Real Salt Lake hoping to earn big crowd's support

Published: Friday, July 10, 2009 12:46 a.m. MDT
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 

SANDY — An at-capacity or near-capacity crowd is expected inside Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday evening when Real Salt Lake takes on Mexican power Club America.

As of late Thursday afternoon, just 3,000 tickets remained available for Saturday's exhibition match, with many of those seats expected to go fast. However, while RSL has had several stellar crowds in the brief history of Rio Tinto Stadium that have roared on the home club, RSL's players and coaches know that Saturday's crowd probably won't be pro-RSL.

When told that Saturday's exhibition might be 50-50 — at best — in favor of the "home team," RSL midfielder Clint Mathis quickly retorted, "That's shooting high."

Indeed, Real Salt Lake's players and coaches are bracing for what will likely be a pro-Club America crowd inside their own stadium when they take one of the biggest soccer clubs in this hemisphere on Saturday.

Story continues below

"I think the typical American professional soccer player is very used to it by now, (and) has played in matches where, even though it's your own stadium, you're not the home team," said RSL coach Jason Kreis. "What also is there, though, is the opportunity to show those fans that you know how to play the game, too. What I've often seen in games like this is — if you do it right and you play well enough — you've got, by the end of the game, as many people on your side as are on theirs, even though they came to watch the other team."

For his part, Mathis echoed Kreis' sentiments about using the situation as an opportunity to try to win over new fans.

"It's gonna be one of those cases where we might not be, per se, the home team, which is OK. As long as we can show these hardcore fans that we have the same abilities and can play just as good as their favorite teams, hopefully we do win them over," Mathis said.

To do that, Mathis suggested Salt Lake need only to approach Saturday's game like it's any other — even if it's not.

"You just gotta treat it like a normal game," he said. "If we go out there and we're starting to play well, passing it around well, scoring, you'll actually see some of those fans come to our side. It's just one of those things that we have to go out, treat it like any game that we wanna go out and win ... If we can win those guys over, we're gonna have them here every other weekend."

e-mail: drasmussen@desnews.com

Recent comments

RSL doesnt need closed-minded people like you

That's okay | July 11, 2009 at 1:40 a.m.

We get to see real football play a game against the Utes FOOTBALL...

When  | July 10, 2009 at 3:15 p.m.

Mexican teams make great rivals for MLS teams. Pachuca and Houston...

Great rivals | July 10, 2009 at 11:34 a.m.

previousnext

Latest comments

3rd year I've seen 'em. Happy to announce they'll do a "Spring Tour" as...

This truly is a tragedy for the Jones family, and they have my deepest...

John sounds like he was an angel. I guess now he can get his wings!! What a...

My fifth time seeing this show. It became my newest Christmas tradition the...

Don't tell the malls, they'll shut down the food courts!

RSL spoiled ESPN's wish for L.A. win

Making 3 stooges noises, because the guy's name is Kerley!?? That is classic....

Davis man sues police

What time of day did this happen? I'll bet it was late and it was a DUI stop...

Kicked out of World Cup?

"This could bring consequences that would be deadly for Chilean football."...

Korver's return hits snag

Looking forward to Korver's return. He is an exciting player and the Jazz...

BYU's old uniforms?

Boy you look stupid. For the record, it was a Ute fan who started the smack...

Advertisements