Several New Roster Additions Expected to Make RSL / MLS Debuts This Weekend;
RSL Looking to Extend Home-Opening Success (10-2-9 W-L-T) to Kick Off Season on Utah Soil,
Hoping to Continue Sounders’ Misery at America First Field (Last Win in 2012 Playoffs);
Limited Tickets Remain Available at www.RSL.com/tickets for 5:30p MT Kickoff
HERRIMAN, Utah (Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026) – Real Salt Lake (0-1-0, 0 points, 13th West MLS) kicks off the home portion of its 2026 Major League Soccer campaign this weekend against long-time West rival Seattle Sounders FC (1-0-0, 3 points, t-1st West MLS) at America First Field – where the Sounders have not won since 2012 – with tickets for the 5:30p MT kickoff available at http://www.RSL.com/tickets.
This weekend’s RSL contest is available via Apple TV, with Steve Cangialosi and Danny Higgenbotham (ENG) on the call, along with Andrew Wiebe on sideline; also on the mic are Ramses Sandoval and Miguel Gallardo (SPN), with Michele Giannone from the sideline. Long-time RSL voice Landon Southwick and former MLS goalkeeper Jay Nolly will call the game for KSL Sports Radio (1160 AM / 97.5 FM), with Nelson Moran now in his 22nd RSL season as RSL’s Spanish radio voice on KBMG Latino 106.3 FM.
Sixth-year RSL Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni’s side returns home Saturday against Seattle, looking to bounce back from a gritty, narrow 1-0 loss last Saturday at Vancouver to kick off its 2026 season. The Club’s Saturday’s match against Seattle gives RSL an opportunity to improve upon its 10W-2L-9T record at home in its MLS curtain-raisers (dropping just 2018/LAFC and 2023/ATX). Also at stake is RSL’s all-time 13W-1L-4T mark against Seattle on Utah soil, where the Rave Green have not won since 2011 in reg. season action (SEA did win the road leg at RSL by a 1-0 score in the 2012 Playoff series).
RSL – which defeated Seattle 2-0 in last year’s home opener – posted an 8-2-3 (W-L-T) home mark on the Wasatch Front from June 1 forward last year across MLS, Champions Cup and Leagues Cup matches. In 2024, RSL amassed a 12-3-4 (W-L-T) record at home, where the Club has traditionally enjoyed a fortress-like record of success, winning nearly 70% of games and averaging just under two points per game in parts of 18 seasons across all competitions in Sandy.
Saturday in Vancouver, RSL saw five RSL Academy Homegrown players start for the Claret-and-Cobalt, including regulars DF Justen Glad and FW Zavier Gozo, along with MF Aiden Hezarkhani, MF Luca Moisa and MF Zach Booth. Three of the players – Gozo (18), Hezarkhani (18) and Moisa (17) – are 18 years old or younger, while both Booth and Gozo are born-and-raised Utah natives. Joining Moisa and Booth in making his Club and League debut Saturday was rookie FW Sergi Solans, a former UCLA/Oregon State product.
While RSL regulars Diego Luna (knee), Victor Olatunji (eye) and DeAndre Yedlin (hamstring) are likely out due to injury, the Claret-and-Cobalt remain hopeful to see Club debuts for several offseason additions, including DF Lukas Engel (knee), wingback Juan Manuel Sanabria (visa paperwork), midfielder Stijn Spierings (visa) and Designated Player FW Morgan Guilavogui (visa).
RSL now returns home Saturday seeking yet another “bounce-back” result for its record of resilience under Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni. Since the former USMNT star and MLS veteran seized the Claret-and-Cobalt head coaching reins in August, 2021, RSL has dropped consecutive games just 18 times in 184 matches during the Mastroeni era, winning 31 and drawing 16 in games following a loss.
Scoring first Saturday could be critical for RSL success, as the 2025 campaign saw the Utah side win just once in come-from-behind fashion. RSL scored first in 23 of its 40 games last year, prior to being shut out at Vancouver on Saturday.
Last season, RSL was 12W-6L-5T when drawing first blood against its opposition. RSL has now recorded a 46W-10L-18T record when scoring first during the 184-game Mastroeni era, with all but one of 13 RSL victories last season coming when taking the 1-0 lead (July 26 against San Jose was the lone come-from-behind win). Six of the 10 losses under Mastroeni when taking the 1-0 lead since August, 2021, came during the 2025 season (at home against Herediano / San Diego / Vancouver, away at Nashville / Red Bulls / LAFC), with both 2-2 regulation draws in Leagues Cup, the May 10 draw at Dallas, the May 28 deadlock at Austin, the late June 1-1 knot at KC and the 2-2 Decision Day draw at St. Louis seeing RSL drop points from a winning position.
With another 2026 postseason berth this November, RSL would extend its West-best active playoff streak to six consecutive seasons (Orlando enters 2026 with six straight in the East), the Claret-and-Cobalt having advanced to the postseason in seven of the last eight seasons and 15 of the last 18 years, its near-perennial placement missing out only in the 2015, 2017 and 2020 campaigns.
This year, Mastroeni and staff have elected to make a tactical change from the last two seasons, choosing a back three setup with wingbacks on both the right and left, attacking and defending in a 3-5-2 formation, a departure from the previous 4-2-3-1 that expected the left back (typically DF Alex Katranis) to maraud up and down the left side in the game model’s most demanding position.
The new-look setup gives the central midfield No. 10 keys to Diego Luna (USA), underneath a pair of strikers Victor Olatunji (Nigeria) and Morgan Guilavogui (Guinea). RSL Homegrown and USA U-20 standout Zavier Gozo features at right wingback in this setup, although he can play any of the four attacking positions, with Guilavogui also providing multi-positional flexibility.
Opposite Gozo over on the left wing in the first-choice XI is Uruguayan World Cup hopeful Juan Manuel Sanabria, the most expensive non-DP in RSL history, purchased weeks ago from Atlético San Luis (Liga MX). RSL retains the double-pivot in midfield, with primary choices of experienced Dutch arrival Stijn Spierings (formerly Brøndby IF) and injured Emeka Eneli (knee) replaced last week by third-year stalwart Noel Caliskan and RSL homegrown Luca Moisa in his MLS debut.
The three-man backline features longtime RSL veteran and homegrown poster boy Justen Glad – now trailing only Club luminaries Nick Rimando and Kyle Beckerman in games, starts and minutes played – flanked by newcomer Lukas Engel on the left and two-time U.S. World Cup selection DeAndre Yedlin on the right. Engel and Yedlin paired well on and off the field last year with FC Cincinnati, where Engel – a Danish player previously owned by Middlesbrough (EFL Championship) – played 41 games on loan to the East power. RSL acquired Yedlin via trade at the summer window close in 2025, the veteran’s leadership, flexibility, poise and steady excellence on display during the final eight games last year.
In goal, RSL “Iron Man” GK Rafael Cabral – who wore the armband for 23 consecutive games last year since Emeka Eneli’s May 24 injury – was the lone player to start each of RSL’s 40 games across multiple competitions in his debut year in MLS / Utah, playing each and every one of the 3,600 available minutes in 2025, including his historic penalty-kick shootout performance in July against Club América.
Mastroeni welcomes two new coaches to his bench in 2025, with third-year assistant Anthony Pulis elevated and Jamal Campbell-Ryce (Real Monarchs assistant, 2024/25; former EPL / EFL player) and Fredric Brillant (former NYCFC player, former Utah Royals FC assistant) joining RSL. GK Coach Mirza Harambasic remains on staff along with lead Video Analyst Rob Rogers, the group looking to attain the heights of 2024, when RSL delivered its Club-best campaign of 59 points from 34 games and 65 goals scored.
