On the brink of Wednesday evening's opening matches in the final round of CONCACAF qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, U.S. Soccer has announced that the United States men's national team will call Rio Tinto Stadium home when the team plays host to El Salvador for their pivotal qualifier on Saturday, Sept. 5. Kickoff time and broadcast information for the seventh of the USA's 10 matchdays during CONCACAF's "Hexagonal" round will be set at a later date. Fans will be able to follow the match live on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker.
U.S. Soccer will announce ticket information, including pricing and public on-sale dates, in the upcoming weeks. Real Salt Lake has announced that the club's 2009 season ticket holders will be given an opportunity to purchase tickets for the USA-El Salvador showdown before seats become available to the general public, with details on the exclusive pre-sale window also to follow in the near future.
"Rio Tinto Stadium and Real Salt Lake are thrilled to bring the U.S. Men's National Team and the passion of World Cup qualifying back to Utah," said Real Salt Lake and Rio Tinto Stadium President Bill Manning. "The fact that U.S. Soccer has placed such an important match on their qualifying calendar here in Sandy underscores the faith they have in supporters of the sport not only along the Wasatch Front, but the entire Intermountain West. We look forward to rewarding that faith and providing the best home-field advantage for U.S. Soccer not only on Sept. 5th, but for years to come."
The Sept. 5 match against El Salvador will mark the U.S. Men's National Team's second-ever visit to the State of Utah, and its first to Real Salt Lake's new home of Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy. The team's first trip to the Beehive State was also for World Cup qualifying action on June 4, 2005, when the USA went on to dominate their counterparts from Costa Rica during a 3-0 win at Rice-Eccles Stadium, a triumph spurred on by a tremendous crowd of 40,586 that provided the U.S. with one of the more enthusiastic audiences in recent memory.
"We are excited to be heading to a great venue for soccer in this country," said U.S. head coach Bob Bradley. "The Salt Lake area has demonstrated both passion and commitment to the U.S. team and the sport as a whole, and we believe Rio Tinto Stadium will be a fine host for a World Cup qualifier."
The fans in attendance at Rio Tinto Stadium on Sept. 5 will hope the U.S. squad can equal its feat of clinching a World Cup berth in the seventh qualifier this go-around, much like it did back in Sept. 2005, when a 2-0 win over Mexico at Columbus Crew Stadium guaranteed the United States would move on to Germany 2006. The U.S. has dominated the series against El Salvador, with only a single blemish on the 13-1-4 lifetime record. The U.S. has been particularly imposing in World Cup qualifying, posting an unbeaten 4-0-2 record against the Salvadorans (2-0-1 at home). The teams last squared off in World Cup qualifying during the semifinal phase for Germany, the USA collecting a pair of 2-0 wins in Foxboro and San Salvador. Landon Donovan and Brian Ching did the business in Boston, while goals from Brian McBride and his replacement Eddie Johnson earned the victory in El Salvador.
The U.S., along with Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico and Trinidad & Tobago, is competing in the 10-game, round-robin qualifying format through Oct. 14, 2009, with the top three teams automatically advancing to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The fourth-place team will compete in a two-game playoff to be held Nov. 14/18 against the fifth-place finisher in South American qualifying.
About Rio Tinto Stadium:
Rio Tinto Stadium is a state-of-the-art, sports and entertainment facility in Utah, providing a stunning new home for world-class events, one with breathtaking views of both the Oquirrh and Wasatch Mountain ranges. Rio Tinto Stadium opened its doors for the first time on Thursday, October 9, 2008, with Real Salt Lake Major League Soccer action televised before an international audience.
The Stadium, host of the 2009 MLS All-Star Game on Wednesday, July 29, 2009, is a new class of venue in the Intermountain West, attracting events that would not otherwise visit Utah, bolstering the state's reputation as an international sports and entertainment destination. The diversity of events attracted to Rio Tinto Stadium brings significant media attention, positively impacts tourism efforts and creates numerous job opportunities on both permanent and seasonal bases. In March, 2008, the Stadium was recognized by Forbes.com as one of "10 New Super-Stadiums" in development worldwide.
Located in Sandy, Utah, at the heart of the Wasatch Front, Rio Tinto Stadium is conveniently accessed from major transportation arteries Interstate-15 as well as State Street, between 9000 South and 9400 South. The venue resides just 15 minutes from downtown Salt Lake City and 25 minutes from SLC International Airport. The venue seats 20,008 people for various sporting events, including Real Salt Lake games, with capacity rising to 25,000 for concerts and other events. Stadium amenities include 32 luxury suites, a 2,000-square foot Stadium Club, 1,000 club seats, five locker rooms, a 60-foot Video Board, and ribbon LED boards on both the east and west fascia.
