Real Salt Lake Hosts Minnesota For First Round First Game of Audi 2024 MLS Playoffs

Real Salt Lake (16-7-11, 59 points, 3rd West MLS) kicks off its 2024 Audi MLS Cup Playoff at home against the visiting Minnesota United FC (15-12-7, 52 points, 6th West) next Tuesday, October 29, with a 7:00p MT kickoff at America First Field, where RSL posted a dominant 12-3-3 / 39-point mark across all competitions this season.

Tickets to RSL’s 35th playoff match in 20 seasons are NOW AVAILABLE. Real Salt Lake and Minnesota last met on Oct. 2 in Utah, the 0-0 scoreless draw part of RSL’s current six-game unbeaten run. The two sides have drawn in each of the last four meetings in 2023 and 2024, earning points as visitors, with each team winning at home in 2022. RSL’s 7:00p MT kickoff on Tues., Oct. 29 against Minnesota is available via Apple TV+ / MLS Season Pass.

This week’s Audi MLS Cup Playoff Wild Card matches (Montreal vs. Atlanta Tuesday, Portland vs. Vancouver Wednesday – check www.MLSsoccer.com for more information), as well as the Game One of all eight First-Round series, are available for FREE on Apple TV+ / MLS Season Pass.

AUDI 2024 MLS CUP PLAYOFFS – WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND

REAL SALT LAKE (3) v. MINNESOTA (6)

Game One – Tuesday, October 29 – 7:00p MT @ America First Field – Sandy, UT

Game Two – Saturday, November 2 – 7:00p MT @ Allianz Field – St. Paul, MN

Game Three* – Friday, November 8 – 7:00p MT @ America First Field – Sandy, UT

* – if necessary

The Round One Best-of-3 Series includes a home-away-home configuration that guarantees at least one home game for all teams. Game 1 matches will be hosted by the higher seed and will air on MLS Season Pass on Apple TVfor free. Game 2 matches will be hosted by the lower seedand as needed; the higher seed will host the decisive Game 3. If a match is tied at the end of regulation during the Wild Card and Best-of-3 Series matches, no extra time will be played, and teams will participate in penalty kicks to determine the winner. The first team to win two matches will advance to the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs Conference Semifinals.

With the 2-1 win at home Saturday night, RSL Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni’s team established a new Club all-time single-season points record (59), its best in 20 seasons, and also clinched a return to the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup with Saturday’s 2-1, come-from-behind victory over Vancouver. RSL’s All-Star MF Diego Luna scored his eighth goal of the season on a 73rd-minute equalizer, just 10 minutes before Luna set up DF Alex Katranis for what ended up being an 83rd-minute game-winner on the Vancouver goalkeeper’s own goal.

The victory enabled RSL to enter the 2024 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs on an active six-game unbeaten streak, RSL finishing with back-to-back wins. The Oct. 5 victory at San Jose – with a Luna game-winner and the Club’s ninth clean sheet of the season – improved RSL’s 2024 road record to 5-4-8 / 23 points, allowing RSL to accrue its second-highest road point total in 20 MLS seasons, trailing only last year’s 28-point mark.

In addition to this season’s 59-point total eclipsing the 57 points accrued in the 2012 season, the 16th win in 34 games matches the Club’s second-highest win total in its 20 MLS campaigns (2013, 2019), trailing only the 17 won in 2012.

This is also the highest-scoring season in Real Salt Lake’s 20 MLS years, with 65 goals through 34 matches, eclipsing the 57 scored in 2013. RSL’s pair of goals scored Saturday enabled the 2024 side to match the all-time Club mark of 38 goals on home soil, matching the 2018 season’s production in Sandy.

RSL now enters the MLS Cup Playoffs for the 14th time in the last 17 seasons, and for the fourth consecutive year under the guidance of Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni, who has improved the point totals and seeding in each of his four seasons. The 2024 campaign represents RSL’s eighth 50-point season in Club history – and its first since 2019 – with the 2024 edition of the Claret-and-Cobalt looking to return to the West Final for the first time since 2021.