HERRIMAN, UT (Monday, March 9, 2026) - Eighteen-year-old Utah native and homegrown sensation Zavier Gozo has been named to the MLSSoccer.com Matchday 3 "Team of the Matchday" Best XI following his game-winning goal and overall performance in Real Salt Lake's 3-2 road win Saturday at Atlanta.
In the 40th minute at grass-laden Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Gozo took a long ball from Philip Quinton down the right side, cutting back to his left atop the corner of the penalty box, curling a precise shot just inside the far post to give RSL a 3-1 lead.
Gozo - who was recognized with a fictional bench selection in last week's honors after providing the game-winning assist in Matchday 2 to FW Ari Piol for RSL in a 2-1 home win on Feb. 28 - now has five goals and four assists in his MLS career, the West Valley-born and Eagle Mountain-raised Utah native earning plaudits across the League for his dynamic, explosive play.
With Gozo emerging last year ahead of the USA U-20 Youth World Cup run to the quarterfinal stage - setting a new Club record with seven goal contributions as a teenager (4g, 3a in MLS) - he has led a group of five homegrown players and three starters 18 or younger in each of RSL’s first three 2026 matches, joining 17-year-old MF Luca Moisa and 18-year-old attacker Aiden Hezarkhani, both RSL Academy products.
Earlier in the match, rookie FW Sergi Solans and fellow RSL Academy teenage product Aiden Hezarkhani found the back of the net to give RSL a 2-0 lead. The assists from Morgan Guilavogui and Solans, in addition to Gozo's heroics, enabled RSL to compile its first three-goal half since July, 2024 (also against Atlanta), and its first time score three times in a road first half since April, 2024, in an eventual 4-0 win at Chicago.
The dominant first 45 minutes helped RSL improve to 48 wins and 18 draws against just 10 losses when scoring first during that Mastroeni era.
The complete Matchday 3 results for MLSsoccer.com’s Team of the Matchday can be found below.
F: Sam Surridge (NSH), Brian White (VAN), Rafael Navarro (COL)
M: Pep Biel (CLT), Keaton Parks (NYC), Maxi Moralez (NYC), Wikelman Carmona (MTL)
D: Kalani Kossa-Rienzi (SEA), Tristan Blackmon (VAN), Zavier Gozo (RSL)
GK: Chris Brady (CHI)
Coach: Jesper Sørensen (VAN)
Bench: Thomas Gillier (MTL), Richie Laryea (TOR), Patrick Yazbek (NSH), Sebastian Berhalter (VAN), Alexey Miranchuk (ATL), David Martínez (LAFC), Anders Dreyer (SD), Timo Werner (SJ), Darren Yapi (COL)
Real Salt Lake (2-1-0, 6 pts., 7th West) now returns home this weekend to host Austin FC (1-1-1, 4 pts., 10th West) at America First Field, with a 7:30p MT kickoff on Saturday in a match available on Apple TV and KSL Radio.
