By Javier Mico-Crump
Hosting the in-form San Jose Earthquakes in another midweek encounter at America First Field, Real Salt Lake conceded a late equalizer, forced to settle for a 1-1 draw in front of 19,783 fans on Wednesday night. The Claret-and-Cobalt now hold a 11-4-4 (W-L-T) record at home across all competitions this season, unbeaten in its last two on the Wasatch Front.Â
While the soul-crushing late concession provided the headline for RSL on Wednesday night, the Claret-and-Cobalt provided another impressive performance, outshooting the visitors 22 to 16 while putting six more on target than San Jose (8-2). On Wednesday, no one played a more complete and dominant game than RSL newcomer Luc de Fougerolles, who made an impact on both ends of the field in his home debut.
de Fougerolles Bosses Pitch In Home Debut
Just four days after subbing on to make his RSL / MLS debut at Philadelphia, Canadian World Cup standout and newcomer Luc de Fougerolles made his first home start for his Utah Club against San Jose on Wednesday. The Canuck international’s first game at America First Field was a defensive masterclass, leading the Claret-and-Cobalt back line until he was forced off with an apparent injury in the 79th minute, scoring a goal on his final touch of the match.
From right centerback, de Fougerolles made 10 defensive contributions - the most in the match - and was everywhere for RSL, making clearance after clearance while also looking skilled on the ball and dangerous in attack. In the 79th minute, he gave the home side the lead, opening the scoring with a thunderous right-footed finish that hit the far post before finding the back of the net. With his strike, de Fougerolles has recorded a goal contribution in each of his first two appearances for RSL. The Canadian’s performance is coming off the back of his impressive debut, where he set up Saba Lobjanidze in the 96+ minute to become the ninth RSL player to assist in his first appearance and the 15th to record a debut goal contribution.
de Fougerolles was one of several reinforcements RSL brought in during the summer window, securing the Canadian until the end of the 2026 season with an option to extend through the 2027 MLS Sprint Season. On loan from Premier League side Fulham F.C., the 21-year-old has already built an impressive international resume, starting in four and appearing in all five of Canada’s games at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. RSL’s number 44 recently rejoined his national team for the September/October international break, featuring in games against Chile, Peru and the United States. With only five games remaining in the 2026 MLS regular season, de Fougerolles has already become a pivotal player for Head Coach Mastroeni, who will be hoping the young star can recover in time to contribute to the Claret-and-Cobalt’s late playoff push. Â
To conclude yet another three-game week, Real Salt Lake is back on the road on Saturday, October 17, taking on Western Conference rival Sporting Kansas City at Sporting Park. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. MT, with the match available to stream on AppleTV.
