Real Salt Lake Welcomes Defending Champion Columbus Crew to Utah Saturday

April 12, 2024 – Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release

HERRIMAN, Utah – Real Salt Lake (3-2-2, 11 pts., t-3rd West MLS) resumes its 2024 MLS regular season – the Club’s 20th and Major League Soccer 29th – this Saturday at its America First Field home with a 7:30p MT kickoff against defending MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew (3-1-3, 12 pts, t-2nd East MLS), the active CONCACAF Champions Cup Semifinalists after this week’s shootout win at Tigres UANL in Monterrey, Mex.

RSL Captain FW Chicho Arango – the MLS leader in goal contributions with six goals and four assists through seven games this season – rides an active six-game streak with either a goal or an assist into this weekend. Chicho found the back of the net last Saturday at Minnesota, on the heels of recording all three RSL goals two weeks ago in the Utah side’s come-from-behind 3-1 win over St. Louis. With the Club’s first hat trick since September 17, 2018 (Damir Kreilach). Chicho’s three-goal performance is just the seventh in RSL’s 621-game MLS history, the Colombian joining Alvaro Saborio (three hats – two in 2012, one in 2013), along with Robbie Findley (2009), Javier Morales (2014) and Kreilach. Former Captain, head coach and current Club director Jason Kreis also had a hat trick, albeit in the 2005 U.S. Open Cup – at Minnesota.

Chicho also had assists on both RSL goals at Vancouver on March 23, giving him responsibility for creating the last six Claret-and-Cobalt goals. Arango now has 105 goals as a professional, including 49 goals in 82 games across all competitions since arriving in MLS for LAFC and RSL. Since arriving on the Wasatch Front last July, Chicho boasts 14 goals and six assists in 25 MLS appearances for the Utah-based side, with those numbers increasing to 16 goals and eight assists in 30 RSL games across all competitions (incl. Leagues Cup, Open Cup, Playoffs).

This Saturday’s kickoff at 7:30p MT on Apple TV+ / MLS Season Pass features Tony Husband and Ross Smith (ENG) and John Laguna and Claudio Suarez (SPN) on the call. For local coverage, tune in at 6:30p MT for KSL Radio pre-game w/ David James & Jay Nolly via www.KSLSports.com / 1280 AM / 97.5 FM and www.KSLNewsRadio.com / 1160 AM).

Real Salt Lake v. Columbus Crew SC – MLS Matchday 9

America First Field – Sandy, Utah

Saturday, April 13, 2024 – 7:30p MT

2023 Records:

Real Salt Lake (14-12-8, 50 pts, 5th West);

Columbus Crew SC (16-9-9, 57 pts., 3rd East)

Saturday’s match is the first of three consecutive contests…