SANDY, Utah (Wed., Feb. 26, 2025) – Real Salt Lake failed to advance to the Round of 16 of the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup with a 2-1 home loss against Vista Tican champions CS Herediano on Wednesday night.
RSL Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni rotated eight players from Saturday’s opening-weekend MLS loss at San Jose for tonight’s contest against Herediano, with an eye on freshness for this weekend’s upcoming MLS home opener against Seattle at America First Field.
The first half looked promising for RSL, with great ball movement and an overwhelming amount of shots on goal. In his home debut, striker Forster Ajago scored a beautiful goal in transition, the assist from Dominik Marczuk to give RSL the lead going into halftime.
RSL enjoyed almost 20 more shots on goal than its opponent in the first half, the home side able to keep the ball in the attacking half and create dangerous chances.
A goal midway through the second half leveled the score and gave Herediano the advantage due to the away goals tiebreaker.
Any hopes of winning were squashed with a Herediano penalty during the 99th minute, giving the visitors a 2-1 lead.
Overall, Mastroeni likes what he is seeing early on this season from box to box and just needs the team to find the back of the net in their regular season home game this Saturday, March 1 against the Seattle Sounders. Kickoff at an expected standing-room-only America First Field is set for 2:30p MT.
RSL 1 : 2 HER
GOALSCORING SUMMARY
RSL: Forster Ajago (Dominik Marczuk) 26’: A brilliantly well-worked goal. Winger Dominik Marczuk received a pass, from teammate Diogo Gonçalves, in a wide position before delivering a sublime low ball toward striker Forster Ajago, arriving in the middle of the penalty box, who finished first time past the goalkeeper and into the back of the net.
HER: ElĂas Aguilar (A. Hernández) 70’: Profiting from a short stoppage in play, Hernández is able to squeeze through the clutter and pass off to an anxiously awaiting Aguilar who is able to beat out Cabral and score a shot directly up the middle of the goal.
HER: Randy Vega (Penalty) 90’+9 : After a missed penalty for RSL, Herediano was able to quickly boot the ball up the side of the field. Vega used his speed to gain possession of the ball for a 1v1 opportunity against RSL keeper Cabral and leading to a collision, Herediano was awarded a penalty in the box and Vega chipped the ball to the middle of the goal scoring as Cabral dove right.
NOTES FROM RSL 1 : 2 HER
- Tonight’s loss was the first in a home elimination game since RSL’s 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup setback against Hailstorm FC, snapping a run of three consecutive advancements on home soil, all during the 2023 season in Open Cup (LA Galaxy), Leagues Cup (Leon of Liga MX) and the MLS Cup Playoffs (Houston, second leg)
- However, tonight did mark a fifth consecutive loss in an elimination game across the trio of competitions and the seventh in the Club’s last nine
- For just the 11th occasion in 142 games played during the Pablo Mastroeni era, RSL has suffered back-to-back losses
- For just the fifth time since Mastroeni took over back in August, 2021, RSL lost a match in which it had scored first
- The goal scored by FW Forster Ajago in the 27th minute marked the first goal scored by an RSL player in his home debut since July 5, 2023, when Cristian Arango completed the feat in a 4-0 home win over Orlando City
- Several players - GK Rafael Cabral, DF Kobi Henry, DF Sam Junqua, MF Tyler Wolff and FW Forster Ajago - each made their home debuts for the Club, after the same quintet donned the Claret-and -Cobalt for the first time a week ago in. Costa Rica
- RSL’s fourth CONCACAF Champions tourney comes to an end, unable to repeat its 2011 run to the Final, or even the 2016 Quarterfinal run … RSL was eliminated in the 2012 group stage, with this same Herediano team earning a 0-0 draw at what was then Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy
LINEUPS
Real Salt Lake (4-2-3-1): Rafael Cabral; Bode Hidalgo, Kobi Henry, Brayan Vera, Sam Junqua; Nelson Palacio (Zavier Gozo, 81’), Emeka Eneli © (Braian Ojeda, 70’); Dominik Marczuk (Tyler Wolff, 69’), Lachlan Brook (Diego Luna, 59’), Diogo Gonçalves (Pablo Ruiz, 69’); Forster Ajago
Subs not used: Max Kerkviiet, Mason Stajduhar, Justen Glad, Philip Quinton, Javain Brown, Alexandros Katranis
Head Coach: Pablo Mastroeni
CS Herediano (4-5-1) : Dany Carvajal; Haxzel Quiros, Keyner Brown, Juan Luis Perez, Darril Araya; Emerson Bravo, Allan Cruz (Aaron Murillo, 82’), Sergio Rodriguez (P. SantamarĂa, 90’+3’), A. Rodriguez (Randy Vega, 46’), Elias Aguilar © (Steven Williams, 87’); A. Hernandez (Eduardo Juarez, 82’)
Subs not used: Emmanuel Garita, Anthony Walker, Jose Rodriguez, Axel Amador
Head Coach: Alexander Vargas
Stats Summary: RSL / HER
Shots: 28 / 6
Shots on Goal: 5 / 3
Saves: 11 / 2
Corner Kicks: 10 / 2
Fouls: 16 / 14
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
RSL: Brayan Vera (Yellow Card – 73’)
HER: Sergio Rodriguez (Yellow Card – 86’)
RSL: Rafael Cabral (Yellow Card – 90’+8’)
HER: Randy Vega (Yellow Card – 90’+10’)
