Post-game player spotlight and analysis
- Vera formidable at the back
- Marczuk nets first goal of the season
- RSL condemned to loss by late penalty
There are no easy games in Major League Soccer – Real Salt Lake would have hoped to have been spared that terrifying, cruel reminder, in a season thus far wrought with terrifying, cruel reminders, but fate seemed to have a different agenda on Saturday night.
Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni’s charges are still searching for consecutive wins on the bounce this season, on the basis of this latest evidence, and, on Saturday, seemingly conspired to squander an early lead – conceding a tremendously late penalty in the final minutes of second-half stoppage time – succumbing to a come-from-behind 2-1 reversal away against Nashville SC at Geodis Park in the Tennessee capital.
RSL dominated the opening exchanges between the two sides at the weekend and quickly drew first blood less than a quarter-hour into proceedings when Polish international Dominik Marczuk invitingly snuck in a rebound at the far post from teammate Diogo Gonçalves’s initially-saved shot from distance. But the hosts weren’t forced to wait long and grabbed their equalizer on the stroke of the half-hour mark when Daniel Lovitz slammed in a header from a direct corner kick delivery.
In the second half, RSL thought they’d managed to reclaim the lead against the run of play when substitute Jesús Barea tapped home at the back post from a low ball across from Marczuk. However, the latter was adjudged to have wandered marginally offside during the build-up, and the goal was subsequently chalked off.
Nashville were then awarded the chance to go in front late when RSL substitute Nelson Palacio clumsily brought down Hany Mukhtar in the box. Striker Sam Surrudge coolly stepped up and slammed the resulting spot kick close to the middle to condemn the visitors to a latest chastening defeat.
Here, our author discusses some of the most encouraging performers and major talking points from a difficult night in the Southeast.
Imperious Vera produces season-best
There aren’t too many players who can be completely absolved from RSL’s defensive mishaps for both goals on Saturday night. For the first time in what feels like truly quite some time, Brayan Vera earned that pardon.
The 26-year-old center back had endured a topsy-turvy start to the new campaign, seeing his position in the team come under threat and subsequently dropped during some of the opening weeks of the season, and came intensely under the microscope for his work ethic at the end of March in a 2-0 away loss to Minnesota United.
The steps to sanctification since then have been evident – the defender put in a strong, secure performance in a home victory by the same scoreline against LA Galaxy the following weekend – and on Saturday, he produced his most impressive display yet.
Right from the first whistle at Geodis Park, the Colombian defender proved a colossal, protective force at the back and delivered a lesson in commanding defending, putting out fires by sweeping up balls in behind and bailing teammates out with crucial and often last-ditch challenges and blocks all through the night.
Barely a full minute into the contest, he set the tone early, crucially intercepting and clearing a long pass into the box originally intended for Mukhtar. In the 23rd minute, another tackle and interception not too far from the center circle helped quell a purring Nashville transition and prevent Mukhtar again from breaking through on goal.
In the 29th minute, the defender backpedaled just in time again to divert another dangerous through ball heading towards Ahmed Qasem out for a corner kick. Then, in the 85th minute, Vera recovered in further good time and timed a brilliant equal challenge to deny Qasem a one-on-one opportunity in the box. Four minutes later, a daring sliding block once more denied Mukhtar with a shot from inside the penalty area.
His contributions going forward weren’t lacking, either. In the fifth minute, his long ball from the back and over the top of the Nashville defense found Gonçalves in behind and down the left flank but the midfielder’s squared ball across the face of goal was only agonizingly blazed over by Marczuk, from which the winger really should’ve scored, with the goal gaping in front of him.
By the end of the contest, RSL had accumulated a total of 29 clearances. Vera alone accounted for 10 of them, the most of any RSL player on the pitch. RSL also recorded 44 accurate long passes, 11 of which came from the feet of the Colombian. The 26-year-old also ensured he finished the night with two interceptions, three recoveries, two blocks, and a total of 17 defensive actions throughout the affair.
Against Minnesota, Vera had drawn criticism for his level of effort and desire. On Saturday, he left none of it wanting.
Exciting Marczuk nets first goal of 2025
Alongside Vera, winger Dominik Marczuk also emerged as one of RSL’s best performers on an ultimately bleak evening. The Polish international had already recorded two assists in seven opening games to begin the year, coming into the match, and on Saturday managed to also pick up his first goal of the season.
Within merely 12 minutes of kickoff, a well-worked, determined team-passing sequence, encompassing four players (Katranis, Gonçalves, Luna, and Piol), finally released Gonçalves in the left-hand channel to have a strike from distance. The Portuguese saw his shot powerfully parried away by Nashville goalkeeper Joe Willis but kindly right the path of Marczuk, who managed to squeeze in the rebound at the far post before the keeper could fully recover.
In the second half, the 21-year-old thought he’d turned from goalscorer to provider when his delicious low ball across the face of goal was easily tapped home by substitute Barea at the parallel back post, but the play was subsequently called back for offside and the goal disallowed.
His 0.31 xG created was the most of any RSL player on the pitch at any period during the match, in addition to three total shots and four touches in the opposition box, which both also ranked highest on the visitors’ attacking metric.
Heading into the match, the former Jagiellonia Białystok midfielder had created the most big chances for RSL across the team’s entirety of games this season. Saturday saw him continue that offensive streak.
Late penalty drama the talking point
There were two main points of officiating contention on Saturday night, both with ultimately game-cascading effects. Nearly midway through the first half, play was belatedly called back on RSL’s favor for a VAR check on a possible red card for violent conduct. The culprit, Nashville’s Lovitz, had intentionally raised his arms to impede the progress of Marczuk but without ever making a claim for the ball and, in the process, had connected his elbow with the front of the Polish winger’s neck, which sent him tumbling to the ground in pain.
The conclusion of the lengthy video examination, though, simply confirmed the earlier punishment of a yellow card. Four minutes later, Lovitz would rise highest in the box and head home the visitors’ eventual equalizer.
Refereeing decisions naturally have the power to swing momentum or change the entire course or destiny of a football match, therefore, it is perhaps understandable that referee Jair Marrufo elected for a more careful approach in managing Saturday night's incidents.
Last month, during an RSL home game against FC Dallas, striker Ari Piol was sent off early in the first half of a match the Claret-and-Cobalt had initially been dominating. The game would subsequently descend into chaos, with no less than 12 bookings shown to members from both teams, and RSL would eventually go on to lose 1-0 at America First Field.
Generally speaking, touching or hitting an opponent's face/head/neck areas (high-risk zones) when making a challenge can result in a red card if the action meets certain criteria under the laws of the game. IFAB’s (International Football Association Board) Laws of the Game stipulate that a red card be given for either a) serious foul play (e.g., excessive force or endangering the safety of an opponent), or b) violent conduct (e.g., intentionally striking or lashing out at an opponent, even off the ball).
In such scenarios, then, what stands to be assessed all simultaneously are intent, force, point of contact, and game context (was it a genuine attempt to play the ball?). Incidental contact might usually not result in a sending off, while a deliberate strike or grab to the neck or other high-risk zones will almost always amount to an ejection. Reckless arm swings, however, as was the case on Saturday, historically have tended to go either way – yellow or red – depending on the center official’s discretion and interpretation of the incident.
The second decision on Saturday was marginally more straightforward. In the final minute of the 90, midfielder Palacio was penalized for an unintentional yet clumsy foul in the penalty area after unwittingly impeding Mukhtar from behind, with the hosts converting from the resultant penalty during injury time of a close contest. It was soft, and it was difficult – certainly from an RSL perspective – but it was a fair decision, which consigned RSL to another cruel defeat.
It is important, though, to note that the purpose of this section is simply to serve as an objective analysis and lens of understanding the major officiating decisions on Saturday.
In bleak or grinding moments, teams often need the small waves to turn in their favor before the entire tide does, and RSL seemed, unfortunately, not to get that rub of good fortune against Nashville on Saturday.
What next for RSL?
Up next for the Claret-and-Cobalt is a home meeting with Toronto FC at America First Field this Saturday, April 19, with kickoff slated for 7:30 PM. Tickets are available here.
