maverik, Inc., Ford, WCF Insurance, and Zions Bank. 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 Company|Toro], Toyota, Utah Children's Dental Network, Utah: Life Elevated, WGU, YESCO, and Zagg brands.Broadcasting
held television rights to Real Salt Lake games that were not aired by Major League Soccer's national television partners. The telecasts 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. In 2018, the team extended its television deal with Sinclair, 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 and reserve club Real Monarchs, on digital platforms. In 2020, the team extended its television deal with Sinclair until 2022.Players and staff
Ownership history
- Dave Checketts
- Del Loy Hansen
- MLS
- Ryan Smith
- David Blitzer
- '''Gail Miller'''
Head coaches
- Includes MLS regular Season, MLS Playoffs, CONCACAF Champions League, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, and Leagues Cup.
| Head coach | Tenure | Games | Win | Loss | Draw | Win % | PPG | Playoffs | Notes | |||||||||||||||||
 Team resultsYear-by-yearThis 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.1. Avg. attendance include statistics from league matches only. 2. Top goalscorer 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
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