Player Spotlight | Marczuk Steps Up, Several Players Earn Debuts in 2-1 Loss at Orlando City

By Javier Mico-Crump

On the road again for the first time since August 1, Real Salt Lake traveled to face Antoine Griezmann and Orlando City SC on Saturday night. With 10 changes to the starting lineup in preparation for Tuesday’s Leagues Cup Quarterfinal, RSL fell 2-1 in Orlando as Griezmann scored both in a comeback victory for the Florida side. 

Despite the disappointing result, Saturday’s heavy rotation provided an opportunity for several new faces to shine on the MLS stage, epitomizing the true meaning of “team.”

Marczuk Steps Up For His First Goal Of 2026

After coming close to finding an opener in the early moments of Saturday’s match, Polish winger Dominik Marczuk finally got his breakthrough goal in the 36th minute. The third-year RSL man sprinted into the box from his native right wing, finishing a long, precise cross from Sam Junqua with a first-time effort to the bottom left corner.

The goal was Marczuk’s first of 2026 and only the third of his young career, with the Polish international’s last score coming on April 12, 2025, when he scored the opener in a 2-1 loss at Nashville.

Making his first start since August 4 against Tigres, and only his second MLS start of 2026, Marczuk has quickly become one of RSL’s most important pieces after the Club suffered significant losses at right wing-back in August. With the departure of homegrown star Zavier Gozo for Crystal Palace FC, and a right hamstring injury for Utah native Zach Booth, Marczuk was tasked to step up at a position that has been crucial to the Claret-and-Cobalt’s success this season. If Marczuk can maintain the elite speed, timing of his runs and more of the finishing he displayed on Saturday, he could play a big role in RSL’s Leagues Cup aspirations and its 2026 MLS playoff push.

Heavy Rotation Leads to Several MLS Debuts

With RSL playing its seventh game in only 22 days in August, Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni and staff were forced to make heavy lineup changes against Orlando, on the heels of Wednesday’s home loss and ahead of Tuesday’s Leagues Cup Quarterfinal against Club León in Denver. The starting lineup on Saturday featured 10 personnel changes - the most since multiple game-to-game changes in RSL’s deep 2023 U.S. Open Cup run - allowing several players the opportunity to make their debuts for the Utah Club. 

In goal, Mason Stajduhar returned home to make his RSL debut, his first MLS start since June, 2024, ending a 64-game starting streak for veteran Captain Rafael Cabral. In June, Stajduhar was recalled from a loan to Las Vegas Lights FC of the USL Championship, setting up an eventual first appearance with the Claret-and-Cobalt after being rostered for nearly two years. Coincidentally, Stajduhar hit the milestone against his former team, suiting up against Orlando, with whom he spent 10 years from an Acadmey product to first-team starter, before joining RSL in January, 2025.

On the defensive line, centerback Kobi Henry earned his first MLS start, playing a full 90 minutes alongside Juan Arias and Sam Junqua. Henry has been a key player and captain for the Real Monarchs in MLS Next Pro, starting nine games for the Utah side while scoring twice in 2026. Henry’s performance on Saturday earned praise from Mastroeni, who lauded the Trinidad and Tobago international’s mentality and poise in his first MLS start. Along with Arias, Henry is a young defender that RSL hopes to develop to bolster a defense in need of reinforcements amidst veteran Justen Glad’s injury.

Rested and ready for Tuesday’s Leagues Cup Quarterfinal, Real Salt Lake continues its three-game road trip in just 72 hours, facing top Liga MX seed Club León at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo. Kickoff is set for 8:30 p.m. MT, with the match available to stream on AppleTV.