Real Salt Lake right back Noel Caliskan lit the proverbial fuse and brought the excitement early on in Real Salt Lake’s 2025 Independence Day celebration. Making his ninth consecutive start, Caliskan has provided consistency to the ever-changing Claret-and-Cobalt back line over the course of the 2025 campaign.
Following a headed corner clearance for CITY in the sixth minute, Caliskan collected the second-ball opportunity, chesting the ball to the ground before unleashing a right-footed rocket off a half-volley to the far-post upper corner. The goal marks the German-born defender’s first in three years of Major League Soccer competition (he does have a pair of first-team Portland Timbers goals, however, in a 2023 Open Cup match against - you guessed it - Real Salt Lake!).
Drafted 15th overall by Portland in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft, the Loyola Marymount alum spent his rookie year with the Timbers before betting on himself and signing with Real Salt Lake’s MLS NEXT Pro affiliate, Real Monarchs SLC, as a midfielder ahead of the 2024 season. After a strong start to last year’s campaign, Caliskan signed an MLS deal with the Claret-and-Cobalt last June, appearing in 14 matches with the first-team after putting pen to paper.
Designated Player Diogo Gonçalves earned Man of the Match honors Saturday following his strong performance, playing a hand - err, foot - in two of RSL’s goals. Gonçalves' brilliant goal came just minutes before the halftime break, propelling the Claret-and-Cobalt into the driver's seat for the rest of the match. Receiving the ball on the left wing, Gonçalves carried into the attacking box and cutting onto his right foot before firing a curling screamer off the far post and into the net. With much excitement, Gonçalves sat down on the pitch to honor his former Portugal U21 teammate, Diogo Jota, who tragically passed earlier this week, mirroring Jota’s signature celebration.
With RSL up 2-1, Gonçalves kept his foot on the pedal, attempting to play a through ball across the box to an onrushing Zavier Gozo. Before the RSL homegrown could get to the ball, St. Louis CITY defender Joshua Yaro clipped the rolling ball into his own net, virtually securing three points for the home side.
Real Salt Lake remains in the beehive state hosting Houston Dynamo next Saturday, July 12th at 7:30 p.m. Prior to Dynamo visiting, USMNT superstar Diego Luna takes on Mexico tomorrow evening in the Gold Cup final before returning to the Wasatch front. Tickets for next weekend’s home match can be found here.
