The Seattle Sounders are visiting Real Salt Lake on Saturday in their second of two meetings this year. Here is everything you need to know:
WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. PT at America First Field in Sandy, Utah.
WHERE TO WATCH: The match will be available to watch on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app.
WHERE TO LISTEN: The match will air in English on 950 KJR AM and in Spanish on El Rey 1360AM.
2023 RECORDS AND STANDINGS: Sounders: 6-2-1 (19 points, 2nd West), RSL: 3-5-0 (9 points, 9th West)
FORM GUIDE (most recent first, MLS matches only): Seattle: WLWWW, Real Salt Lake: WLWLL
PREVIOUS MEETING: The Sounders defeated RSL 2-0 at Lumen Field in Seattle in the second match of the season on March 4. Jordan Morris and Héber scored on either side of halftime to secure all three points.
FULLY RESTED: The Sounders utilized a mostly youthful lineup in Wednesday’s thrilling 5-4 win over San Diego Loyal SC in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup. Veteran starters like Morris, Nicolás Lodeiro, João Paulo, Albert Rusnák, Yeimar and Stefan Frei all had the evening off and should be good to go this weekend. RSL, meanwhile, in its 3-1 win over Las Vegas Lights on Wednesday, started several key contributors in Justen Glad, Pablo Ruiz and Damir Kreilach.
RUSNÁK RETURNS: For the second time since joining Seattle in free agency ahead of the 2022 season, Rusnák will return to Salt Lake where he spent the first five years of his MLS career. The 28-year-old Designated Player, who scored the match-winner for the Sounders in last week’s 1-0 win over Minnesota United, recorded 41 goals and 39 assists during his time with RSL.
DEFENSIVE LOCKDOWN: Outside of a 19-minute sequence in Portland a few weeks ago, the Sounders have been locked in defensively in league play. Even still, Seattle is tied for third in MLS with just seven goals allowed through nine matches and is tied for first with five clean sheets.
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TROUBLE IN UTAH: For how good historically the Sounders have been on the road, playing in Sandy, Utah, has always been an Achilles’ heel. RSL has won 10 of the last 11 meetings in Utah, and Seattle has won at RSL just once in club history (2011).
ANDRÉS GÓMEZ HEATING UP: Real Salt Lake signed 20-year-old Andrés Gómez this past offseason for a club-record transfer fee from Millonarios in his native Colombia. The talented attacker was a U22 Initiative Signing and scored a great goal en route to a Team of the Matchday honor last weekend.
TOUGH START: RSL has two wins in its last three matches but that comes after losing four of its first five to start the season. Only CF Montréal and Sporting Kansas City have a worse goal differential than Salt Lake (-7) so far this year.
