Real Salt Lake advanced to the postseason yet again - a gutsy, gritty, grinding 2-1 win at America First Field against the LA Galaxy highlighted by goals from Sergi Solans and Zach Booth. With the Colorado Rapids’ 3-1 loss at Dallas, RSL have now qualified for the playoffs for a West-best sixth consecutive season.
A Season to Remember for Sergi Solans
Real Salt Lake scored the opening goal in the 10th minute, a spectacular throughball played in behind the Galaxy defense from German-born midfielder Noel Caliskan. Rookie RSL sensation Sergi Solans dribbled past Galaxy goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski, then calmly applied a right-footed finish to give the Wasatch side an early 1-0 lead.
Solans nearly made it two in the 21st minute after once again dribbling around the goalkeeper, but the Spanish-born rookie was denied by a goalline block from a recovering Galaxy defender.
In the second half, Georgian international Saba Lobjanidze made a bolting run down the right side of the pitch, before dragging the ball back to Solans, who blazed his shot agonizingly just inches over the crossbar.
Since joining RSL through the 2025 MLS SuperDraft, Solans has scored the second-most goals as a rookie in Major League Soccer’s 31-year history, with 15 MLS goals, trailing only former Orlando player Cyle Larin (17 in 2015). Solans’ 19 goals across all competitions, matches Alvaro Saborio’s 2012 total, an all-time RSL record.
Competing now in the interminable 2026 MLS season after playing last year with UCLA, Solans has played nearly 18+ months of soccer without an offseason, his longest break coming during the 2026 FIFA World Cup summer break. During his inaugural season in MLS, Solans has been able to pair his willingness to run in behind the defense with a relentless energy, skills that have made him one of the most promising attackers in the league. Solans has impressed this season with his hold-up play and decision making, often resembling a seasoned veteran's style.
Dream Come True for Utah Native Zach Booth
The Utah side doubled its early lead in the 13th minute, following a recycled corner and intricate passing and combination play from Morgan Guilavogui and Juan Manuel Sanabria, the ball finding the feet of attacker Zach Booth. Booth - returning from an injury-riddled back half of the season - wasted no time in the attack, quickly shooting through an LA defender before rippling the right side netting for what would prove to be the game-winning goal.
Booth - who last scored in RSL’s dominant 4-0 Leagues Cup home victory over Atlante - saw his lone previous MLS goal come on May 23 at Minnesota, on an assist from former RSL homegrown talent, Zavier Gozo, who swung the ball out wide to Booth. The former USMNT winger took a touch into the penalty area before unleashing a devastating right footed strike that rattled the top of the net, giving RSL the early road lead, in a game that eventually finished 1-1.
The younger Booth, a native of Eden, Utah, matriculated through the RSL Academy before making the move across the pond to Leicester City, where he spent three seasons with the Foxes. Booth took the opportunity presented to him to play as a right wingback for RSL following the departure of Gozo in the summer window. The USMNT youth winger has become a dynamic contributor down the right side.
Real Salt Lake will now travel to Lumen Field in Seattle for the West Wild Card match next Thursday, November 19, against longtime rival Sounders FC, with kickoff scheduled for 8:00 p.m. MT and streaming on Apple TV.
