This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
If Real Salt Lake hopes to claim the 2013 Supporters' Shield, it will have to start with last season's winners.
For the third time in four years, RSL will kick off the Major League Soccer season against the San Jose Earthquakes. The game will be held March 3 in San Jose, Calif.
Real stays on the road the following weekend for a March 9 match with D.C. United. The season's first match at Rio Tinto Stadium will come two weeks later, on March 16, against Rocky Mountain Cup rival Colorado.
And here are some other key RSL dates over the next few months:
Jan. 17 — 2013 MLS SuperDraft in Indianapolis, Ind.
Jan. 18 — Spring training opens in Salt Lake City.
Jan. 22-28 — RSL training at Grande Sports World in Casa Grande, Ariz.
Feb. 1-8 — Training at UC Irvine.
FC Tucson Desert Diamond Cup in Tucson, Ariz.
Feb. 13 — RSL vs. New York Red Bulls
Feb. 16 — RSL vs. Seattle Sounders FC
Feb. 20 — RSL vs. New England Revolution
Feb. 23 — Championship and third-place matches
— Aaron Falk