FARO, Portugal (Friday, Jan. 30, 2026) – Wrapping up the third week of its 2026 preseason, Real Salt Lake its first loss in three Portugal-based matches as part of The Atlantic Cup tourney, falling 0-2 to Major League Soccer rival FC Dallas. Following a scoreless first half that saw the Claret-and-Cobalt dictate tempo with the majority of possession and a preponderance of dangerous chances, RSL conceded during the first minute of the second half. Dallas striker Petr Musa won the ball from an RSL defender and executed a quick give-and-go with a teammate, burying his finish far post for the Dallas lead. Deep into second-half stoppage time, former RSL speedster Anderson Julio pounced on a giveaway in the back to provide the Dallas dagger for the 2-0 win.
Seeking competitive minutes to wrap up this portion of preseason, the teams played an extra 45-minute stanza, which ended up deadlocked at 1-1. Twenty-four minutes into the additional half, Dallas struck first, with rookie Ricky Louis finally slamming home a loose ball in the box following a series of failed clearances after a Dallas corner kick. In the 35th minute, RSL equalized through Tyler Wolff’s second preseason goal, as the second-year RSL player took a ball from Academy product Luca Moisa, firing home from eight yards out.
Earlier in the tournament, RSL defeated a pair of Danish SuperLiga sides by identical 2-1 scorelines; Brøndby was the victim on Monday, with Alex Katranis providing the game-winner, following up last Thursday’s win over Randers, which featured an early goal from Polish international Dominik Marczuk. U.S. Men’s National Team World Cup hopeful Diego Luna provided assists in both RSL victories.
RSL Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni made two changes to today’s lineup, with versatile second-year DF Sam Junqua and third-year outside back Katranis each starting for the first time in three matches. RSL GK and Captain Rafa Cabral continued his “Iron Man” status earned in 2025, playing all 270 minutes of this trip.
RSL newcomer Stijn Spierings – signed last Sunday – now works through his visa process and looks to rejoin RSL next weekend in California, while late 2025 addition Victor Olatunji, who just arrived from his Nigeria home – made his 2026 preseason debut with 30 minutes across the 135 total played today against Dallas.
Slight injuries to Lukas Engel (hamstring), Emeka Eneli (knee), Jesus Barea (quadriceps) and Griffin Dillon (hamstring) hope to be rectified in time for the quartet to be available for selection next Saturday, Feb. 7, when RSL competes against USL Championship side Orange County SC.
GAME NOTES:
22nd RSL season in Major League Soccer kicks off Feb. 21 at Vancouver
RSL owns longest active playoff qualification streak in Western Conference (5 consecutive years)
Perennial postseason qualifier has seen RSL advance in 7 of last 8 seasons (2020) and 15 of last 18 years (2015, 2017 other exceptions)
RSL also appeared in The Atlantic Cup in 2024
- Five current players – Justen Glad, Alex Katranis, Diego Luna, Zavier Gozo, Pablo Ruiz – also part of that squad
Captain and GK Rafa Cabral played every minute of all 40 RSL games in 2025 across multiple competitions
- Cabral named 2025 Most Valuable Player by his teammates
USA starlet Diego Luna earned 2025 RSL Golden Boot with 10 goals / 7 assists across all competitions
- Also named to Concacaf Gold Cup Best XI for his U.S. performance w/ 3 goals + 2 assists
- World Cup hopeful Luna led Mauricio Pochettino’s 2025 U.S. side in games (17), minutes and assists
- Two-time MLS All-Star (2024, 2025) and 2024 MLS Young Player of the Year
28-year-old homegrown centerback Justen Glad is RSL’s longest-tenured player, now preparing to kick off his 12th season
- Ranks 3rd overall in Club history in games / starts / minutes, trailing only Club legends former USA stars Nick Rimando and Kyle Beckerman
18-year-old Attacker Zavier Gozo starred last Fall for USA U-20 side at FIFA World Youth Championships
- Joined by RSL teammate Marcos Zambrano in Chile-based tourney as well
- Gozo scored 4 goals and added 3 assists while making 20 consecutive MLS starts from late-April to mid-Sept
- Utah-born-and-raised Gozo matriculated from RSL Academy to 2nd-team Real Monarchs in recent years
Another Utah native – 21-year-old winger Zach Booth – arrived in early January on loan from Excelsior Rotterdam after 5+ seasons in Europe
Several other homegrowns have joined RSL in Portugal this preseason, rising through the Club ranks since their mid-teenage years
- Griffin Dillon, Luca Moisa, Aiden Hezarkhani, Juan Gio Villa, Omar Marquez
Two of last Thursday’s starters – DF Ruben Mesalles and MF Griffin Dillon – enter the first-team conversation after very strong 2025 campaigns with Real Monarchs, RSL’s reserve squad
- Mesalles – who also started Monday – was a college draft pick in December, 2024, out of Duke University
- Utah native Dillon came up through the RSL Academy, spent two seasons at Univ. of Maryland, then returned to the Club as a professional
Newcomer DF Lukas Engel joined team for flight to Portugal after transfer last week from Middlesbrough (England)
- Former Danish youth international was teammates with DeAndre Yedlin at FC Cincinnati last year via loan
- Engel appeared in 41 games for Cincinnati across all competitions in 2025
Polish winger Dominic Marczuk also spent final 2 months last year on loan at Cincinnati with Engel
- Former Polish Youth Player of the Year arrived in Utah in August 2024
Two RSL players – Nigerian FW Victor Olatunji & Australian FW Ariath Piol – joined preseason camp this weekend
- Olatunji was awaiting his passport at U.S. embassy in Nigeria
- Piol appeared in 3 group stage games at AFC U-23 Cup as late-game substitute; did not appear in last Saturday’s elimination match against S. Korea
- Piol’s 2026 MLS medical evaluation conducted Wednesday in Utah, traveling Thursday to Lisbon
Multiple other players could be added to RSL’s first-team roster prior to the beginning of the 2026 Major League Soccer season
- With the 2026 FIFA World Cup break beginning on May 25, 15 League matches will be played prior to the hiatus
- Upon season resumption on July 20 after the Cup Final, 19 League matches as well as the annual Leagues Cup tourney against Mexican Liga MX powers will be played ahead of the Nov. 7 “Decision Day,” with the 2026 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs occurring from Nov. 21 – Dec. 19
RSL concluded its Iberian peninsula experience earlier today against fellow MLS Western Conference foe FC Dallas (Fri., Jan. 30), before completing its 24-hour door-to-door travels, returning to Utah on Sun., Feb. 1.
After spending the first week of February back in Utah, the Claret-and-Cobalt then wrap up its 22nd preseason slate with two games in Southern California, facing off against DF Kobi Henry’s former USL Championship side, Orange County SC (Sat., Feb. 7), as well as MLS Cup 2024 champions LA Galaxy (Fri., Feb. 13), the latter match being played outside of Palm Springs, Calif. Late preseason arrivals Victor Olatunji and Ari Piol, as well as newly-acquired RSL player Stijn Spierings, are expected to feature extensively in the California portion of preseason.
RSL then kicks off its 2026 Major League Soccer campaign on Sat., Feb. 21 at B.C. Place, home of the reigning Western Conference champion, Vancouver Whitecaps FC, one week prior to the Claret-and-Cobalt’s 2026 home opener at America First Field against long-time rival Seattle Sounders FC on Sat., Feb. 28. Both of RSL’s February games kick off at 5:30p MT, with season ticket and four-game packages NOW AVAILABLE at www.RSL.com/tickets.
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