Real
Salt Lake is a Major League Soccer franchise located in Salt Lake City, Utah,
due to begin play in the next MLS season, beginning in April 2005. The team
will initially play its home games at University of Utah's Rice-Eccles
Stadium, although numerous communities in the area have expressed interest
in building the team a soccer-specific stadium.
The club is owned by Dave Checketts, whose desire to attach his team to a
successful soccer club, Real Madrid, as well as to develop a brand that
clearly connoted 'soccer', was the inspiration for the name. Fan support for
the name, however, has not been positive, as rumors that the name would be
Real Salt Lake were largely met with derision and pessimism. Many people
felt the name should more accurately reflect the Salt Lake area, since the
city's other professional team, the Utah Jazz basketball team, does not.
Although it is yet to be seen how both the American and European media
respond to this highly unconventional name, there has been little derision
or disapproval so far.
Their head coach will be John Ellinger, coach of the Under-17 United States
national team and the head of USSF's Bradenton Academy. |
