RSL Remains in Utah for Second of Three Leagues Cup Home Matches;
Saturday Marks Second of Five Home Games from August 4-19, Including Three Liga MX Contests;
Tickets for All Home Events Remain Available via www.RSL.com/Tickets
SANDY, Utah (Friday, August 7, 2026) – This week, Real Salt Lake (8W-6L-3T, 27 points, 5th West MLS / 9th Shield) remains home for the second of at least three 2026 Leagues Cup home matches with Saturday’s 8:00p MT kickoff against Liga MX newcomer Atlante FC. This weekend’s tilt marks the second of five RSL home games in a 15-day span on the Wasatch Front, with a trio of Leagues Cup contests and two MLS regular-season matches through August 19. Following Tuesday’s 1-1 regulation draw and 6-5 penalty-kick tiebreaker loss against Liga MX power Tigres UANL, RSL now owns an 8-1-1 (W-L-T) mark on Utah soil in 2026, outscoring visitors 23-10, with the lone setback coming on April 22 in an 0-2 loss to Inter Miami CF.
Despite eight changes to the starting XI on Tuesday from the Claret-and-Cobalt’s weekend draw away at St. Louis, Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni’s side earned a point against Tigres thanks to a 16th-minute equalizer from veteran RSL midfielder Pablo Ruiz, a lefty shot from the top of the box, assisted by Morgan Guilavogui. The goal for Ruiz was his first since a midfield bombazo in June, 2023, at D.C. United, a span of just 35 games played across 1,444 days due to two severe knee injuries for the metronomic, deep-lying playmaker.
Ruiz was joined in his first start of the 2026 RSL campaign by a pair of newcomers to the starting XI – MF Saba Lobjanidze and DF Juan Jose Arias – each making their America First Field debuts. Striker Victor Olatunji, winger Dominik Marczuk also made rare starts for RSL Tuesday evening, while two regular starters in Guilavogui and MF Stijn Spierings returned to the selection after a brief hiatus last Saturday at St. Louis. Several RSL stars could appear Saturday, including dynamic playmaker Diego Luna, 2026 Golden Boot leader Sergi Solans, midfield stalwart Noel Caliskan, and former Leagues Cup champion DeAndre Yedlin (Miami, 2023).
Saturday’s RSL Leagues Cup contest on Apple TV features Max Bretos and Brian Dunseth on the primary English-language call, with Jorge Perez-Navarro and Marcelo Balboa providing the Spanish-language analysis. Simultaneously, the KSL Radio team of David James and Jay Nolly return to the mic, with Nelson Moran – now in his 22nd RSL season as RSL’s Spanish radio voice – conducting the Spanish call on KBMG Latino 106.3 FM.
GAME NOTES for Saturday’s RSL v Atlante FC Match Available Online
The Adobe PDF version of the 2026 RSL Game Guide in advance of Saturday’s Leagues Cup contest between Real Salt Lake and Atlante FC can be found HERE. Media members looking to receive the document as an attachment or have further questions are asked to please contact RSL Communications via email at RSLcommunications@RSL.com.
Saturday’s match is the fifth amidst a critical stretch of 11 games in 44 days for RSL across both MLS and Leagues Cup contests, a run that began with late July road losses at LAFC and Portland. While the St. Louis draw snapped a two-game losing streak in RSL’s post-World Cup slate following losses at LAFC on July 22 and at Portland on July 25, the Club is forced to carry an active seven-game winless streak away from home into its next road match, August 22 at Orlando.
Despite the recent spate of winless matches, RSL remains in fifth place in a tightly-packed MLS Western Conference with 17 games remaining in its 22nd all-time MLS season, with Saturday’s match three weeks removed from a 4-1 home exhibition win over English Championship side Burnley FC. The first of at least four international clubs to arrive on the Wasatch Front during a 30-day midsummer span, Burnley was denied early by a sixth-minute penalty-kick save from 2025/26 “Iron Man” and Captain Rafael Cabral, later buoyed by a brace from rookie FW Sergi Solans, the Club’s co-Golden Boot leader with Utah native and teenage MLS All-Star Zavier Gozo, who also added a goal and an assist on the night. Iconic RSL player Diego Luna converted a late penalty to determine the final margin, with Burnley becoming the 33rd different international opponent to compete on Utah soil against Real Salt Lake, which now boasts an all-time 18W-10L-8T mark against international visitors, including Tuesday’s draw with Tigres UANL.
Real Salt Lake Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni has now managed the Club in 203 matches across all competitions, registering 83 wins, 72 losses and 48 draws in MLS, Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, Leagues Cup, Open Cup, Concacaf Champions Cup and international friendly contests since late August, 2021. The former U.S. Men’s National Team World Cup standout (2002, 2006), MLS Cup Champion (2010) as a player, and former Colorado Rapids manager (2014-16) has averaged 1.60 points per game with RSL in his 202 matches at the helm. Only Cup-winning former manager Jason Kreis (2007-13) – now the Club’s President of Soccer – boasts more games, more wins and a higher PPG average than Mastroeni in RSL’s 22 seasons.
During the Mastroeni era, resilience, grit and determination have served as trademarks for RSL, with the Club suffering back-to-back losses on just 20 occasions in those 203 games. Saturday at St. Louis marked the latest opportunity for the Claret-and-Cobalt to display its “xDAWG” mentality as it earned the result at Energizer Park, previously winning 35 and drawing 17 times in “bounce-back” games following a loss in Mastroeni’s five-plus seasons in Utah.
LEAGUES CUP NOW ON THE HORIZON
Competing on the Wasatch Front, the Tigres match Tuesday drops RSL’s all-time record against Mexican visitors to an even 6W-6L-6T on the Wasatch Front, where the Liga MX sides have outscored the Claret-and-Cobalt 25-22 over the years on their collective visits. A pair of must-win Phase One matches remain for RSL during Leagues Cup 2026, with Saturday’s Atlante FC welcome followed up by next Tuesday’s FC Juarez match. RSL will need all seven remaining Phase One points available – probably with a very heavy goal differential – in order to advance to the Quarterfinals as one of four MLS sides to emerge from the 18 currently in the competition.
Real Salt Lake entered the tourney ranked as the 30th overall side out of 36 participants based on its 2025 performance and standings results, with RSL fifth of the six teams in the West 1 pod, which also includes MLS sides Vancouver and Minnesota, in addition to RSL’s three Liga MX opponents. Further information on each match can be found at www.RSL.com or www.LeaguesCup.com.
ATLANTE FC – In recent months, Atlante secured its return to Liga MX by acquiring Mazatlán’s franchise, taking its place in the league. The club now moves to Mexico City yet again, with the famed Estadio Azteca becoming its new home. Mazatlan was formerly known as Monarcas Morelia before relocation in 2020 – entering this summer’s tourney as the second of three visitors to the Beehive State, arriving for the second Phase One match on Saturday. Interestingly, back in July, 2006, Morelia did defeat RSL by a 3-1 scoreline at its former Rice-Eccles Stadium home.
FC JUAREZ also makes its maiden visit to Utah as part of the 2026 Leagues Cup, RSL hosting another first-time opponent. Juarez was founded as a second-division side in 2015, ascending to Liga MX in 2019 as a replacement for Lobos BUAP. Former RSL Academy, Real Monarchs and RSL forward and Park City, Utah native Sebastian “Bofo” Saucedo played 17 games for FC Juarez from 2023-25, scoring one goal.
Now in its fourth edition, Leagues Cup 2026 will once again award three spots in the 2027 CONCACAF Champions Cup, where the winner will represent the region at FIFA international club competitions, with the Leagues Cup 2026 champion earning a direct berth to the Round of 16.
A year ago, RSL drew with both Club América and Atlético San Luis at home before winning against Queretaro, splitting the shootout tiebreakers in the first two matches. RSL Captain and GK Rafa Cabral enjoyed perhaps his signature moment in the dramatic penalty-kick session against Las Aguilas, denying several attempts from the spot after América scored deep into second-half stoppage time to force the draw.
Three days later against Atlético San Luis, RSL saw late dramatics from former MF Braian Ojeda force the tiebreaker, the Claret-and-Cobalt conceding the extra point in the group standings against 2026 newcomer Juan Manuel Sanabria’s former side.
In the group stage finale, RSL defeated Queretaro by a narrow 1-0 scoreline in a match dominated by RSL, which conceded just a lone shot on goal over the 90 minutes, Ojeda again providing the match-winner.
Running from August 4 through September 6, Leagues Cup 2026 will feature 36 clubs – all 18 LIGA MX teams and 18 qualified MLS clubs. All 54 matches during Phase One along with the Quarterfinals will deliver LIGA MX vs. MLS matchups and feature defending Leagues Cup champion Seattle Sounders, top-rated LIGA MX Club Toluca, 2025 MLS Cup Champion Inter Miami, as well as 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup winner Cruz Azul and runner-up Vancouver Whitecaps.
RSL Next Match: 8/8 @ America First Field
RSL takes on Atlante F.C. in the Leagues Cup! Secure your seats for an unforgettable match at America First Field.
