MEXICO CITY, Mexico (Friday, August 29, 2025) - Real Salt Lake (0-1-1, 1pt.) fall to fellow MLS academy foe Orlando City SC, 2-0, in the Claret-and-Cobalt’s second of seven group stage matches. The RSL Academy 18s found itself facing Orlando City SC for the second time this calendar year, last seeing the Lions in Generation adidas Cup last March, a 1-0 defeat.
Friday’s match started in a similar fashion as RSL’s Thursday opener, a back-and-forth affair with each side applying high pressure in the opposition’s defensive end. Real Salt Lake started gaining momentum towards the 20’ mark, Omar Marquez picking an Orlando defender clean at the top of the area and unleashing a low, curling strike towards the far post, ultimately finishing just wide of the frame.
Minutes later, Orlando scooped up the ball from a messy scrum, finding itself on a breakaway. In a 1v1 situation, the Orlando attacker bested goalkeeper Zack Jarvie to provide the opposition the lead. The Claret-and-Cobalt nearly equalized in the final seconds of the first half after a beautiful rolling ball from Hunter Peralta found Shaun Morgan at the mouth of the goal. Morgan ultimately mishandled the service, sending the attempt soaring over the crossbar.
Orlando doubled its lead eight minutes into the second half, capitalizing off a poor RSL tackle inside its area and leaving the official no choice but to point to the spot. Orlando clinically put away the penalty, placing it in the bottom right corner to send Jarvie diving in the wrong direction.
After the second Orlando goal, Real Salt Lake’s attack stagnated as the opposition suffocated the Claret-and-Cobalt’s attempt to claw back into the match, leaving RSL scoreless after its first two matches of the prestigious Torneo Internacional.
RSL Academy will take on Pumas Saturday morning. Kickoff is scheduled for 10:00 am MT with broadcast available via the LIGA BBVA MX YouTube Page.
Group 2 Standings: Team (W-L-D) pts
- Orlando City SC (0-0-1) 4pts
- Club Atlético Peñarol (0-0-2) 2pts
- Real Salt lake (0-0-1) 1pt
- Selección Nacional de México - Sub 16 (0-1-0) 0pts
Real Salt Lake Fixtures: Results Italicized
8/28: Club Atlético Peñarol: 0-0
8/29: Orlando City SC: 0-2
8/30: Pumas UNAM
9/1: Rayados de Monterrey
9/2: Selección Nacional de México - Sub 16
9/3: Santos Laguna
9/5: Necaxa
Real Salt Lake Academy is the official MLS NEXT affiliate of MLS side Real Salt Lake. After a historic 2024-25 season that saw RSL become the first academy to have a squad win both the Generation adidas Cup and MLS NEXT Cup in the same season, the group now looks to build upon a firm foundation. Leading Major League Soccer in all-time homegrown signings, RSL welcomed Omar Marquez, Aiden Hezarkhani, Owen Anderson, and Gio Villa in January of this year, all RSL Academy products as part of its 42 homegrown signings after inking their deals with the Claret-and-Cobalt.
