Impressive Newcomers Could Start or Make Club/League Debuts This Weekend;
RSL Looking for First-Ever Win in Atlanta, on Third Visit (Losses in 2022, 2018)
Limited Tickets Remain Available at ***www.RSL.com/tickets*** for March 14 Return to America First Field
HERRIMAN, Utah (Friday, March 6, 2026) – Real Salt Lake (1-1-0, 3 points, 10th West MLS) continues its 2026 Major League Soccer campaign this weekend at Atlanta United FC (0-2-0, 0 points, 15th East MLS) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta (5:30p MT kickoff), available on Apple TV. RSL last visited Atlanta in 2022, dropping a 2-1 decision in what was then 18-year-old MF Diego Luna’s first-ever start for the Club; RSL also lost in its only other visit (2-0, 2018).
This weekend’s RSL contest is available via Apple TV, with Evan Weston and Dax McCarty (ENG) on the call, along with Ramses Sandoval and Miguel Gallardo (SPN), with Michele Giannone on the sideline. Long-time RSL voice Landon Southwick / David James and former MLS goalkeeper Jay Nolly will call the game for KSL Sports Radio (1160 AM / 97.5 FM), with Nelson Moran now in his 22nd RSL season as RSL’s Spanish radio voice on KBMG Latino 106.3 FM.
Winning just three road wins a year ago, RSL’s 2026 side looks to recapture its Club-best road form achieved during the 2023/24 seasons, when the 2023 side posted an impressive 11W-8L-5T away mark across all competitions, a record which includes that year’s Open Cup and Audi MLS Cup Playoff eliminations at Houston. In 2024, the Claret-and-Cobalt registered the second-most road points in RSL history, with a 5W-4L-8T MLS reg. season mark, one which does NOT include its heartbreaking, multi-goal Leagues Cup elimination loss to the Dynamo.
Sixth-year RSL Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni’s side seeks back-to-back wins this weekend, looking to build upon last Saturday’s 2-1 home-opening victory over Seattle. Goals from Aiden Hezarkhani – the 18-year-old homegrown’s first in four all-time MLS appearances – and Australian U22 FW Ari Piol helped RSL Captain and GK Rafa Cabral’s eight saves secure the full three points, as RSL improved to 11 wins and nine draws against two losses all-time in its 22 season openers on Utah soil. Uruguayan World Cup hopeful Juan Manuel Sanabria and 17-year-old Luca Moisa registered assists on the Hezarkhani opener, while Philip Quinton’s long ball up the right created Zavier Gozo’s run and game-winning assist to Piol for the match decider.
Also improved with the Feb. 28 win was RSL’s all-time 14W-1L-4T mark against Seattle on Utah soil, where the Rave Green have not won since 2011 in reg. season action (SEA did win the road leg at RSL by a 1-0 score in the 2012 Playoff series).
RSL – which also defeated Seattle 2-0 in last year’s home opener – has now posted a 9-2-3 (W-L-T) home mark on the Wasatch Front from June 1 forward last year across MLS, Champions Cup and Leagues Cup matches. In 2024, RSL amassed a 12-3-4 (W-L-T) record at home, where the Club has traditionally enjoyed a fortress-like record of success, winning nearly 70% of games and averaging just under two points per game in parts of 18 seasons across all competitions in Sandy.
During the first two MLS matchdays, RSL has seen six different players make their Club debuts, with Designated Player Morgan Guilavogui, wingback Juan Manuel Sanabria and DF Lukas Engel featuring in Saturday’s win, following in the footsteps of MF Luca Moisa, MF Zach Booth and FW Sergi Solans during the 1-0 loss on Feb. 21 at Vancouver. While RSL regulars Diego Luna (knee), Victor Olatunji (eye) and DeAndre Yedlin (hamstring) likely remain out another week due to injury, the Claret-and-Cobalt remain hopeful to see another Club debut for preseason addition MF Stijn Spierings in Atlanta.
In each of the last two weeks, RSL saw five RSL Academy Homegrown players start for the Claret-and-Cobalt, including regulars DF Justen Glad and FW Zavier Gozo, along with MF Aiden Hezarkhani, MF Luca Moisa and MF Zach Booth. Three of the players – Gozo (18), Hezarkhani (18) and Moisa (17) – are 18 years old or younger, while both Booth and Gozo are born-and-raised Utah natives. Joining Moisa and Booth in making his Club and League debut Feb. 21 at Vancouver was rookie FW Sergi Solans, a former UCLA/Oregon State product.
RSL’s ability to rebound from the Vancouver loss to the Seattle win marked yet another “bounce-back” result for its record of resilience under Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni. Since the former USMNT star and MLS veteran seized the Claret-and-Cobalt head coaching reins in August, 2021, RSL has dropped consecutive games just 18 times in 185 matches during the Mastroeni era, winning 32 and drawing 16 in games following a loss.
Scoring first on Saturday – with Aiden Hezarkhani burying the one-time half-volley on a pass from Juan Manuel Sanabria, after Luca Moisa intercepted a Seattle clearance following a Zavier Gozo run – was once again critical to RSL’s success. The 2025 campaign saw the Utah side win just once in come-from-behind fashion (July 26 at San Jose), RSL scoring first in 23 of its 40 games last year, posting a 12W-6L-5T when drawing first blood against its opposition.
RSL has now recorded a 47W-10L-18T record when scoring first during the 185-game Mastroeni era, with all but one of 13 RSL victories last season coming when taking the 1-0 lead. Six of the 10 losses under Mastroeni when taking the 1-0 lead since August, 2021, came during the 2025 season.
With another 2026 postseason berth this November, RSL would extend its West-best active playoff streak to six consecutive seasons (Orlando enters 2026 with six straight in the East), the Claret-and-Cobalt having advanced to the postseason in seven of the last eight seasons and 15 of the last 18 years, its near-perennial placement missing out only in the 2015, 2017 and 2020 campaigns.
Mastroeni welcomes two new coaches to his bench in 2026, with third-year assistant Anthony Pulis elevated and Jamal Campbell-Ryce (Real Monarchs assistant, 2024/25; former EPL / EFL player) and Fredric Brillant (former NYCFC player, former Utah Royals FC assistant) joining RSL. GK Coach Mirza Harambasic remains on staff along with lead Video Analyst Rob Rogers, the group looking to attain the heights of 2024, when RSL delivered its Club-best campaign of 59 points from 34 games and 65 goals scored.
