Debutant Spierings Provided Game-Winner Just 7 Minutes into RSL Career;
USMNT World Cup Hopeful Diego Luna, FW Victor Olatunji Coming Off 2026 Debuts;
RSL Seeking Fourth Consecutive Win for First Time Since June, 2013;
Limited Tickets Remain Available at www.RSL.com/tickets for April 4 Return to America First Field
HERRIMAN, Utah (Friday, March 20, 2026) – Real Salt Lake (3-1-0, 9 points, 6th West / 8th Shield MLS) hits the road again this weekend, continuing its 2026 Major League Soccer campaign away at San Diego FC (3-0-1, 10 points, 3rd West / 4th Shield MLS) at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego (5:00p MT kickoff), available on Apple TV. RSL arrives in San Diego seeking its fourth-consecutive victory of the young 2026 MLS season, its trio of one-goal wins in recent weeks giving the Club its first three-game win streak since last July. RSL last won four straight matches in June of 2013, a campaign that saw the Claret-and-Cobalt reach both the MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup finals.
Last season, RSL and 2025 expansion side San Diego traded 3-1 results, with each team winning on the road. RSL’s win in its lone previous visit to Snapdragon Stadium saw U.S. World Cup hopeful Diego Luna score twice, with Sam Junqua providing the insurance dagger midway through the second half. Luna – who suffered a knee injury back on Feb. 18 in training – appeared for the final 20 minutes of Saturday’s 2-1 home win over Austin FC to make his 2026 season debut.
GAME NOTES for Sunday’s RSL @ San Diego FC Match Available Online
The Adobe PDF version of the 2026 RSL Game Guide in advance of Sunday’s contest between Real Salt Lake and San Diego FC can be found HERE. Media members looking to receive the document as an attachment or have further questions are asked to please contact RSL Communications via email at RSLcommunications@RSL.com.
This weekend’s RSL contest is available via Apple TV, with Jake Zivin and Taylor Twellman (ENG) on the call in the featured MLS / Apple Game of the Week, with Jillian Sakovits on sideline. Additionally, Sammy Sadovnik, Diego Valeri and Antonella González provide the Spanish-language call. Long-time RSL voice David James 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.
Last Saturday’s hero, Dutch DF Stijn Spierings, came off the bench to provide the game-winning goal in the 88th minute – just seven minutes into his RSL career – to become the sixth debutant out of 240 in the Club’s 22-year history to score in his Claret-and-Cobalt debut, and the first to do so as a substitute. Spierings’ goal – the Matchday 4 MLS Goal of the Week winner – broke a 1-1 deadlock that had featured both goalkeepers – Rafa Cabral for RSL and Brad Stuver for Austin – trade exquisite, highlight-reel saves, with RSL rebounding from an 18th-minute set piece concession to Jon Bell to equalize when a Noel Caliskan cross in the box was deflected into Austin’s own goa.
During the first four MLS matchdays of 2026, RSL has now seen eight different players make their Club debuts, with Spierings adding his name to a list that saw yet another RSL Academy product – MF Griffin Dillon appearing for the final 45 minutes of the 3-2 road win at Atlanta on March 7. Newly-acquired Designated Player Morgan Guilavogui joined Uruguayan World Cup hopeful wingback Juan Manuel Sanabria and veteran DF Lukas Engel in making their RSL debuts in the 2-1 win over Seattle on Feb. 28, with RSL Academy men MF Luca Moisa and MF Zach Booth joining rookie FW Sergi Solans in donning the Claret-and-Cobalt crest for the first time in the Feb. 21 opening-day loss at Vancouver.
At San Diego this weekend, RSL regulars Diego Luna (knee) and Victor Olatunji (eye) could possibly see their first starts of 2026 after returning from injury for the final 20 minutes against Austin for their 2026 debuts, while DF DeAndre Yedlin – who suffered a hamstring strain back on Feb. 21 in Vancouver – is hopeful to make the 20-man gameday selection.
Sixth-year RSL Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni’s side – which defeated Seattle 2-1 on Feb. 28 in this year’s home opener – has now posted a 10-2-3 (W-L-T) home mark on the Wasatch Front since June 1, 2025 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.
RSL’s ability to rebound from the Vancouver loss to the Seattle win marked yet another “bounce-back” result for its record of resilience under 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 187 matches during the Mastroeni era, winning 32 and drawing 16 in games following a loss.
Scoring first again on Sunday in San Diego could be critical for RSL’s success, as the 2025 campaign saw the Utah side win just once in come-from-behind fashion (July 26 at San Jose), as it did in Saturday’s win over Austin FC. RSL scored first in 23 of its 40 games last year, while posting a 12W-6L-5T when drawing first blood against its opposition.
RSL has now recorded a 48W-10L-18T record when scoring first during the 187-game Mastroeni era, with all but one of 13 RSL victories last season coming when taking the 1-0 lead. Seven of the 10 losses under Mastroeni when taking the 1-0 lead since August, 2021, came during last year’s 2025 campaign.
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.
Mastroeni welcomes two new coaches to his bench in 2026, with third-year assistant Anthony Pulis elevated and Jamal Campbell-Ryce (Real Monarchs assistant, 2024/25; former EPL / EFL player) and Frédéric 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.
