Player Spotlight | Hezarkhani Provides Early Hope While Solans’ Second-Half Brace Secures Three Points

By: Isabella Rubis 

As the final whistle echoed throughout the packed stands of America First Field, 20,918 fans at the Riot drew a collective sigh of relief as the drought of 13 straight winless MLS matches came to an end with a dominant 3-0 victory over the Eastern Conference’s second-place New England Revolution. 

RSL’s famed “xDawg” mentality - a consistent trait for squads guided by RSL boss Pablo Mastroeni - returned to full display Saturday night in Sandy. After not winning a league match since May 16, the Claret-and-Cobalt worked as one cohesive unit with precision and grit to earn the full three points. Despite missing a season-high 13 players due to injury or international duty, the 3-0 victory earned the Utah side its first shutout since August 11 in its Leagues Cup match against Juarez, while notching its first MLS clean sheet since May 13 vs. Houston (both at home). RSL also improved its record during the five-year Mastroeni era to 57-12-22 (W-L-T) when scoring first since August 2021, while taking a needed step forward in reinforcing and re-establishing its home fortress. 

Nineteen-year-old RSL Academy product Aiden Hezarkhani provided the evening’s primary highlight with his third career MLS goal just under two minutes into the match. Rookie RSL striker Sergi Solans followed suit, bagging his second-career MLS brace, while Captain and goalkeeper Rafael Cabral capped off the evening by showcasing an impressive 90-minute shift between the posts to earn his third MLS clean sheet of the 2026 season and his fifth across all competitions.

The Scoreless Streak is Broken

In a team peppered with young talent and RSL Academy products, it was no shock that one midfielder who fits into both of these categories was the hero, scoring a stunner just 114 seconds into the match to end RSL’s 287-minute scoreless streak and put the home side in a favorable position with an early 1-0 lead.

The teenage Hezarkhani has become a constant within the RSL lineup, opening the 2026 season by earning key minutes and netting his first MLS score during the squad's home opener way back on February 28 at home against Seattle, a 2-1 victory. A week later, Hezarkhani scored again, on the road at Atlanta, the young midfielder showcasing a high level of play that proves he can go toe-to-toe with anyone in the league. 

The lightning-fast start began with Designated Player Morgan Guilavogui, who brought the ball down the field before using the laser-like passing precision for which he is known to send the ball through the 18-yard-box for Polish MF Dominik Marczuk. Upon receipt, the 22-year-old sent a cross into the box, where a New England defender’s attempted block fell at the feet of Hezarkhani. The young player showcased a high soccer IQ by switching his hips and positioning his body in a more favorable way to send a curling, left-footed shot across the goal and past USMNT ‘keeper Matt Turner, burying it into the top left corner.

The early score by Hezarkhani was exactly what the home side needed, injecting life, hope and belief into both the squad and the crowd to help boost RSL to a 1-0 halftime lead.

So Nice He Did It Twice

None other than Spanish rookie Sergi Solans continued the second-half scoring for the Claret-and-Coblat, netting two goals in front of his parents, visiting all the way from his hometown of Lleida, Spain, watching him play in-person for the first time during his professional career.

The Oregon State/UCLA standout provided his first of two scores on the evening in the 62nd minute, after German-born metronome Noel Caliskan brought the ball up the pitch with speed, sending it through the middle for Solans, who broke through heavy traffic in the box to send a shot past the ‘keeper. The 22-year-old breathed a massive sigh of relief, visible from the highest point of the stadium after celebrating with his teammates as the score marked his first since August 19.

RSL’s 2026 Golden Boot leader decided he wasn’t done for the night quite yet, scoring a second goal, one for each of his parents, in the 80th minute. The brace arrived after Guilavogui sent yet another precise cross from the right-side of the box for Solans, who tapped the ball past Turner with his left foot. The two-goal night marked the Spaniard’s second of his rookie MLS season, bringing him to 11 MLS goals amongst his 15 scored across all competitions (MLS, friendlies and Leagues Cup). Solans takes a firm hold of the 2026 RSL Golden Boot, now just the sixth-ever MLS SuperDraft pick in the league’s 31-year history to score 10 or more goals as a rookie.

While Solans battled through a drought of his own, having trouble finding the back of the net in the seven previous matches, his resilience and determination helped lift his teammates.

The young star continues to showcase a high level of speed, scoring ability and soccer IQ at just 23 years old, expecting to be a continued threat for RSL. Not only did Solans help extend RSL’s lead in the much-needed victory over New England, but he became RSL’s first player to score 10 or more goals for the Club since Cristian Arango, who netted 17 goals in 2024. With seven regular-season games guaranteed for RSL in the remainder of this season, Solans is now just six goals away from tying RSL’s single-season MLS record. 

Between the fight of RSL’s young talent like Hezarkhani, the relentless attitude of Solans and the brick wall of Cabral and his defense, RSL has stemmed its downward spiral, now injected with a newfound confidence as it fights for a spot in the ever-tight race for a postseason spot.

Up Next… 

The Claret-and-Cobalt have a much-deserved and needed week off before hitting the road to take on the surging Philadelphia Union on Saturday, October 10, following the ongoing FIFA international window. The squad will now look to continue the momentum from its home victory to hopefully earn its second road win of 2026. Kickoff for the match is slated for 5:30 p.m. MT and will be streaming on Apple TV.