SANDY, Utah (Sat., Oct. 24, 2026) – Real Salt Lake (11-14-6, 39 points, 10th West / 18th MLS Shield) earned a critical and dominant 3-0 victory over newly-crowned Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Champions St. Louis CITY SC (14-8-9, 51 points, 3rd West / 7th MLS Shield) on Saturday night before 20,614 at America First Field. The win was the Utah side’s fourth MLS shutout of the year and its first clean sheet ever against St. Louis, a crucial result in the chaotic Western Conference playoff race.
Saturday, RSL’s red-hot rookie Sergi Solans scored his third MLS brace of the season, further cementing his lead in the Club’s 2026 Golden Boot race. Now with 14 MLS goals (18 in all competitions), the Spanish rookie sensation passed Duncan McGuire (13 goals in 2023) for the second-most goals by an MLS SuperDraft pick in his debut season. Only Cyle Larin (17 in 2015) scored more goals in his rookie year, with Solans chasing history with just three games remaining.
RSL Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni made no changes to Saturday’s starting XI, keeping the same lineup for a third consecutive match, including last weekend’s crucial 3-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City. After missing five months due to an adductor injury suffered on May 23 at Minnesota, 2024 MLS All-Star and RSL homegrown centerback Justen Glad returned to the bench Saturday for the first time in five months, playing the final 30 minutes.
Needing maximum points from its penultimate home game of the year, Real Salt Lake came out firing in the opening moments of the match. Just eight minutes in, right winger Dominik Marczuk received the ball on his flank, cutting inside and dribbling before unleashing a left-footed warning shot that missed just high far post. Ten minutes later, it was Uruguayan World Cup standout Juan Manuel Sanabria that knocked on the door, missing on a volley that deflected off the ground before barely soaring past the left post.
The Claret-and-Cobalt came inches from opening the scoring in the 39th minute, when Noel Caliskan found himself alone with goalkeeper Ben Lundt. The former Real Monarch chipped Lundt and the ball was destined for the net, but Caliskan was denied by a brilliant sliding intervention by St. Louis captain Timo Baumgartl, who cleared the ball off the line.
Just two minutes later, in the 41st minute, RSL finally took the deserved lead with a well-worked team move. Surging forward from right centerback, Canadian newcomer Luc de Fougerolles intercepted a pass before taking his space with velocity and playing a double one-two with Designated Player Morgan Guilavogui. From the left side of the penalty box, the Guinean international played a low-driven cross to an open Sergi Solans at the back post, the rookie finishing a right-footed tap-in to give the home side the lead.
Just before halftime, St. Louis suffered another blow as Tomas Ostrak was shown a second yellow card for a reckless challenge on de Fougerolles. The Claret-and-Cobalt carried a 1-0 lead, in addition to a one-man advantage, into the break.
Just seven minutes after coming out of the locker room, RSL doubled its lead with a long-range thunderstrike from Marczuk. De Fougerolles played the ball out to the Polish wingback, who unleashed a right-footed shot from outside the box that beelined into the top right corner for his second goal of the season.
The home side continued to pile it on with the one-man advantage, and by the 59th minute the Claret-and-Cobalt increased its lead to 3-0 over the newly-crowned Open Cup winners. It was Solans that scored his second, converting with a shot at the back post after a cross from Georgian international Saba Lobjanidze.
In the 60th minute, Glad subbed into the match to make his first appearance since the May 24 adductor injury at Minnesota. Cheers rained down from the stands and fans rose to their feet as RSL’s Homegrown poster boy and occasional captain retook his spot amongst the Claret-and-Cobalt backline.
RSL continued to apply pressure throughout the final half-hour of the match, coming close to scoring a fourth on multiple occasions. Ari Piol and Kobi Henry were just a few of the players that had chances in the box, unable to convert but contributing to a dominant attacking display that out-shot its West rivals 20-3 on Saturday night. As the referee blew his final whistle, the 3-0 win kept RSL’s playoff hopes very much alive with only three matches remaining in the regular season.
The playoff push continues this Wednesday, October 28, when Real Salt Lake travels to Austin FC at Q2 Stadium in another midweek encounter. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. MT.
GOAL-SCORING SUMMARY:
RSL 3 : 0 STL
RSL: Sergi Solans (Morgan Guilavogui) 41’: Luc de Fougerolles intercepted a St. Louis pass near midfield and surged forward with pace. The Canadian played a double give-and-go with Guilavogui, who played a low-driven cross from the left side of the box into the backpost that was finished by Solans.
RSL: Dominik Marczuk (Luc de Fougerolles) 52’: de Fougerolles received the ball near the middle of St. Louis’ half and played it wide to Marczuk. The Pole settled before hitting a pinpoint right-footed banger from outside the box, flying into the top-right corner.
RSL: Sergi Solans (Saba Lobjanidze) 59’: After a string of RSL passes, Guilavogui dribbled forward and found the run of Lobjanidze at the far-right corner of the St. Louis box. The Georgian international took a touch with his right foot before crossing a ball to the backpost, finished by Solans.
NOTES FROM RSL 3 : 0 STL
- RSL is now 59-12-23 (W-L-T) when scoring first in the five-year Pablo Mastroeni era.
- Sergi Solans has now scored 14 MLS goals in 2026, putting him three shy of Christian “Chicho” Arango and Alvaro Saborio’s shared single-season RSL record (17). Solans is also three shy of tying Cyle Larin’s MLS rookie record (17 with Orlando in 2015).
- RSL secured its first-ever clean sheet against St. Louis on Saturday. Prior to this match, RSL had conceded in each of its last seven regular season encounters with St. Louis.
- The Claret-and-Cobalt are now 9-4-3 at home in MLS this year with a 12-4-4 overall mark at America First Field, and a 20-6-7 (W-L-T) mark at home since June 1, 2025, returning Sandy to its former fortress-like location.
- With the 3-0 victory, RSL earned back-to-back wins for the first time since the Leagues Cup bouts against Atlante FC (4-0 on August 8) and FC Juarez (3-0 on August 11). Saturday also marked the first consecutive MLS wins since mid-May against Houston (3-0 on May 13) and Colorado (2-1 on May 16).
- Morgan Guilavogui earned his sixth assist of the year, Saba Lobjanidze notched his fourth, and Luc de Fougerolles earned his second MLS assist of 2026 on Saturday.
LINEUPS:
Real Salt Lake (5-4-1): Rafael Cabral ©; Dominik Marczuk, Luc de Fougerolles, Philip Quinton (Justen Glad, 60’) Kobi Henry, JuanMa Sanabria; Saba Lobjanidze (Aiden Hezarkhani, 80’), Stijn Spierings, Noel Caliskan (Colin Guske, 67’), Morgan Guilavogui (Zach Booth, 67’); Sergi Solans (Ari Piol, 67’)
Subs not used: Mason Stajduhar, DeAndre Yedlin, Sam Junqua, Alex Katranis,
Head Coach: Pablo Mastroeni
St. Louis City SC (3-4-3): Ben Lundt; Jaziel Orozco, Timo Baumgartl ©, Fallou Fall; Conrad Wallem (Mykhi Joyner, 46’), Chris Durkin (Dante Polvara, 46’), Charles Brunet (Daniel Edelman, 71’), Rafael Santos; Tomas Ostrak, Rafael Navarro (Mbacke Fall, 84’), Simon Becher (Damion Downs, 71’)
Subs not used: Christian Olivares, Lukas MacNaughton, Carlo Holse, Sang Bin Jeong
Head Coach: Yoann Damet
Stats Summary: RSL / STL
Shots: 20 / 3
Shots on Goal: 8 / 2
Saves: 2 / 4
Corner Kicks: 7 / 0
Fouls: 18 / 9
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
STL: Rafael Santos (Yellow Card - 3’)
STL: Tomas Ostrak (Yellow Card - 30’)
RSL: Phil Quinton (Yellow Card - 40’)
STL: Tomas Ostrak (Yellow Card - 45’)
STL: Tomas Ostrak (Red Card - 45’)
RSL: JuanMa Sanabria (Yellow Card - 64’)
