RSL to welcome Manchester United to Rio Tinto Stadium in July


2 photos
Save Story

Show 1 more video

Leer en español

Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

SALT LAKE CITY — With a Real Salt Lake jersey over his left shoulder and a Manchester United kit to his left, RSL owner Dell Loy Hansen called attention to a “major announcement” made by the club for the second consecutive day.

No, it wasn’t a replacement for former coach Jeff Cassar, who was fired Monday after the team’s 0-2-1 start and a 10-match winless streak.

Hansen addressed various media throughout the state Tuesday afternoon at the team’s downtown apparel store to announce the coming of legendary English Premier League side Manchester United to the Wasatch Front for the first time in club history.

“They wanted to play us,” Hansen said. “We have a reputation of a great place to be, and a great fan base. Manchester United is excited to be here.

“We’re excited. We think we are a great team, not just a good team. We think that we can beat the best in the world, and we think our fans agree with us.”

A fan celebrates with Manchester United after Jesse Lingard scored his side's second goal of the game during their English Premier League soccer match against Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough, England, Sunday, March 19, 2017. (Nigel French/PA via AP)
A fan celebrates with Manchester United after Jesse Lingard scored his side's second goal of the game during their English Premier League soccer match against Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough, England, Sunday, March 19, 2017. (Nigel French/PA via AP)

Manchester United, winners of a record 20 titles in England’s top division and three European championships, will play Real Salt Lake in a first-of-its-kind matchup July 17 at Rio Tinto Stadium. Tickets will go on sale to RSL season ticket holders March 28, with sales for the general public shortly thereafter.

The announcement wrapped up a whirlwind of a scheduling arrangement that has been in the works for more than a year, Hansen said. Even the club’s players didn’t all know about the date before Tuesday’s announcement, which will bring manager Jose Mourinho and stars like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick, David de Gea, Juan Mata and Paul Pogba, among others, to Utah.

“A few of them will still be surprised; we were leaking it slowly to the group because we didn’t want to leak it big,” RSL general manager Craig Waibel said. “But they’re excited. It’s an awesome opportunity; it doesn’t matter how you do it. When you earn the right to either take the field for them or against them, there is a special feeling, no matter how you do it.

“There’s a reason when you watch Champions League draws, the small teams cheer when they get the big ones. We have the largest soccer brand in the world coming to play in our 20,000-seat stadium, and that’s a heck of an achievement.”

Manchester United will appear in five North American cities this summer as part of the 2017 International Champions Cup. Besides Sandy, the English power will face Manchester City on July 20; Real Madrid July 23 in Santa Clara, California; and FC Barcelona July 26 in Landover, Maryland.

In two previous trips to the United States, the Red Devils drew more than half a million of their 8 million U.S.-based supporters.

Related Story

“This is a reward to our loyal fans who stuck with us through thick and thin,” Hansen said. “They will have a chance to buy tickets, season ticket holders first.”

RSL has an 18-10-10 record in international competition since Chile’s Universidad Catolica visited Rice-Eccles Stadium in the team’s inaugural season in 2005. The list of opponents includes powers like Spain’s Real Madrid, England’s Everton, Mexico’s Xolos de Tijuana, and last year’s friendly against Inter Milan that resulted in a 2-1 loss at Rio Tinto Stadium.

But Hansen said the club has an aim to bring a top-flight competitor to the Sandy-based stadium at least once every season, and the club has started on that path since the Logan-born real estate developer acquired full control of the team in 2013.

#

“I think for a while those conversations weren’t happening, about treating our fans to something special, instead of just two to three extra games on the schedule of teams they may or may not know,” said Waibel, who hinted big clubs like England’s Liverpool FC could also be on the short list of potential friendly opponents. “These ideas came from Dell Loy wanting to find special moments.”

Preston, England, native Luke Mulholland reflected the sentiments of his club’s owner, adding that he was only mildly disappointed that the club of his childhood wouldn’t make the trip to the Wasatch Front.

“As a Liverpool fan, I grew up not really liking Manchester United,” Mulholland said with a cheeky grin. “I envied them with all the glory and success they had over the years. Unfortunately, Liverpool are in China this summer, so we weren’t able to get them.

“We’ll give Manchester United a good game. But hopefully Liverpool can do better than them (in the Premier League).”

Of course friendlies don’t mean much in the grand scheme of professional play. The club, which is currently on a 10-match winless streak that includes a 0-2-1 start to the 2017 MLS season, remains focused on winning — starting Saturday at the New York Red Bulls.

But it’s a nice bonus.

“Trophies are still the aim,” RSL captain Kyle Beckerman said. “But I think these games help us prepare for those. Going against Manchester United can be big for our confidence, and it gives a lot of guys experience to go up against the best in the world. Having trophies and playing friendlies can work well.”

Photos

Related stories

Most recent Sports stories

Related topics

SportsReal Salt Lake
Sean Walker

    ARE YOU GAME?

    From first downs to buzzer beaters, get KSL.com’s top sports stories delivered to your inbox weekly.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast