From the third overall seed in the West to a third consecutive first-round playoff exit after earning a continental invite, crashing out after two games and now in the bottom third of the Western Conference table after the first six weeks of the league season, RSL has endured quite the rollercoaster ride over the last six months of competition.
Now that the calendar turns from March to April, RSL Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni and his staff must analyze what has been and chart the course going forward to improve over the 30+ remaining games across multiple competitions and deliver on the Club’s 2025 goals.
The fans are undoubtedly frustrated with the lack of efficiency on the offensive side of the ball, demanding that the team find a solution to the bereft relationship between the strikers and the net. With just four goals in six MLS games (only five in eight overall) is quite frankly unacceptable for a team with postseason aspirations in a league that is constantly evolving, with the opponents improving.
From collective frustration to a unanimous fan-favorite, however, goalkeeper Rafael Cabral has become a beacon of hope for the RSL fan base through his spectacular performances thus far. Of course, the goals conceded would tell a different story but it is undeniable that without Cabral standing between the goalposts, this group would be in a much more dire situation.
This weekend the Claret-and-Cobalt face off against reigning MLS Cup Champion LA Galaxy in a home clash that promises to be a hard-fought battle for three points with kickoff set for this Saturday, April 5, at 2:30 pm MT.
Follow us on some of this week’s most important storylines facing the match against LA Galaxy.
Finding the Frontman Through the Fog
It seems a shadow has been cast over RSL’s attack in the past few games, failing to score in the last five halves - in no small part due to an early red card against Dallas and miserably freezing rain in an icy monsoon in Minnesota - but the lack of a true goal-scoring figure up top dominates the public thought.
After the departure of Colombian duo Cristian Arango and Andrés Gómez— to the San Jose Earthquakes and Stade Rennais respectively— Kurt Schmid had the difficult task of rebuilding the attack to include fresh talent who could replace the lost scoring punch. Last year, the duo accounted for 30 of the 63 league goals scored by the team in the previous season, equating to about 48% of their total scores, a figure that rises to nearly 70% of goal contributions when you include their 22 combined assists.
Following the Elias Manoel debacle in December and January, the Utah side undertook a heavy recruiting effort and landed on a few names to bring to the club. Ghanaian striker Forster Ajago and Australian youngster Ari Piol were the first two players who signed in the attack, putting pen to paper in January of this year.
Ajago was selected in Stage One of Major League Soccer’s Re-Entry Draft coming over from Nashville SC. A promising young talent at just 23 year old, the front office was particularly excited about what this move could bring to the club in the near future. Nonetheless after appearing in 8 matches across all competitions, the forward has netted just 2 goals and has shown sparks of strong potential but ultimately unable to consistently perform to the level that is expected of him.
The 20-year-old, Ari Piol was another signing made during this past offseason aimed at adding further depth to the striker position. He arrived via permanent transfer from Macarthur FC (A-League). So far, he’s made 4 starts in 4 appearances and notched his lone goal in the home loss against expansion side San Diego FC. He missed the previous affair against Minnesota United at Saint Paul due to a red card suspension, received in the first half against FC Dallas.
In December of last year, RSL selected Jesús Barea 19th overall in the Major League Soccer SuperDraft. The Cádiz, Spain native previously played at Missouri State University, where he shined, scoring 34 goals and adding 19 assists to his name over four years. Just under a month after finalizing his work visa, Barea made his debut in the loss at Minnesota, Saturday. Despite playing in challenging conditions, the young Spaniard made good work of the 45 minutes he played, creating four chances with two shots on goal and very nearly putting one in the back of the net.
The continued absence of efficiency has plagued a team that is desperately searching for a way to bounce back to their winning ways. The discussion of who will take over the mantle of goalscorer left behind by Chicho is still up for debate but patience is wearing thin in Sandy. Will it be Ajago, Piol. or Barea against the Galaxy?
Cabral: The Constant in the Midst of a Critical Start
Rafael Cabral is quickly cementing his name in the history books of Real Salt Lake and is arguably one of the most important offseason signings of the MLS in 2025. It's taken only eight games across all competitions for Rafa to become a fan favorite amongst the RSL faithful.
With only a handful of games played wearing the historic Real Salt Lake uniform, the Brazilian shot-stopper has made brilliant saves, one after another, each time leaving the fans in awe of what they had witnessed. At 34 years old, the former Copa Libertadores champion has a compilation of stops with the club that any netminder would dream of having, with still much left to be played.
One of Cabral’s most memorable moments of the young season was the penalty save against former MLS MVP Luciano Acosta at home against FC Dallas on March 22.
It remains true that without a superstar like Rafa Cabral in your corner, RSL would not be where they are at this point in the season, more likely than not they would have suffered more painful defeats. Through six MLS games, Cabral has faced 34 goal scoring opportunities, stopped 23 of them, and conceded 11, most of which stemmed from defensive breakdowns, leaving him with minimal responsibility.
This upcoming match will see Cabral face a battered LA Galaxy team due to injuries that has only netted five goals so far this season, although fleet-footed winger Joseph Paintsil should return for Saturday’s match. Regardless of the position in the table, one should expect a hard-fought game against a team that has frequently enjoyed the upper hand over RSL.
Conquering the Reigning Champs
The reigning MLS Cup Champion Galaxy arrive for yet another chapter in the history between Real Salt Lake and the original LA side. Celebrations nor applause are poised to take place for the league winners but instead a fierce motivation to get back on track and a focus on the objective ahead which is to keep the three points in Utah.
RSL are looking to break a five-game winless run against the Galaxy in MLS. Its last win was 1-0 at home back in April, 2022, with the game-winning goal being scored by Uruguayan defender Marcelo Silva at the 49th minute. The only surviving starter from that team is veteran Justen Glad, expected to see action this weekend. (RSL did defeat the Galaxy, 3-2, at home in June, 2023, en route to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Semifinal that season).
The local side will need to contain Galaxy’s front three made up of Gabriel Pec, Christian Ramirez, and MLS veteran Diego Fagundez if it hopes to celebrate a win with the home crowd. Conversely, Diego Luna and Diogo Gonçalves must tap into their creative arsenal to take on the visitors’ experienced defense.
The champs have not had an easy time to live up to the glory of last season, suffering multiple injuries to their starting lineup which has forced them to adjust accordingly. Those injuries include German FW Marco Reus, DP Riqui Puig, and midfielder Lucas Sanabria. The club from Los Angeles currently sits 13th in the Western Conference, just four points shy of RSL.
In head-to-head matches, RSL and LA have battled in 59 league contests— second most for Real Salt Lake against any club in MLS except the Colorado Rapids (60) — with the Utah club defeating their western rivals on 19 occasions, suffering 25 defeats, and drawing on 15 instances.
The most notable victory for RSL was without question the 2009 MLS Cup, securing the title by triumphing over the Galaxy in penalties, 5-4, after drawing 1-1 in regulation and extra time. The team led by then Head Coach and now front office member, Jason Kreis, lifted the Cup in Seattle against an all-star squad with the likes of David Beckham, Landon Donovan, Edson Buddle, Donovan Ricketts and others. To this day it remains our Club’s most historic achievement, with RSL looking to recapture a bit of that magic and dream once again.
Tickets remain for Saturday’s 2:30p MT kickoff v LA at www.RSL.com/tickets.
