​Dave Checketts returned to Real Salt Lake, the MLS club he founded over 20 years ago, on Wednesday — but this time, with the visiting team.Real Salt Lake hosted EFL Championship’s Burnley FC in a friendly for the first time, and as a member of Burnley’s board of directors, Checketts made the trek back to Utah and spoke with reporters ahead of the occasion.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBurnley was just in the Premier League last season before being relegated to the EFL Championship for this upcoming season.Checketts said that as founder of Utah’s MLS team, he hoped Real Salt Lake would host a club like Burnley one day.Sports executive Dave Checketts, currently a board president for Burnley F.C. in England, talks with members of the media at America First Field in Sandy, ahead of the Real Salt Lake and Burnley match on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News“I hoped, but I knew it would take a lot of years. We just had to get the stadium built. That was the hardest part,” he said.The match ended in an electric 4-1 victory for Real with goals from Zavier Gozo, Diego Luna and a brace from Sergi Solans.But minutes before the match kicked off, Checketts had a pitch for Utahns to check out another team: Utah Royals FC. The team finished 12th out of 14 teams last season but turned things around this season and is currently ranked fifth after spending time in first and second place.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“I think (soccer president) Jason Kreis and his team have really done a great job — the changes that they’ve made, and the players they’ve added,” Checketts told the Deseret News.Nearly 17,000 fans showed up for Real’s exhibition match on Wednesday, and Checketts thinks it’s only a matter of time until the same happens for the Royals.“They should get to the same point that RSL is,” he said. “They should sell out on a regular basis.”Checketts wants Utahns to give Utah Royals FC a chance.“Because women’s soccer, in my humble opinion, is in many ways more fun to watch,” he said. “They’re actually better at connecting, making great passes leading to goals. So, if you haven’t been to a Royals game, you should get out here.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFormer NFL player JJ Watt and his wife, former professional soccer player Kealia Ohai, answer questions from the media at America First Field in Sandy, ahead of the Real Salt Lake and Burnley match on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret NewsChecketts was also joined at the match by Burnley minority investors and part-owners J.J. Watt, a now-retired five-time NFL All-Pro, and Kealia Watt, a Draper native and former NWSL player. The Watts invested in the club in 2023.Kealia Ohai played at Alta High School and was named Deseret News Ms. Soccer in 2009. She played collegiately at the University of North Carolina, followed by eight years in the NWSL with the Houston Dash and Chicago Red Stars. She