Phoenix FC News Release -- www.phoenixfc.com
Sunday, April 21, 2013
PHOENIX, Ariz. -- Phoenix FC's recent three-match homestand gives way to a trip to Rio Tinto Stadium, home of Major League Soccer's Real Salt Lake, to take on RSL's Reserves on Monday night at 6 p.m. PT. This is a match that counts in the USL PRO League standings for the Wolves as well as the MLS Reserve League standings for Real Salt Lake, as determined in an agreement the two leagues reached earlier this year. As part of the partnership, USL PRO teams and MLS reserve clubs will play a home and away series in counting matches this season. 
Phoenix FC is 1-3 after back-to-back home losses to Orlando City SC and the Los Angeles Blues. The Wolves lost their only other road match this season, 2-0 in the opener on March 23 in Southern California against the Blues.
RSL's reserves will play other home matches at a different venue but come April 22, both clubs get to play at one of the great soccer-specific stadiums in North America, Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah just outside of Salt Lake City. RSL's Reserves are 2-1-1 on the season after suffering its first loss in league play on April 14 in Canada against the Vancouver Whitecaps' Reserves. Forward Devon Sandoval, a 21-year-old rookie out of New Mexico taken in the second round of the MLS SuperDraft earlier this year, leads Real Salt Lake's reserves with two goals on the season.
There figures to be some MLS experience on the field for the home team. Reserve league games aren't just for young and developing players, they are also used in MLS to give playing time to veterans who saw little to no action in the main league's regular-season match, or matches in the same week.
Phoenix FC played shorthanded last Sunday in losing to Los Angeles 3-1. Missing two key players due to injury in forward Darren Mackie and goalkeeper Andrew Weber going into the match, the Wolves also lost defender Devon Grousis to a leg injury early on, as he had to be replaced. The status of the three players for Monday's game is yet to be determined. Netinho, Diego Faria and Scott Morrison have the three goals for Phoenix FC in its four matches this season.
Phoenix FC and RSL's reserves will meet for the return match on June 15 at Sun Devil Soccer Stadium.