Player Spotlight | Saba Scores His First, Shokalook Debuts In 2-2 Draw vs LAFC

By Javier Mico-Crump

Returning home to the Wasatch Front after a three-game road trip, Real Salt Lake faced Son Heung-min and Los Angeles Football Club in front of 21,078 fans at America First Field on Saturday, September 5 - the 10th highest attendance in Club history. Despite a late equalizer that energized the Utah crowd, RSL was unable to find a winner, ultimately drawing 2-2 to its Californian opponent and extending its MLS winless run to nine games. 

Saturday’s strong performance against the third-placed team in the Western Conference was highlighted by Saba Lobjanidze and Jason Shokalook, both who hit key milestones in the hard fought draw.

Saba Time: Lobjanidze Scores His First For RSL

Just 18 minutes into his first MLS start for the Utah side, Saba Lobjanidze leveled the encounter at 1-1, scoring with a low-driven shot into the bottom left corner. The Georgian international was set up by a sliding challenge from Noel Caliskan, allowing RSL to capitalize off a failed clearance attempt by Los Angeles.

Despite earning a majority of his minutes off the bench since joining the Claret-and-Cobalt in July, Saba has found ways to maximize his impact, notching four goal contributions in his 11 matches (of which he only started three). He earned two of those contributions in his first three appearances for RSL, assisting twice - including a beautiful backheel to set up Sergi Solans on August 1 - across only 74 minutes of gametime. While Saba started two matches during RSL’s historic 2026 Leagues Cup campaign, he has been more influential in MLS, with all four of his goal contributions coming in league play. 

On Saturday, Saba started in place of Designated Player Morgan Guilavogui, who was suspended due to caution accumulation. In a season with a jam-packed schedule, injury trouble and significant roster movement, Saba has been a reliable piece for Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni and will continue to play a crucial role in RSL’s playoff push.

Jason Shokalook Makes RSL Debut

In the waning minutes of Saturday’s encounter, Jason Shokalook subbed on for Sergi Solans to make his RSL debut. As he stepped onto the pitch in the 88th minute, Shokalook became all-time Real Salt Lake player No. 241, joining Saba and Juan Arias among the recent summer signings that made their debuts.

Shokalook joined the Claret-and-Cobalt earlier this week from the Chicago Fire, where he made 10 MLS appearances and logged two assists in that span. The Erie, Pennsylvania native earned his first team minutes through dominant performances in MLS NEXT Pro for Chicago Fire II, where he was an MVP candidate in 2025. That season, he secured the league’s Golden Boot in addition to being named to the MLS NEXT Pro Best XI, scoring 20 goals and providing four assists in 22 appearances. 

With striker Victor Olatunji leaving the Claret-and-Cobalt on loan at the end of the summer transfer window, Shokalook is set to become an important piece of RSL’s offense in the final stretch of the 2026 season. 

Real Salt Lake now prepares for another quick turnaround, travelling to play Houston Dynamo FC in a midweek battle on Wednesday, September 9. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. MT from Shell Energy Stadium, with the match available to stream on AppleTV.