SANDY, Utah (Sat., Mar. 8, 2025) – Real Salt Lake (1-2-0, 3 pts., 10th West MLS) fell at home Saturday night, dropping a 1-3 decision before 19,337 at America First Field. Despite an early goal from first-year Australian striker Ari Piol - his first-ever in Major League Soccer - RSL conceded just before halftime and again twice in second-half stoppage time to suffer its first home league loss of the 2025 campaign and its second across all competitions just five games into this young season.
On the heels of last week’s 2-0 home win over Seattle, RSL Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni made zero changes today to the starting lineup, while also making just one bench rotation, as MF Pablo Ruiz (illness) was replaced by MF Lachlan Brook. Brazilian goalkeeper Rafael Cabral is the lone player to have started each of the five games so far this season, making several saves tonight to keep San Diego at bay.
RSL saw numerous breakaway opportunities go unrewarded this evening, with Piol, MF Diogo Gonçalves, and substitute FW Forster Ajago each seeing one-on-ones with the San Diego keeper go wide.
Real Salt Lake visits Houston next week, in a Western Conference clash against the Dynamo next Saturday, March 15, at Shell Energy Stadium for a 6:30p MT kickoff. The match is available via MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+.
RSL 1 : 3 SD
GOALSCORING SUMMARY
RSL: Ariath Piol (Dominik Marczuk) 17’: Young playmaker Diego Luna, changes the field from right to left for Dominik Marczuk who controls the ball with his chest near the rivals box and puts a perfect through ball for the Australian Ariath Piol, who subtly shoots the ball into the bottom right of the net, leaving the goalkeeper with no possibility of saving it.
SDFC: Franco Negri (Tomás Ángel Gutierrez) 43’: Exquisite cross from outside RSL’s box by Tomás Ángel Gutierrez, who finds the Argentine defender Franco Negri and places a curling header into the bottom right corner of the goal, making it very difficult for Rafael Cabral to save.
SDFC: Anders Dreyer (Unassisted) 90’+1’: San Diego fullback Willy Kumado managed to get past RSL substitute Sam Junqua out wide on the opposition right before drilling a low cross towards the middle of the penalty area, which was only half cleared by defender Justen Glad. However, Glad’s half clearance fortuitously fell at the feet of forward Anders Dreyes inside the penalty area who fired low between the legs of Rafael Cabral and into the net.
SDFC: Marcus Ingvartsen (Onni Valakari) 90’+6’: San Diego midfielder Onni Valakari received the ball high up the pitch and in front of the RSL defense before playing in teammate Marcus Ingvartsen in behind and through on goal, who finished to the goalkeeper’s left and into the bottom right-hand corner.
NOTES FROM RSL 1 : 3 SD
- Forward Ari Piol’s strike in the 17th minute represented his first-ever goal for RSL, coming in only his second appearance
- The San Diego victory on its maiden voyage to Utah soil marked the fourth time in 16 occasions that an expansion team won in Sandy … SDFC joined St. Louis CITY and Cincinnati in 2023 to win at America First Field in its debut here, along with Los Angeles Football Club in 2018
- The 2018 home opener against LAFC was RSL’s worst-ever home loss, a 1-5 debacle
- For the fourth time in five matches, RSL’s Captain was Emeka Eneli, the third-year player from Cornell who was called into the U.S. National Team’s January camp, alongside RSL starlet and reigning MLS Young Player of the Year Diego Luna
- Next week’s trip to Houston represents yet another “bounceback” opportunity for the team under RSL boss Pablo Mastroeni, looking to avoid a rare occasion of back-to-back losses, something which has occurred just 11 times in the 144-game Pablo era
- When scoring first since Pablo took over the head coaching reins in August, 2021, RSL now boasts a record of 35 wins, 12 draws and just six losses … However, two of those six losses have come in the last three contests
LINEUPS
Real Salt Lake (4-2-3-1): Rafael Cabral; Javain Brown (Kobi Henry, 70’), Phillip Quinton, Justen Glad, Alex Katranis (Sam Junqua, 55’); Emeka Eneli ©, Braian Ojeda, Dominik Marczuk (Bode Hidalgo, 85’), Diego Luna (Tyler Wolff, 70’), Diogo Gonçalves; Ari Piol (Forster Ajago, 70’).
Subs not used: Brayan Vera, Nelson Palacio, Lachlan Brook, Mason Stajduhar
Head Coach: Pablo Mastroeni
San Diego FC (4-3-3): Carlos Dos Santos; Till Jasper Loeffelsend (Kumado, 73’), Patrick McNair (Pilcher, 55’), Christopher McVey; Franco Negri (Bombino, 73’), Anibal Godoy Lemus, Lucas Daniel De La Torre (Boateng, 64’), Jeppe Tverskov ©, Anders Dreyer, Tomas Angel Gutierrez (Valakari, 64’), Marcus Ingvarsten
Subs not used: Hamady Diop, Pablo Sisniega, Alejandro Alvarado, Alexander Mighten
Head Coach: Mikey Varas
Stats Summary: RSL / SD
Shots: 14 / 16
Shots on Goal: 6 / 8
Saves: 5 / 5
Corner Kicks: 4 / 6
Fouls: 10 / 12
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
RSL: Braian Ojeda (Yellow Card - 69’)
RSL: Rafael Cabral (Yellow Card - 76’)
SD: Jeppe Tverskov (Yellow Card - 77’)
RSL: Justen Glad (Yellow Card - 79’)
