This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Real Salt Lake's 2016 regular-season opener will also serve as a club first. RSL will get its second crack against Kaká and Orlando City SC on Sunday, March 6, at the Citrus Bowl in downtown Orlando, Fla., the league announced Tuesday. Kickoff is scheduled for noon.

Opening on the road against last year's expansion franchise marks RSL's inaugural regular-season road trip in Florida since entering the league in 2005. Six days later, RSL welcomes the rival Seattle Sounders on Saturday, March 12, at 2 p.m. in its home opener.

The entire 2016 schedule is slated to be announced on Jan. 7.

RSL's league opener comes four days after the club is set to host the second leg of its CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal round matchup with LigaMX club Tigres UANL at Rio Tinto Stadium on Wednesday, March 2. The first leg of the series is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 24, at the Estadio Universario in Monterrey, Mexico.

Only once before has RSL opened on the road against an Eastern Conference opponent: In its introductory MLS match against the New York Red Bulls at Giants Stadium on April 2, 2005 — a 0-0 draw.

The first match between RSL and Orlando City was a 1-1 draw at Rio Tinto Stadium on July 4. Kaká was shown a straight red card in the 45th minute after referee Sorin Stoica sent off the Brazilian superstar for stepping on the right leg of RSL midfielder Javier Morales. The Orlando Sentinel reported it was the second straight red of the 33-year-old's illustrious career.

RSL went 1-1-0 last year against the Sounders. RSL beat Seattle 2-0 at home on Aug. 22 and lost 3-1 in its lone trip to CenturyLink Field in the 2015 season finale on Oct. 25.

Players are set to report to Rio Tinto Stadium on Friday, Jan. 22, for their 2016 entrance physicals, marking the start to the club's preseason schedule. RSL will travel to San Diego, Calif., on Jan. 24 for 10 days of training ahead of another trip to Tucson, Ariz., where the club will once again participate in the FC Tucson Desert Diamond Cup preseason tournament.

The club also announced a scheduled friendly against Club Tijuana in Tijuana, Mexico, on Tuesday, Feb. 2, which will serve as a tune-up for RSL's Champions League series against Tigres.

RSL's preseason schedule will also feature games against Nat Borchers and the defending MLS Cup champion Portland Timbers as well as 2015 MLS Cup finalists Columbus Crew SC and the New England Revolution.

Twitter: @chriskamrani —

Early MLS schedule

First two weeks of 2016 MLS schedule announced:

Sunday, March 6

• Orlando City SC vs. Real Salt Lake

• New York Red Bulls vs. Toronto FC

• Chicago Fire vs. New York City FC

• FC Dallas vs. Philadelphia Union

• Houston Dynamo vs. New England Revolution

• San Jose Earthquakes vs. Colorado Rapids

• Portland Timbers vs. Columbus Crew

• Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Montreal Impact

• Seattle Sounders vs. Sporting Kansas City

• L.A. Galaxy vs. D.C. United

Saturday, March 12

• Real Salt Lake vs. Seattle Sounders

• New England Revolution vs. D.C. United

• Columbus Crew vs. Philadelphia Union

• Colorado Rapids vs. L.A. Galaxy

• Sporting Kansas City vs. Vancouver Whitecaps

• Montreal Impact vs. New York Red Bulls

Sunday, March 13

• New York City FC vs. Toronto FC