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Rúhíyyih Khánum

Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum (8 August 1910 – 19 January 2000), born Mary Sutherland Maxwell, was the wife of Shoghi Effendi from 1937 to 1957 and a prominent figure in the development of the Baháʼí Faith. In 1952, she was elevated to the Baháʼí rank of Hands of the Cause, for which she attended to issues related to the expansion and protection of the religion, and served an important role in the transfer of authority from 1957 to 1963.

Rúhíyyih Rabbání was raised in Montreal, Quebec. After two trips to the Baháʼí holy land in Haifa, Israel, she engaged in many youth activities in the Baháʼí community. She married Shoghi Effendi in 1937. After his death, Rúhíyyih Rabbání became for Baháʼís the last remaining link to the family of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, who headed the Baháʼí Faith from 1892 to 1921 and was the eldest son of the faith's founder, Baháʼu'lláh. In 2004, CBC viewers voted her number 44 on the list of "greatest Canadians" on the television show The Greatest Canadian.

Rúhíyyih Khánum was the author of several published books, such as Prescription for Living and The Priceless Pearl.

Early life
Rúhíyyih Khánum was born in New York City on August 8, 1910 to William Sutherland Maxwell and May Maxwell, and was raised in Montreal, Quebec where her father was a prominent architect. Through her father, Mary was of Scottish ancestry. The family originated from Aberdeen and Jedburgh. Through her mother, she was primarily of English stock. In 1912, ʻAbdu'l-Bahá visited Canada and stayed in the Maxwells' home. There he met Mary, aged two, and described her as the "essence of sweetness". ʻAbdu'l-Bahá showed much affection to baby Mary.

Her mother wanted to give Mary an education that was free of the rigidity of the traditional educational methods in the country, and established the first Montessori school in Canada at their residence, and Mary attended the school. Maxwell began reading and writing at a young age and her pastimes included writing poetry, novels and plays. She spoke English, French, German and Persian fluently. During her youth, she twice traveled to the Baháʼí World Centre in Palestine for pilgrimage – the first with her mother and the second with her mother's friends, aged fifteen. It was during these pilgrimages that she first met Shoghi Effendi, then head of the Baháʼí Faith.

North America

In her youth, Maxwell was engaged in many Baháʼí activities. At the age of 15, she joined the Executive Committee of the Fellowship of Canadian Youth for Peace. She was also involved in local racial equality conventions, including dances. A spectator, Sadie Oglesby – one of the first African-American Baháʼís – described her as "sixteen-year-old Mary Maxwell, a beautiful and most refreshing girl to know". By 21, she was elected to the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of Montreal, the local Baháʼí governing council there.

Considered attractive and a gifted orator by her contemporaries, Mary quickly established herself as a prominent member of the North American Bahá’í community. She embarked on regular trips around the United States and Canada to propagate the religion. Beginning in 1932, she lectured on The Dawn-Breakers throughout the United States. At the age of 22, in May 1933, during a visit to Washington, D.C., she insisted that all meetings be open to both black and white people. Mary held talks at Howard University, making a concerted effort to connect with African-Americans interested in the Bahá’í Faith. Additionally, during her early twenties, she attended official functions with her father in Montreal, meeting dignitaries such as the Governor General of Canada at events like the Royal Canadian Academy’s Fifty-Fourth Exhibition.

Europe
As a young woman, Mary had expressed a great desire to learn Spanish. However, her plans to travel to Republican Spain were thwarted with the Spanish Civil War. Instead, Mary chose to live with her cousin in Nazi Germany in 1935, a move which was endorsed by Shoghi Effendi. In Germany, Shoghi Effendi encouraged Mary to strengthen the fledgling Baháʼí community. The young Mary assimilated herself in German culture, wearing a dirndl and learning to speak German fluently.

Whilst in Germany, Mary received an invitation from Shoghi Effendi to go on pilgrimage with her mother. Both mother and daughter accepted the invitation. They were initially planning to travel through the Balkans and visit the Baháʼís, but the unrest of the area forced them to travel directly to Haifa.

Marriage
Mary had spent extended periods with Shoghi Effendi before their marriage, initially meeting him when she was 12 years old. After a pilgrimage three years later, she maintained constant communication with Shoghi Effendi. In January 1937, Mary and her mother arrived in Haifa, initiating a discreet courtship with Shoghi Effendi. By February, the couple was engaged, and Mary promptly cabled her father to join them in Haifa. On March 24, at the age of 26, Mary married Shoghi Effendi in a simple ceremony. It was during this time that Shoghi Effendi bestowed upon her the title "Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum" (Amatu'l-Bahá means "Handmaiden of Glory"). The official announcement of their marriage was cabled to the Baháʼí world by Shoghi Effendi's mother, Ḍíyáʼíyyih:"Announce Assemblies celebration marriage beloved Guardian. Inestimable honour conferred upon handmaid of Baháʼu'lláh Ruhiyyih Khanum Miss Mary Maxwell. Union of East and West proclaimed by Baháʼí Faith cemented. Ziaiyyih mother of Guardian." As Rúhíyyih was getting used to life in the East, the newlyweds made a trip to Switzerland, and Shoghi Effendi introduced his young bride to his favourite sights in the country. It was initially difficult for her to adjust to her new home and she suffered periods of loneliness and homesickness. With the encouragement of Shoghi Effendi, she studied both the Bible and the Quran and started learning Persian. She later became fluent in the language and was able to deliver talks in Persian. In a letter to her mother a year after her marriage, she wrote that "if anyone asked me what my theme was in life I should say, 'Shoghi Effendi'".

Appointed positions
Almost immediately after their marriage, she served as the Guardian's secretary, and then in 1941 until 1957 she served as Shoghi Effendi's principal secretary in English. In 1951, she was appointed to the International Baháʼí Council, which was an administrative institution of the Baháʼí Faith created as a precursor to the Universal House of Justice to act as a liaison between the Council and Shoghi Effendi. Later on, on March 26, 1952, she was appointed to the office of Hand of the Cause of God – a distinguished rank in service to the religion – for which she attended to issues related to the propagation and protection of the religion.

After Shoghi Effendi died in 1957, she became for Baháʼís the last remaining link to the family of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, who headed the Faith from 1892 to 1921 and was the eldest son of the Faith's Founder, Baháʼu'lláh.

Ministry of the Custodians
In 1957, her husband, Shoghi Effendi, died without having appointed a successor. Rúhíyyih Khánum was among the 27 Hands of the Cause who stewarded the religion for the six-year interim, before the Universal House of Justice was scheduled to be elected in 1963. The Hands voted among themselves for nine individuals to work at the Baháʼí World Centre to run the administration of the Faith, a position to which Rúhíyyih Khánum was elected; these nine were designated the Custodians. During this time, she worked on assuring the completion of the ten-year international teaching plan which was launched by Shoghi Effendi in 1953. Upon the election of the Universal House of Justice in 1963, the ending point of Shoghi Effendi's ten-year plan, the nine Hands acting as interim head of the Faith closed their office.

Travels
From 1957 until her death, Rúhíyyih Khánum traveled to over 185 countries and territories working with the world's several million Baháʼís. She especially encouraged members of indigenous peoples to participate in the global Baháʼí community. Her travels took her to all the continents and to small islands. Some of her travels involved extended stays. For four years, she traveled for 58,000 kilometers in a Landrover through sub-Saharan Africa, visiting 34 countries, in 19 of which she was received by the head of state. On another trip, she visited nearly 30 countries in Asia and the Pacific islands during a seven-month span. From January to March 1970, she crossed Africa from east to west, driving 2/3 of the distance herself, visiting many country's communities, meeting with individuals and institutions, both Baháʼí and civic.

In 1975–6, she travelled by boat through the tributaries of the Amazon River of Brazil and visited the high mountain ranges of Peru and Bolivia. Thirty six tribal groups were visited over a period of six months; the trip was called The Green Light Expedition,  which followed Khanum's The Great African Safari. There have also been projects developed from the original expedition – In the Footsteps of the Green Light Expedition and Tear of the Clouds.

During her travels, she was received by the following heads of state and government:
 * Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia,
 * Malietoa Tanumafili II of Western Samoa
 * Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of India
 * President Félix Houphouët-Boigny of Côte d'Ivoire
 * President Carlos Menem of Argentina
 * Prime Minister Edward Seaga of Jamaica, and
 * Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Death
Rúhíyyih Khánum died on January 19, 2000, at the age of 89 in Haifa, Israel. She was buried at the Baháʼí World Centre.

Publications and productions
Rúhíyyih Khánum was also an author; she wrote several books including The Priceless Pearl, which is a biography of Shoghi Effendi; Twenty-Five Years of the Guardianship;, Prescription for Living, which discussed the application of spiritual principles to one's life. and The Desire of the World: Materials for the contemplation of God and His Manifestation for this Day. She was also the editor of the book The Ministry of the Custodians. She produced two full-length documentary films: The Green Light Expedition and The Pilgrimage.

title: Rúhíyyih Khánum


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Armadillo (character)

Armadillo (Antonio Rodriguez) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Publication history
Created by Mark Gruenwald and Paul Neary, the character made his first appearance in Captain America #308 (August 1985).

Gruenwald recounted that Armadillo "is just a silly monster I wanted to throw in as kind of a joke on the old Marvel armadillo thing in the letters page".

Fictional character biography
Antonio Rodriguez was born in San Antonio, Texas. He was given superhuman strength and durability by Dr. Karl Malus. This process involved having his human genes combined with the genetic material of an armadillo which gave him the appearance of a humanoid armadillo. The Armadillo's original motivation during his criminal career was to get enough money to be able to pay a doctor to discover a way to cure his girlfriend Maria of an unspecified terminal illness. When she was cured from her treatment, Maria abandoned him because of his appearance. Since that time, his motive has been to secure enough money to pay the Power Broker or some other scientist to reverse the process which transformed him. As part of the Armadillo's first encounter with superheroes, he was dispatched by Dr. Karl Malus to break into the West Coast Avengers Compound and free Goliath. There, the Armadillo battled Captain America who released him after learning of the sacrifice he made for the comatose Maria.

The Armadillo later joined the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation. While on tour with the UCWF, he battled Captain America and Hawkeye atop the Empire State Building. He had apparently gone berserk after discovering his estranged wife Bonita with another man, and was intending to commit suicide. Captain America tried to talk him down, but the Armadillo jumped off the building. He survived the fall, but was arrested.

He was later seen incarcerated in the Vault. Having been talked out of a criminal career by Captain America and his allies, he surrendered to Vagabond to avoid further prosecution. Armadillo only wished to serve out the remainder of his sentence. To this end, he fought against various supervillains who wished to engineer large-scale breakouts, including Venom, and later various supervillains released by the Thunderbolts as they broke out Moonstone.

After being released from the Vault, Armadillo became the regional champion of the Ultimate Fighting League. After his defeat by Daniel Axum (formerly the villain Battler), Armadillo was reduced to begging in an alleyway. There, he talked Daniel Axum out of joining a Spider-Man Revenge Squad.

Having fallen on hard times, Armadillo proceeded to join the Constrictor and Jack O'Lantern in robbing an armored car. After his defeat by Hercules, Armadillo was incarcerated at The Raft, and chained to Tiger Shark. During the break-out initiated by Electro, Armadillo and Tiger Shark escaped and hid out in the town of Fairbury, Illinois. There, they were confronted by the New Warriors, resulting in a battle in which both fugitives were defeated. Afterwards, Armadillo joined Vil-Anon, a twelve-step group dedicated to helping individuals overcome their criminal tendencies.

During the Civil War storyline, the Hood hires Armadillo as part of his criminal organization to take advantage of the split in the superhero community caused by the Superhuman Registration Act, and he is later seen among his gang. Armadillo is then spotted at the funeral of Stilt-Man which was located at the Bar with No Name. After poisoning the guests, the Punisher blew up the bar. It was later mentioned that "they all had to get their stomachs pumped and be treated for third-degree burns."

Around this time, he was seen entering the office of The Consultant, a criminal PR agent of sorts who improves the reputation and occasionally powers of super-villains. Upon Armadillo's entering his office, the Consultant asked his secretary to cancel the rest of his appointments for the afternoon as he anticipated a lot of work improving Armadillo's image.

The Armadillo later took place in the Fifty State Initiative, as a member of Texas's superhero team, The Rangers. He assists in saving the President from an assassination attempt by HYDRA forces. Many other heroes are involved in this as well.

However, he was fired by the Rangers for unstated reasons. He was next seen doing lucha libre wrestling in Mexico for small cash, eventually being recruited by MODOK. After being one of the few villains that does not betray MODOK, Armadillo gains more money than initially promised. He happily departs with Puma and Nightshade (with whom he'd developed a friendship, and shows a desire for them to remain as a team).

Armadillo is mentioned as being incarcerated in The Raft next to Doctor Doom prior to the breakout in Secret Invasion. A group of former HYDRA agents kidnapped Armadillo to evaluate a neurotoxin Anathema on him. They made a presentation to Madame Hydra, to get back in Hydra. Armadillo is saved by the True Believers.

After the Siege of Asgard, he was seen as a bodyguard for the new Rose. Armadillo comes into conflict with Jackpot and Spider-Man when they try to infiltrate the Rose's penthouse. Armadillo throws Jackpot through a window and prevents Spider-Man from saving her.

Armadillo later hides out in Puebla, but one of the locals reports him to a vigilante group, who attack him. The fight is quickly joined by the Hulk and She-Hulk. She-Hulk convinces Armadillo to stop fighting. She also suggests helping the people of Puebla before turning himself in promising to act as his lawyer in court.

He is next seen fighting the Scarlet Spider at a rodeo in Houston when he drunkenly tries to reconnect with his ex-girlfriend.

Following the Avengers vs. X-Men storyline, Armadillo is seen taking part in a prison riot. Mimic and Rogue were the only ones to respond. Copying the powers of Armadillo, Equinox, and Man-Bull, Mimic and Rogue were able to stop the riot. Boomerang and Owl then hire Armadillo onto the Sinister Sixteen, assembled to distract the Chameleon's forces while Boomerang steals from him.

Working for She-Thing, Armadillo is next seen attacking the Thing while they are both imprisoned.

Armadillo later joins HYDRA after Baron Helmut Zemo promises to cure his condition in exchange for his allegiance. He takes part in HYDRA's plot to sterilize the human race by using Inhuman blood, but betrays Zemo after Sam Wilson, the new Captain America, tells Armadillo that by serving HYDRA, he'd be trading his soul and humanity just to be cured.

Armadillo is later revealed to have been hired by Dr. Karl Malus in exchange for a cure to his condition. He aids the Sons of the Serpent in a trafficking plot to ship illegal immigrants for a genetic experiment conducted by Karl Malus and fights Sam Wilson, who had followed the leader of the smugglers to a diner. During the fight, Armadillo expresses his anger and frustration on Sam for not keeping his promise to cure him.

Armadillo is later seen on a crime spree when he is defeated by Ironheart.

During the "Opening Salvo" part of the 2017 "Secret Empire" storyline, Armadillo is recruited by Baron Helmut Zemo to join the Army of Evil.

During the "Search for Tony Stark" arc, Armadillo rejoined Hood's gang and assisted in the attack on Castle Doom.

During the "Hunted" storyline, Armadillo is among the animal-themed characters that were captured by Taskmaster and Black Ant for Kraven the Hunter's "Great Hunt" that is sponsored by Arcade's company Arcade Industries. He was seen watching the fight between Spider-Man and Scorpion until the Hunter-Bots created by Arcade Industries arrived. Then he was seen fleeing from the Hunter-Bots when the "Great Hunt" begins. Armadillo was seen with the remaining animal-themed characters who were gathered by Vulture. Armadillo partook in the attack on the Hunter-Bots. Armadillo was freed when Kraven the Hunter had Arcade lower the forcefield around Central Park. Armadillo and the Serpent Society were seen charging towards the police only to be subdued by the Avengers and the Fantastic Four.

During the "Gang War" storyline, Spider-Woman fought Armadillo in the Bronx. Upon being defeated, Armadillo states to her that he has no idea what Hydra is up to while having referenced Baron Zemo's cure offer to him. As members of the Menagerie, Armadillo and Man-Bull fought Spider-Man and She-Hulk until Mary Jane Watson arrived in her Jackpot outfit. She helped Spider-Man entangle Armadillo's ball form.

Powers and abilities
Due to a genetic altering procedure performed on him by the villainous Dr. Karl Malus, Armadillo has superhuman strength, stamina, and durability. It was originally believed that his costume, a scaly nine-foot-tall orange armored hide with claws useful for digging through earth, was bonded to his skin by this process. It was later revealed that it was not a costume, but part of his body that had been mutagenically altered with the genetic material of an actual armadillo. His armor is bulletproof and his claws can tear through all but the densest of substances. Like an actual armadillo, he can roll up into a ball.

Armadillo is an excellent hand-to-hand combatant as he was a skilled street fighter prior to his superhuman transformation.

Love interests
Armadillo had different love interests:

 * Maria Bonita Rodriguez was Antonio Rodriguez's wife. While Antonio was serving prison time, his wife fell to an unspecified illness. After his release, he tried to find a cure. He met Dr Karl Malus who turned Antonio into the Armadillo and promised to cure Bonita if Antonio obeyed his orders. After Armadillo's encounter with Captain America, the Avengers forced Karl Malus to cure Antonio Rodriguez's wife. When he discovered that during his wrestling career his wife cheated on him with a man named Ramon, Armadillo went berserk. At one point, he escaped the Vault to find and kill his unfaithful wife. Finally, he was talked out of it by Vagabond.
 * Daisy Schilling became Antonio Rodriguez's girlfriend. His dismissal from the Rangers impacted him and she left him because he was distant. Later, Daisy Schilling became a model in Texas and engaged to Wyatt Taft. When he learned of this, a drunk Armadillo charged in a Houston rodeo calling for her. Scarlet Spider intervened and the two fought. Armadillo's ex-girlfriend jumped into the field and stopped them. She'd always had feelings for Antonio Rodriguez. The two lovers hugged and kissed under the applause of the crowd.

Reception

 * In 2020, CBR.com ranked Armadillo 1st in their "Spider-Man: 10 Weirdest Animal Villains From The Comics That We'd Like To See In The MCU" list.

In other media

 * Armadillo appears in M.O.D.O.K., voiced by Dustin Ybarra. This version's longs for his wife Irene even though they have been apart for eight years and he never formally proposed to her. In his most notable appearance in the episode "If Saturday Be... For the Boys!", MODOK recruits Armadillo, among other D-List villains, to help him steal Captain America's shield. During this time, Armadillo takes a detour to Irene's house to try and win her back, but ends up in a fight with her new husband Mandrill until MODOK breaks it up and teaches Armadillo to move on with his life.
 * Armadillo makes a cameo appearance in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Armadillo (character)


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Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake (RSL) is an American professional soccer club based in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. The club competes as a member club of Major League Soccer (MLS) in the Western Conference. Founded in 2004, the club began play in 2005 as an expansion team of the league.

The club plays its home games at America First Field (formerly known as Rio Tinto Stadium), a soccer-specific stadium located in the Salt Lake City suburb of Sandy, Utah, which they shared with their sister team, Utah Royals FC. Before moving to America First Field, RSL previously played home games at Rice-Eccles Stadium, located on the campus of the University of Utah, from 2005 to 2007. The team is currently led by head coach Pablo Mastroeni.

In domestic soccer, Real Salt Lake won the 2009 MLS Cup, and they finished as runners-up in the Supporters Shield in 2010 and the 2013 editions of both the U.S. Open Cup and MLS Cup. The club additionally finished runners-up in the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League, becoming the first American club to do so during the tournament's group stage format. Their fully owned USL affiliate, Real Monarchs, won the USL Championship, the second division in American soccer, in 2019.

Name
The Spanish title Real, meaning "royal" in English, has been used since the early 20th century by Spanish soccer clubs who have received royal patronage from a reigning monarch — most notably Madrid, Zaragoza, Betis and Sociedad. In choosing the name Real for the Salt Lake-based team, initial owner Dave Checketts intended to create a brand name that would become well-known for its simplicity, followed the European-style naming conventions of the league, and would potentially foster a partnership with Real Madrid — admired both because of their successful soccer history and close association with basketball (similar to Checketts' own history with Utah's NBA team).

Local reaction to the new team's name was initially met with mixed feelings, with the name being accused of contrivance. Other suggested team names, such as "Highlanders", "Latter Day Saint FC", "Salt Lake SC", or "Union SLC", were initially preferred for the club by locals. However, by at least 2014, reaction to the name had drastically improved, with the team establishing an identity representative of the Salt Lake community.

Early years (2005–2006)
Real Salt Lake became the twelfth MLS franchise when Major League Soccer awarded an expansion franchise on July 14, 2004, to SCP Worldwide, headed by Dave Checketts. Jason Kreis became the first player in RSL history, coming in a trade from the Dallas Burn. Other notable players who played in RSL's early years included veterans Clint Mathis, Eddie Pope and Jeff Cunningham.

RSL's first season was 2005 under head coach John Ellinger. RSL began play on April 2, 2005, against New York MetroStars at Giants Stadium, which ended in a scoreless tie. The following week, Jason Kreis scored the first goal in franchise history in a 3–1 loss to LA Galaxy at the Home Depot Center. RSL played its first-ever home match on April 16, 2005, before 25,287 fans at Rice-Eccles Stadium; Brian Dunseth scored a header in the 81st minute to deliver a 1–0 victory over the Colorado Rapids. The season was mostly a disappointment, however, with the team setting a league record by posting a 557-minute scoreless streak (later broken by Toronto FC). They were also on a 10-game losing streak before managing a 2–2 draw on the road against San Jose Earthquakes. The first season finished with a record of 5–22–5.

In 2006, Real Salt Lake's second season, the team recorded five losses and one tie in the first six matches of the season. RSL had gone 18 consecutive matches without a victory—the longest winless streak in MLS history. Jeff Cunningham, who came to Salt Lake from Colorado, provided most of Real's highlights during an otherwise poor 2006 season. The team failed to qualify for the playoffs, finishing with a 10–13–9 record.

Turnaround and new stadium (2007–2008)
Real Salt Lake boasted a formidable attack with Cunningham and Kreis up front, joined by recently signed Panamanian international Luis Tejada. They were supported by veteran talent in the midfield and defense, such as Chris Klein, Carey Talley, and newly arrived goalkeeper Nick Rimando. Their first game of the 2007 MLS season was a 2–2 draw for FC Dallas on Real's home turf. RSL were outscored 6–0 in their next three games. In a stunning move, Ellinger was fired and replaced by Kreis, who immediately retired as a player. Also, general manager Steve Pastorino resigned and was later replaced by Garth Lagerwey. The franchise launched a massive re-construction project that continued throughout the year. The team finished with a disappointing 6–15–9 record, missing the playoffs yet again.

In the 2008 MLS season, working with new general manager Garth Lagerwey, RSL added several key players including Kyle Beckerman, Robbie Findley, Javier Morales, Nat Borchers and Jamison Olave. As Real established chemistry together, they emerged as a force when playing at home. The team's home field advantage improved dramatically in with the opening in October 2008 of Rio Tinto Stadium (now known as America First Field), the new soccer-specific stadium in Sandy. Through the regular season, their home record ended at 8–1–6. Finishing 2008 with a 10–10–10 record, RSL advanced to the playoffs for the first time. RSL advanced past Chivas USA in the first round of the playoffs. The post-season ended, however, with a RSL loss to the Red Bulls in the Western Conference final.

MLS and CONCACAF success (2009–2012)
In the 2009 MLS season, RSL proved nearly invincible at home, having a 9–1–5 record in Rio Tinto Stadium (America First Field), with a record-setting +23 goal differential. Real Salt Lake did not lose a league game at home since May 2009. However, the team struggled to maintain form during road games. In the final weeks of the regular season, RSL found itself in a battle for the final two spots in the MLS playoffs. However, thanks to a victory over Colorado in the final game of the regular season, RSL clinched a position in the 2009 MLS playoffs. Despite finishing with a losing record overall (11–12–7), the team was granted the last spot through a tie-breaker. Real Salt Lake went on to win the 2009 MLS Cup by defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy in the November 22 final. RSL played the L.A. Galaxy to a 1–1 tie through overtime and won the MLS Cup (5–4 on penalties). Robbie Russell won the game on a penalty kick. Goalkeeper Nick Rimando was named Man of the Match. The victory in the 2009 MLS Cup qualified RSL for the 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League.

The 2010 season saw RSL continue its home unbeaten streak. On October 16, 2010, Real Salt Lake improved their home unbeaten streak to 25 games after beating the FC Dallas. This win gave Real Salt Lake the most consecutive home games without a loss in MLS history. RSL tied San Jose Earthquakes 2005 record for a single-season home unbeaten streak with zero losses in the 2010 regular season. Real Salt Lake finished second in the race for the Supporters Shield with a (15–4–11) record. Goalkeeper Nick Rimando led the league with 14 shutouts, and Jámison Olave was named MLS Defender of the Year. In the MLS playoffs, however, RSL lost to FC Dallas in the first round.

For the 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League, Real Salt Lake were placed in Group A with Cruz Azul of Mexico, Toronto FC of Canada and Arabe Unido of Panama. Real Salt Lake finished first in Group A, with a perfect 3–0 home record and a 1–1–1 away record. RSL continued its run in the 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League knockout rounds in spring 2011. In the quarterfinals, Real Salt Lake advanced by beating the Columbus Crew 4–1 over two games. In the semi-finals, Real Salt Lake beat Saprissa 2–0 in the home leg, before losing the away leg 1–2. The 3–2 aggregate was enough for Real to advance and become the first MLS team to reach the CONCACAF Champions League finals. Real Salt Lake played the first leg of the finals at Mexican side Monterrey. RSL's Javier Morales scored in the 89th minute, ending the game in a 2–2 draw. The second leg of the final was held on April 27, 2011, at Rio Tinto Stadium (America First Field); Monterrey scored the only goal of the game, giving Monterrey a 3–2 aggregate victory.

In their 2011 MLS season, RSL's home unbeaten streak ended at 29 games on May 28, 2011, with their loss to the Seattle Sounders FC. Real finished the regular season with a 15–11–8 record and finished third in the western conference. In the MLS playoffs, RSL defeated Seattle Sounders 3–2 on aggregate. In the conference finals, RSL lost 3–1 to the LA Galaxy and were eliminated. RSL qualified for the 2012–13 CONCACAF Champions League, since LA had won both the 2011 MLS Cup and Supporters' Shield, and RSL had the next best record.

In 2012, Real finished second in the Western conference during the regular season. In the playoffs, RSL lost to Seattle in the conference semi-finals, and were eliminated from the playoffs. In the 2012–13 CONCACAF Champions League, RSL were placed in Group 2 with Herediano of Costa Rica and Tauro of Panama, but were eliminated at the group stage.

Dell Loy Hansen ownership (2013–2021)
In 2013, Checketts sold his stake in Real Salt Lake to minority owner Dell Loy Hansen. Before the season, the club also traded key players Jámison Olave, Fabián Espíndola and Will Johnson. RSL finished the season in second place in the Western Conference with a 16–10–8 (W-L-T) record, and reached both the Open Cup and MLS Cup finals, losing both to D.C. United and Sporting Kansas City, respectively.

After the season, head coach Jason Kreis left Real Salt Lake to become the first head coach of expansion club New York City FC, with long-time assistant coach Jeff Cassar replacing him at the helm. Despite the departure, the club finished the 2014 season in third in the Western Conference, with a record of 15–8–11 totaling 56 points, and qualified for the 2015–16 CONCACAF Champions League. In the MLS Cup Playoffs, RSL was eliminated in the conference semi-finals by eventual champions LA Galaxy 5–0 on aggregate.

Despite a five-game unbeaten start to the 2015 season, the team eventually began to struggle in the standings, coupled with a loss to Sporting Kansas City in the semi-finals of the 2015 Open Cup. RSL also lost key player Nat Borchers, who they traded to the Portland Timbers before the season and all-time goalscorer Álvaro Saborío, traded away to D.C. United mid-season. Although late-season signings Luis Silva and Juan Manuel Martinez provided strong performances, the team did not qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2007.

The 2016 season started with the Quarterfinals on the 2015–16 CONCACAF Champions League where they were eliminated by eventual runner up Tigres UANL of Liga MX by an aggregate score of 3–1. The 2016 season saw Real Salt Lake return to the playoffs but they were once again eliminated by the LA Galaxy, this time by a 3–1 score line on the road in the Western Conference play in game. In the off season, longtime legends Javier Morales and Jamison Olave did not have their options exercised by the club.

On March 20, 2017, the club announced that head coach Jeff Cassar had been dismissed from his duties only three games into the season. Daryl Shore was named interim head coach for the two games against the New York Red Bulls and Minnesota United FC. On March 29 it was announced that Mike Petke would take over the head coaching position following the game against Minnesota United FC on April 1. Despite a dazzling late season run, the team finished one point shy of making the playoffs.

The 2018 season was heralded with the opening of the new $78 million Training Center and Zion's Bank Real Academy in Herriman, Utah. The facility was praised for offering world-class training amenities year round for Real Salt Lake and the organization's other teams the NWSL's Utah Royals FC and the men's second division side Real Monarchs. It also houses the team's youth academy, which was moved from Casa Grande, Arizona, offering a single location and clear path for acquiring and developing young talent.

2019 saw the final seasons of both long-time goalkeeper Nick Rimando and defender Tony Beltran, both of whom retired following the end of the campaign. The club also saw the dismissal of head coach Mike Petke on August 11, following an incident between the coach and match officials during the 2019 Leagues Cup. Initially named interim manager for the remainder of the season, assistant coach Freddy Juarez was eventually named as head coach following the season.

The 2020 season, significantly shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic, nonetheless saw major change affect the club. On August 30, MLS announced that Hansen would sell his stakes in Real Salt Lake, Utah Royals FC, and Real Monarchs following controversy over his past use of racist language. Additionally, long-time club captain – and final remaining member of the 2009 MLS Cup winning side – Kyle Beckerman retired following the season's end, having played more regular season games than any outfield player in MLS history.

Ryan Smith and David Blitzer ownership (2022–present)
Unable to find a new owner, MLS took over the sales process on January 8, 2021, and RSL began the 2021 season with no defined ownership. Despite a relatively good start to the season, head coach Freddy Juarez unexpectedly left his role on August 27 to become an assistant coach with Seattle Sounders FC, leaving his own assistant coach Pablo Mastroeni to see out the season as interim. Under Mastroeni, the team made a late-season push to the playoffs, qualifying on the final day of the season through a stoppage-time goal by Damir Kreilach to give RSL a win over Sporting Kansas City. Despite barely making the playoffs, the team progressed to the conference finals for the first time since 2013, upsetting both Seattle and Kansas City (interestingly, through another stoppage-time goal) before being defeated by the Portland Timbers. This success led to Mastroeni being named permanent head coach following the season.

On January 5, 2022, the franchise was acquired by sports team investors Ryan Smith and David Blitzer.

Colors and badge
The team's colors are claret red, cobalt blue, and real gold.

Uniform evolution
Home, away, and third uniforms.

 * Home

 * Away

 * Third/special

Stadium

In 2005 a soccer-specific stadium was approved for Sandy, a suburb of Salt Lake City. However, a vote in 2006 struck down a funding proposal. Dave Checketts said that he would sell it if a proposal was not put forward. Parties from several cities, including Rochester, New York and St. Louis, Missouri, expressed interest in purchasing the franchise and moving it.

Finally, after months of discussions an agreement was put in place and Real Salt Lake announced that they would move forward with the construction of Real Salt Lake Stadium. The Debt Review Committee of Salt Lake County, however, voted against the stadium. In response, Real Salt Lake's owner announced the team would be sold and likely move out of the Salt Lake area after the 2007 season. However, a new stadium proposal was passed by the State Senate. The Utah House approved House bill 1SHB38, approving $35 million towards the development of Real Salt Lake's new home. The governor signed the bill.

The $110 million stadium was built in Sandy, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The stadium was named after its sponsor, Rio Tinto Group. The stadium opened on October 9, 2008. In September 2022, Rio Tinto Stadium was renamed America First Field, with RSL and America First Credit Union announcing a naming rights deal.

Attendance by season
NHG = No home game during playoffs

Longest home unbeaten streaks

 * Only regular-season matches played with Real Salt Lake in Utah counted towards records.

Rivalries
The main rival of Real Salt Lake is considered to be the Colorado Rapids, with the two teams being the closest to each other geographically, and also competing for the annual Rocky Mountain Cup. Competition first began upon Salt Lake's entry into Major League Soccer in 2005, with the cup itself being awarded by a bi-partisan "Committee of 10", made up of fans from each respective club. Initially dominated by the Rapids, Salt Lake has since taken a 12–5 series lead over their rivals, and are the current holders of the cup, having won it during the 2021 season.

Although no annual trophy is involved, the club's more fierce rival has become Sporting Kansas City, initially born out of a 2011 preseason brawl and developed after the teams met in MLS Cup 2013. Since that time, the teams have regularly competed in the Western Conference. Many of the matches, have been heated among longtime players who played from the two teams. Real Salt Lake has a record of 19 wins, 12 draws and 17 losses in all competitions against Sporting.

The team also maintains smaller, fan-driven rivalries with the LA Galaxy, Los Angeles FC, and Seattle Sounders FC. The latter derived from a meeting in the 2012 MLS Cup Playoffs, later expanding through further playoff meetings and the losses of general manager Garth Lagerway, head coach Freddy Juarez, and club captain Albert Rusnák to the club.

Supporters groups
Real Salt Lake has seven supporters groups—Salt City United, Rogue Cavaliers Brigade, Section 26, Riot Brigade, Los Caballeros Reales, North End Casuals, and La Barra—which as of 2019 all exist under a larger unified umbrella group known as The Riot.

Leo the Lion is the official mascot of Real Salt Lake.

Club anthem
In 2011, Branden Steineckert, drummer of punk band Rancid and a supporter of Real Salt Lake, composed the song "Believe" in honor of the club. Initially posted on YouTube, the song has since been adopted as the team's official anthem, being sung at the beginning of every home game, at the end of every home game if the result is a win, as well as after all goals scored by RSL. The song used prior to the anthem was the woohoo yeehoo lyrics from The Sweet Escape by Gwen Stefani.

Revenue and profitability
As Real Salt Lake is a small-market team, one of the team's biggest challenges is bringing in enough revenue to remain competitive. Opening Rio Tinto Stadium in October 2008 provided a significant revenue boost to the team. Real Salt Lake went from 4,000 season-ticket holders before October 2008, to 8,750 in 2012, 10,000 in 2013, and 15,000+ in 2016.

Sponsorship
RSL has a long-term sponsorship deal with Intermountain Health. It previously had sponsorship deals with LifeVantage and Xango. Additional sponsors include JetBlue Airways, Maverik, Inc., Ford, WCF Insurance, and Zions Bank. Their corporate sponsors are America First Credit Union, Adidas, Atlas Disposal, City Creek Center, Coca-Cola, Collins Roofing Inc., Continental Tires, England Logistics, Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development, Great Clips, Key Bank, Les Olson Company, MarketStar, Michelob ULTRA, Pikus Concrete, Planet Fitness, Presidio, RealMedia, Sew Sweet, Sherwin-Williams, Siegfried and Jensen, Summit Technology, Toro, Toyota, Utah Children's Dental Network, Utah: Life Elevated, WGU, YESCO, and Zagg brands.

Broadcasting
Radio broadcasts air on KSL AM 1160, FM 102.7 (English) and KTUB AM 1600 (Spanish).

From 2023, every Real Salt Lake match is available via MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app. Prior to the all-streaming deal, the club was aired across Utah on a number of television networks and stations.

Sinclair Broadcast Group held television rights to Real Salt Lake games that were not aired by Major League Soccer's national television partners. The telecasts (which, until its discontinuation, were originally presented by Sinclair's American Sports Network) featured pre- and post-game coverage. Sinclair's Utah station KMYU served as the team's flagship station, and telecasts were syndicated to other Sinclair-owned stations in the region, and non-Sinclair stations in Albuquerque, Phoenix and Tucson. In 2018, the team extended its television deal with Sinclair, and announced a streaming partnership with KSL-TV, under which it offered in-market streaming of RSL's regional broadcasts, as well as their former sister club Utah Royals FC (NWSL) and reserve club Real Monarchs (then in the USL), on digital platforms. In 2020, the team extended its television deal with Sinclair until 2022.

Players and staff

 * For details on former players, see All-time Real Salt Lake roster.

Technical and coaching staff
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Retired numbers
Jason Kreis's number 9 was not worn by RSL players after the time of its retirement in 2011. However, in 2019, when the club decided to retire Javier Morales's number 11, Kreis pleaded with the club to recirculate his number 9. As a result, both number 9 and number 11 are still circulated numbers for the club. Kreis and Morales's names and numbers are "retired" and displayed prominently above the player's tunnel on the west concourse of America First Field.

General managers
Ownership history

 * Dave Checketts (2005–2013)
 * Del Loy Hansen (2009–2020)
 * MLS (2021)
 * Ryan Smith (2022–present)
 * David Blitzer (2022–present)

Head coaches

 * Includes MLS regular Season, MLS Playoffs, CONCACAF Champions League, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, and Leagues Cup.

Honors

 * MLS Cup
 * Champions (1): 2009

Year-by-year
This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by RSL. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Real Salt Lake seasons. 1. '''Avg. attendance''' include statistics from league matches only. 2. Top goalscorer(s) includes all goals scored in League, MLS Cup Playoffs, U.S. Open Cup, MLS is Back Tournament, CONCACAF Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, and other competitive continental matches.

CONCACAF Champions League

 * Did not qualify for Champions League tournament in years not listed

 * Win %- Number of wins divided by number of games played (ties count as half a win)
 * Games decided by a PK Shoot out counted as win or loss not Draw.

MLS records

 * Fewest goals allowed: 20 (previous record 23, Houston 2007)
 * Overall goal difference: +25 (previous record +22, San Jose 2005 and D.C. United 2007)
 * Home goal difference: +24 (previous record +23, Real Salt Lake 2009)
 * Total home points (30-game season): 37 (previous record 35, Columbus 2009)
 * Fewest home losses: 0 (equals previous record set by San Jose in 2005)
 * Fewest home goals allowed: 7 (previous record 8, Colorado 2004)

Associated teams
The reserve team of Real Salt Lake, named Real Monarchs SLC, was created on September 10, 2014, as a bridge between the club's academy program and the first level team. The team began play in the Western Conference of the United Soccer League during the 2015 season, playing their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium along with their parent team. Starting in 2018, the Monarchs will move to Zions Bank Stadium, a 5,000-seat facility located at RSL's new training center in Herriman.

A women's soccer team, called Real Salt Lake Women, was founded in 2008. The team is currently a member of the Western Division of United Women's Soccer, the second tier of women's soccer in the United States and Canada, and plays its home games at Ute Field, on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

Real Salt Lake added a second women's team, this one in the top-level National Women's Soccer League, in November 2017. This team effectively replaced FC Kansas City in the NWSL, as FC Kansas City soon folded and all of its player contracts were assigned to the new RSL franchise. Shortly thereafter, the new team, which will share Rio Tinto Stadium, was unveiled as Utah Royals FC.

Career

 * Players in Bold are still active
 * Only regular season matches played with Real Salt Lake counted towards all-time records. Stats from MLS play-offs, U.S. Open Cup, Super Liga and CONCACAF Champions league are not included.

Single season

 * Only regular season matches played with Real Salt Lake counted towards records.
 * Players in bold currently play for Real Salt Lake.

MLS All-Star appearances
Players in bold currently play for Real Salt Lake.

Player awards
The following awards were given to Real Salt Lake players by Major League Soccer in the season indicated:

Team honors

 * The annual season-ending award winners are decided based on voting by RSL players.

title: Real Salt Lake


text:
Mark Crossley

Mark Geoffrey Crossley (born 16 June 1969) is a football coach and former professional footballer.

As a player, he was a goalkeeper from 1988 until 2011 and he has previously played for numerous clubs in England's top flight, notably for Nottingham Forest, where he became the only goalkeeper to stop a Matt Le Tissier penalty kick. He has also played for Manchester United, Millwall, Middlesbrough, Stoke City, Fulham, Sheffield Wednesday, Oldham Athletic and Chesterfield. He earned three caps for the England U21 team, but opted to switch allegiance to Wales and received eight full international caps between 1997 and 2004.

Following retirement, he moved into coaching and has worked as a goalkeeping coach at Chesterfield, Sheffield Wednesday, Barnsley and Notts County. During these times he has spent two spells in caretaker charge of a club, having managed Chesterfield in 2012 and Notts County in 2018.

Nottingham Forest
Crossley was born in Barnsley and began his career with Nottingham Forest in 1987 as a trainee. He started the 1988–89 season as fourth choice but Hans Segers and Paul Crichton were transferred in quick succession to Wimbledon F.C. and Peterborough United respectively, and when Steve Sutton fell ill, Crossley found himself thrust into the first team, playing in league wins over Liverpool and Newcastle United and a League Cup win over Coventry City before Sutton's return. He had a loan spell at Manchester United during the 1989–90 season but was never selected for the first team, although he played three times for the reserves. He had two spells in Forest's team, firstly when Sutton was injured and later when Sutton suffered a loss of form.

He was a huge favourite with the fans and indeed with Brian Clough who affectionately nicknamed him 'shithouse', despite being prone to occasional mistakes, and made over 300 appearances in thirteen years with the club, becoming first-choice 'keeper at the start of the 1990–91 season. This was strengthened by Steve Sutton's move to Derby County in 1992. Crossley played in the 1991 FA Cup Final loss to Tottenham Hotspur, where he saved a penalty from Gary Lineker. He missed a run of games towards the end of the 1991–92 season, including the Full Members Cup and Football League Cup finals against Southampton and Manchester United respectively due to a breach of club rules. Andrew Marriott wore the gloves in his place, although Crossley regained his place for the next league game after the second final. He also has the dubious distinction of conceding the first Premier League own goal, in Forest's 4–1 defeat at Blackburn Rovers on 5 September 1992.

He was granted a testimonial match during the 1999–2000 season by Nottingham Forest, which was played in front of 15,000 supporters. During that season, Crossley found himself on the bench numerous times, playing second choice 'keeper to Dave Beasant. He was finally released from Forest, in 2000 as the club's financial troubles required them to reduce the wage bill.

Middlesbrough
Crossley joined Middlesbrough on a free transfer to provide competition as well as cover for the number one spot at the club. He made seven appearances in the 2000–01 season, but was sent off against Arsenal in November 2000, and did not play again for the rest of the season. He played 18 more games in the 2001–02 season. He was loaned out to Stoke City on 29 November 2002 and played against Gillingham the next day. However, he was recalled by Boro until he re-joined Stoke towards the end of the 2002–03 season. He played in 11 matches helping the club avoid relegation from the First Division.

Fulham
Frustrated by not playing many games at Boro, Crossley joined Fulham for £500,000 in 2003 and made his debut against Wigan Athletic at the JJB Stadium on 23 September 2003. He was mainly the second-choice goalkeeper during his time at the club, although he did have more opportunities to play in the first team during the 2005–06 season due to the sale of former number 1 goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar. His finest match that season came when, deputising for the injured Finnish international Antti Niemi, he kept a clean sheet against champions Chelsea in a 1–0 victory, producing many saves as Chelsea piled pressure on late in the game. Before joining Sheffield Wednesday on loan, he was the number 3 'keeper to Niemi and Czech goalkeeper Jan Laštůvka at Fulham.

Sheffield Wednesday
Former teammate and Sheffield Wednesday manager Brian Laws made Crossley his first signing in November 2006, bringing him in on loan. Crossley impressed, with a string of fine performances and the loan deal was extended to the end of the season. On 23 December 2006, Crossley scored a dramatic late equaliser for Sheffield Wednesday in a 3–3 draw with Southampton at Hillsborough, in his 481st career match, after coming up for a late corner. However Iain Turner was brought in on loan and Crossley returned to Fulham.

Oldham Athletic
After being released by Fulham at the end of the 2006–07 season, Crossley signed for League One side Oldham Athletic. He also took a coaching role at the club. He played most of the games available, despite being injured for 6 games in March.

Crossley signed a one-year extension to his current contract, he was contracted at Latics until the end of the 2008–09 season. After the final game of the season, the club reported that he and an assistant coach had parted with the club.

Coaching career
In the summer of 2009 he joined Chesterfield as part of John Sheridan's new coaching team, as well as signing playing terms making him the club's second choice goalkeeper. In February 2011 Crossley announced he would be retiring from football at the end of the 2010–11 season.

In July 2012 Crossley was approached by Birmingham City to become the club's new goalkeeping coach for the 2012–13 season, however the move fell through when Chesterfield could not agree on a compensation fee. Following John Sheridan's dismissal from Chesterfield, Crossley was appointed caretaker manager alongside Tommy Wright. In September 2012, despite having retired from playing in 2011, Crossley was named as an unused substitute in Chesterfield's 2–2 draw at York City, taking the number 26 shirt. He left Chesterfield on 29 April 2013. On 13 August 2013, Crossley joined Sheffield Wednesday as the Owls' academy goalkeeper coach. Crossley joined Barnsley on 27 March 2014 as a replacement to Ian Wilcox as new goalkeeping coach.

Prior to the 2015–16 season, Crossley rejoined Chesterfield as a coach.

On 21 June 2019, Crossley left the Notts County first-team coaching set-up.

On 2 July 2019, Crossley rejoined Chesterfield as goalkeeper coach.

International career
Crossley qualified to play for Wales through a Welsh grandparent. He was a regular in the Welsh international squad, but served as understudy to Neville Southall, and then Paul Jones. He started only eight games. His full international début came against the Republic of Ireland. His most memorable moment with the national team was Wales' 4–0 win over Scotland. Prior to representing Wales, Crossley played for the England U21 team in a tournament in Toulon, France, in 1990.

title: Mark Crossley