ST. PAUL, Minn. (Sat.,, March 29, 2025) – Real Salt Lake (2-4-0, 6 points, 11th West MLS) was unable to recover from its home loss last week, falling 2-0 in an away matchup against hosts Minnesota United.
Real Salt Lake has now endured rare back-to-back losses, its first failure to bounce back since August of last year. This occurrence is only the 12th occasion in RSL Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni’s 147 games since August, 2021, with the team suffering successive losses.
RSL saw three of its top players return to the starting lineup after missing the 0-1 home to Dallas last weekend. Captain Emeka Eneli made his return after back spasms kept him off the field a week ago, while Diego Luna (USA) and Dominik Marczuk (Poland) saw game action following their international call-ups in the most recent FIFA window.
Despite the return of this key trio, the Utah side lacked clarity in the first half of the match with the icy cold and rainy conditions perpetuating both team’s difficulties. Minnesota’s defensive strategy annulled any attempts from RSL to get going on the attack.
Goalkeeper Rafael Cabral - the lone RSL player to have played all 720 minutes of the season across multiple competitions - once again proved to be monumental for the squad, coming up with three big saves in the first 45 minutes. However, at the 30th minute Minnesota’s collective play on the counterattack opened up spaces deep in RSL’s half, scoring for the home side after forward Tani Oluwaseyi headed home an inviting cross from teammate Jefferson Diaz.
Another disappointing start to a match for Real Salt Lake who were unable to create chances on the offensive side of the ball, generating 0 attempts on goal, and relying heavily on free kick opportunities in their opponent’s half which amounted to very little in the first 45’.
Mastroeni went with four changes going into the start of the second half, as rookie Spaniard Jesús Barea made his RSL debut, along with the first MLS appearance of the season for Zavier Gozo. Midfielder Lachlan Brook and homegrown DF Bode Hidalgo also entered the match.
RSL seemed to find a better footing in the game following the halftime break, creating spaces in the attack that weren’t available prior. At the 55th minute, Minnesota made RSL’s hopes for a comeback even tougher as Oluwaseyi bagged his second of the night, taking advantage of a one-on-one, streaking past an isolated RSL defender and beating Cabral near post to make the game 2-0.
DF Brayan Vera had the opportunity to bring the game back to within a goal, his point-blank header staying out as the ball was bobbling in the Minnesota box, leaving the keeper and his defender confused, but the shot-stopper recovered and saved what could’ve been the beginning of a rally.
Barea was a bright spot of the night, looking fresh on the ball, and finding a couple chances on goal but unable to convert. Australian youngster Ari Piol returns to game action next week after serving his one-game suspension following his straight red in the 23rd minute last week against Dallas.
Next week RSL is back home hosting LA Galaxy on Saturday, April 5. Kickoff is slated for 2:30 PM MT at America First Field, with tickets available here.
MIN 2 : 0 RSL
GOALSCORING SUMMARY
MIN: Tani Oluwaseyi (Jefferson Díaz) 30’: Robin Lod one-touch passes it out to the right side of the field, near the RSL box, center back Jefferson Diaz puts in a cross to FW Tani Oluwaseyi who heads it into the bottom right corner leaving Cabral with no response.
MIN: Tani Oluwaseyi (Joaquín Pereyra) 55’: Minnesota recovers the ball in their own half, finds Joaquín Pereyra who puts a glancing one-touch ball into space for FW Oluwaseyi to run into and go one-on-one with the keeper, and calmly puts the ball past Cabral for the second goal of the game.
NOTES FROM MIN 2 : 0 RSL
- Captain Emeka Eneli returned to lead Pablo Mastroeni’s side on Saturday, having missed the preceding weekend’s 1-0 defeat to FC Dallas due to back spasms suffered in training 24 hours prior to kickoff.
- Saturday’s loss marks RSL’s first set of successive defeats in MLS competition since August 2024, the second set in all competitions this season, after defeats to San Jose and Herediano last month, and the 12th time in 147 matches across all competitions under Mastroeni
- Striker Ari Piol returns to eligibility for next weekend’s game against the LA Galaxy after missing tonight’s loss through suspension.
- Tonight’s loss also snaps a run of six straight draws between RSL and Minnesota. The Claret-and-Cobalt’s last victory over Minnesota in Major League Soccer arrived back in August, 2022.
- Youngster Zavier Gozo was introduced at the start of the second half for his first domestic appearance of the season and second appearance overall after featuring in the 2-1 defeat to Herediano in the Champions Cup in February.
- Youngster Jesus Berea was also introduced at the start of the second half to make his MLS debut for the club, the rookie out of Missouri State selected in the first round of the most recent MLS SuperDraft
- Goalkeeper Rafael Cabral remains the lone player to have lasted in all eight RSL games, across 720 minutes, thus far this campaign.
LINEUPS
Real Salt Lake (4-2-3-1): Rafael Cabral; Philip Quinton (Bode Hidalgo, 46’), Justen Glad, Brayan Vera, Sam Junqua; Emeka Eneli ©, Braian Ojeda (Pablo Ruiz, 73’); Dominik Marczuk (Zavier Gozo, 46’), Diego Luna, Diogo Gonçalves (Lachlan Brook, 46’); Forster Ajago (Jesús Barea, 46’)
Subs not used: Kobi Henry, Nelson Palacio, Mason Stajduhar, Alex Katranis
Head Coach: Pablo Mastroeni
Minnesota United FC (5-3-2): Dayne St. Clair; Bongokuhle Hlongwane, Morris Duggan, Nicolás Romero, Jefferson Díaz, Joseph Rosales (Anthony Markanich, 71’); Robin Lod, Joaquín Pereyra (Owen Gene, 65’) (Carlos Harvey, 85’), Wil Trapp; Kelvin Yeboah, Tani Oluwaseyi
Subs not used: Alec Smir, Devin Padelford, Jeong Sang-Bin, Michael Boxall, Samuel Shashoua, Loïc Mesanvi
Head Coach: Eric Ramsay
Stats Summary: RSL / MIN
Shots: 14 / 15
Shots on Goal: 3 / 7
Saves: 5 / 3
Corner Kicks: 2 / 5
Fouls: 8 / 15
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
MIN: Joaquín Pereyra (Yellow card - 32’)
MIN: Dayne St. Clair (Yellow card - 80’)
RSL: Lachlan Brook (Yellow card - 82’)
RSL: Pablo Ruiz (Yellow card - 90’+3’)
