SANDY, Utah (Tues., Aug. 4, 2026) – Real Salt Lake (8-3-6, 27 points, 5th West / 9th Shield MLS) fell at home via penalty-shootout tiebreaker to Liga MX power Tigres UANL (0-1-2, 1 point, 16th Liga MX) during penalties on Tuesday night in front of 16,155 fans at America First Field. The match marked the first of a trio of games against Liga MX teams in the next week, the draw still earning RSL a point in the 2026 Leagues Cup tournament.
RSL midfielder Pablo Ruiz scored a first-half equalizer, jumping on a loose ball in the box for his first goal in a 35-game, 1,444-day span, dating back to June, 2023. Ruiz’ first start of 2026 coincided with the first-ever RSL starts for recent newcomer Saba Lobjanidze and Colombian U22 defender Juan Jose Arias.
Real Salt Lake Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni made eight personnel changes and one positional shift to the starting lineup following Saturday’s 1-1 draw in St. Louis. Attacker Victor Olatunji returned to the lineup up top, while Morgan Guilavogui returned from a one-game suspension following his red card at Portland.
Lobjanidze made his first RSL start and fourth appearance for the Club, while Polish winger Dominik Marczuk rounded out the attack by making his second start of the season. Midfielder Stijn Spierings returned to the XI after a one-game hiatus, as did defender Lukas Engel. Arias’ inclusion on the back line pushed Philip Quinton to the right side.
Real Salt Lake came out aggressive against the Liga MX side, when the third minute saw newcomer Lobjanidze sending a hard shot towards goal.. The effort earned Lobjanidze a corner, where he curved anothet shot straight towards the net. The Tigres goalkeeper claimed the ball, preventing Lobjanidze from scoring,
Despite RSL’s aggressive start, the opposition found the net first in the sixth minute, as Tigres’ Rodrigo Aguirre got behind the RSL backline, sending the ball to Juan Brunetta, who scored with a left-footed shot from the center of the box.
RSL quickly reciprocated in the 16th minute, with Guilavogui sending a right-footed attempt toward the goal that was blocked by Tigres defender Fernando Gorriarán. The block returned the ball to Guilavogui, who passed back to Ruiz, the midfielder taking a shot and burying the chance into the bottom right corner of the net, finding an equalizer.
RSL continued to push in the 31st minute, when Guilavogui placed a shot on goal off a free kick that sailed just left of the net. In the 40th minute, Arias unleashed an effort that failed to convert after it was blocked by the opponent. In the 43rd minute, Quinton then made a right-footed effort on goal that was blocked.
Tigres responded by transitioning down the left side of the field, ripping a shot that Cabral easily saved in the 45+3rd minute just before the halftime whistle blew. The match against Tigres UANL marked Cabral’s 58th consecutive start, the RSL Captain maintaining his ironman status as a cornerstone of the Club’s roster.
The Club entered the second half with determination and continued applying pressure. In the 46th minute Olantunji blasted a left-footed attempt that was marginally saved, before Uruguayan-midfielder JuanMa Sanabria placed an attempt in the 52nd minute that missed just to the left. In the 59th minute, Brunetta made an attempt on goal off of a free kick that Cabral caught, preventing Tigres from notching another goal.
Cabral shined in the later part of the match when in the 81st minute he made a critical save, preventing Francisco Reyes from scoring. In the 85th minute, Engel blocked an attempt on goal before the shot ricocheted, giving Juan Brunetta another chance that was stopped by Cabral. In the 92nd minute, Cabral stopped yet another ball after Isaías Galván made an attempt on goal. The result ended the second half at 1-1, sending both teams to penalty kicks to determine the final score.
In penalties, both teams converted their first five attempts, moving the shootout to sudden death. On Real Salt Lake’s sixth penalty attempt, Eden, Utah native Zach Booth was unable to find the back of the net, slamming his effort off the post. Tigres UANL then converted its ensuing penalty to secure the shootout victory.
The result awarded the Club a point in the Leagues Cup competition, as RSL continues its homestand of five games in 15 days at America First Field, now turning its attention to the second of three matches in the tournament. Salt Lake will now host Atlante FC on Saturday, with kickoff set for 8:00 p.m MT before hosting FC Juárez next Tuesday, August 11, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. MT. All Leagues Cup and regular-season tickets available for purchase here.
GOAL SCORING SUMMARY:
RSL 1 (5) : 1 (6) TIG
TIG: Juan Brunetta (Rodrigo Aguirre) 6’: Aguirre sent the ball to Brunetta who scored with a left-footed shot from the center of the box, barely missing Salt Lake keeper Rafael Cabral.
UTA: Pablo Ruiz (Morgan Guilavogui) 16’: Guilavogui sent a right-footed attempt toward the goal that was blocked by Tigres’ Fernando Gorriarán. The block returned the ball to Guilavogui, who passed back to Ruiz, the midfielder taking a shot and burying the chance into the bottom right corner of the net, finding an equalizer.
SHOOTOUT SUMMARY:
RSL: JuanMa Sanabria
TIG: Juan Brunetta
RSL: Sergi Solans
TIG: Fernando Gorriarán
RSL: Diego Luna
TIG: Rodrigo Aguirre
RSL: Noel Caliskan
TIG: Cesar Araújo
RSL: Lukas Engel
TIG: Alan Franco
RSL: Zach Booth (post)
TIG: Jesús Garza
NOTES FROM RSL 1 (5) : 1 (6) TIG
- Ruiz’s goal marks his first for the Club since June 2023 against D.C. United, a span of 35 games between goals.
- Real Salt Lake is now 6-6-6 all-time against Liga MX on Utah soil.
- RSl is 18W-10L-8T all-tim in international contests at home.
LINEUPS:
Real Salt Lake (3-4-3): Rafael Cabral ©; Philip Quinton, Juan José Arias, Lukas Engel; Dominik Marczuk (Zach Booth, 62’), Stijn Spierings, Pablo Ruiz (Noel Caliskan, 76’), JuanMa Sanabria; Morgan Guilavogui (Aiden Hezarkhani, 87’), Victor Olatinji (Sergi Solans, 62’), Saba Lobjanidze (Diego Luna, 75’)
Subs not used: Mason Stajduhar, DeAndre Yedlin, Sam Junqua, Alex Katranis, Omar Marquez, Lineker Rodrigues
Head Coach: Pablo Mastroeni
Tigres UANL (4-2-3-1): Nahuel Guzmán; Jesús Garza, Joaquim Henrique Pereira Silva, Rômula Zanré Zwarg (Alan Franco, 74’), Vladimir Loroña (Francisco Reyes, 75’); Fernando Gorriarán ©, Cesar Arújo; Diego Lainez (Isaías Galván, 87’), Juan Brunetta,Ozziel Herrera (Diego Sánchez, 66’), Rodrigo Aguirre
Subs not used: Juan Pablo Vigon, Antonio Carrera, Mauro Laínez, Carlos Felipe Rodriguez, Fernando Orgóñez, Rafael Guerrero Ramírez, Marcelo Salinas Villarreal, Antonio de Maria y Campos
Head Coach: Hernán Rodrigo Elizondo González
Stats Summary: RSL / TIG
Shots: 16 / 13
Shots on Goal: 6 / 4
Saves: 5 / 3
Corner Kicks: 6 / 4
Fouls: 18 / 11
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
TIG: Jesús Garza (Yellow Card - 50’)
TIG: Diego Lainez (Yellow Card - 78’)
UTA: Lukas Engel (Yellow Card - 86’)
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.
