RSL Seeking to Extend Five-Game Unbeaten Run and Remain Undefeated on Utah Soil in 2026;
Limited Tickets Remain Available at www.RSL.com/tickets for April 4 Return to America First Field
HERRIMAN, Utah (Friday, April 17, 2026) – Real Salt Lake (4-1-1, 13 points, 4th West / 5th Shield MLS) returns to action at home this weekend, continuing its 2026 Major League Soccer campaign with a Saturday evening kickoff against San Diego FC (3-2-2, 11 points, 8th West / 12th Shield MLS) at America First Field in Sandy (7:30p MT kickoff), available on Apple TV. This year’s RSL start is the second-best in 22 seasons, with RSL amassing 13 points through its first six matches (second only to 2011), with a perfect 3-0-0 mark at home.
This weekend’s San Diego visit kicks off RSL’s first three-game week of 2026, as the Club remains home to host defending MLS Cup champions Inter Miami CF on Wednesday, April 22 (7:30p MT kickoff), in a highly-anticipated matchup, prior to traveling to Carson, Calif., to face the LA Galaxy on Sunday, April 26 (5:00p MT kickoff). Limited tickets for each home game are available via www.RSL.com/tickets, while all RSL matches can be viewed via Apple TV.
Saturday’s RSL contest on Apple TV features Evan Weston and Sacha Kljestan (ENG) on the call, as well as Diego Pessolano and Daniel Chapela (SPN). Long-time RSL voice 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.
RSL emerges from the recent bye weekend seeking to extend its active five-game unbeaten run during the young 2026 MLS season, securing its first multi-goal win of the year with a 3-1 home victory two weeks ago against Sporting Kansas City, as USA World Cup hopeful Diego Luna, rookie striker Sergi Solans and 19-year-old Utah native Zavier Gozo each found the back of the net. The win extended RSL’s home win streak to five games dating back to last fall, while the standing-room-only crowd at America First Field extended the Club’s sellout streak to eight games and counting.
GAME NOTES for Saturday’s RSL v San Diego FC Match Available Online
The Adobe PDF version of the 2026 RSL Game Guide in advance of Saturday’s contest between Real Salt Lake and San Diego 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.
Back on March 22 at San Diego, RSL earned a late 2-2 draw with the second-year Southern California team, as Nigerian striker Victor Olatunji’s 85th-minute equalizer rescued a late point for the Claret-and-Cobalt in a match that also saw RSL rookie Sergi Solans score his second of three goals already this year.
During the first six MLS matchdays of 2026, RSL has now seen eight different players make their Club debuts, with MF Stijn Spierings and his March 14 heroics adding his name to a 235-player list that saw yet another RSL Academy product – MF Griffin Dillon – appearing for the final 45 minutes of the 3-2 road win at Atlanta on March 7. Newly-acquired Designated Player Morgan Guilavogui joined Uruguayan World Cup hopeful wingback Juan Manuel Sanabria and veteran DF Lukas Engel in making their RSL debuts in the 2-1 win over Seattle on Feb. 28, with the trio of RSL Academy men MF Luca Moisa and MF Zach Booth joining rookie FW Sergi Solans in donning the Claret-and-Cobalt crest for the first time in the Feb. 21 opening-day loss at Vancouver.
Sixth-year RSL Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni’s side – which defeated Seattle 2-1 on Feb. 28 in this year’s home opener – has now posted an 11-2-3 (W-L-T) home mark on the Wasatch Front since June 1, 2025 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.
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 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 189 matches during the Mastroeni era, winning 32 and drawing 16 in games following a loss.
Scoring first again on Saturday against San Diego could be critical for RSL’s success, as the 2025 campaign saw the Utah side win just once in come-from-behind fashion (July 26 at San Jose), as it did in the March 14 win over Austin FC. RSL scored first in 23 of its 40 games last year, while posting a 12W-6L-5T when drawing first blood against its opposition.
With the Kansas City win two weeks ago, RSL has now recorded a 49W-10L-19T record when scoring first during the 189-game Mastroeni era, with all but one of 13 RSL victories last season coming when taking the 1-0 lead. Seven of the 10 losses under Mastroeni when taking the 1-0 lead since August, 2021, came during last year’s 2025 campaign.
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.
