SANDY, Utah (Wednesday, May 14, 2025) – Real Salt Lake (4-7-2, 14 points, 11th West) earned its second consecutive result with a 0-0 stalemate against Portland Timbers FC in the sides' first meeting of 2025, RSL’s lone America First Field match in a five-game span.
The Claret-and-Cobalt dominated much of the midweek proceedings between the teams, with patient but largely non-threatening spells of possession.
In the opening 45 minutes, RSL’s best opportunity of the half arrived right on the stroke of halftime when wingback Alex Katranis found himself in ample space down the left byline, in the penalty area, delivering an inviting ball towards 18-year-old Zavier Gozo. The Utah native and RSL Academy product arrived into the six-yard box for what looked like a first-time tap-in, but the youngster saw his effort repelled by an opposing defender to provide rhe clearance.
At the start of the second half, the hosts kept up the pressure in search of a go-ahead goal, coming agonizingly close once again when playmaker Diego Luna crashed a right-footed, direct free-kick effort off the crossbar.
With the score remaining level, the visitors gradually grew into the contest and managed to fashion crucial chances for themselves before ultimately seeing efforts consistently foiled by RSL goalkeeper Rafael Cabral, who came up big with three crucial saves to keep the hosts’ chance of victory alive.
With the game accelerating rapidly towards full time, youngster Gozo came closest with a flurry of impressive pieces of skill and drops of the shoulder in the penalty area, fashioning chances out of nothing. The Eagle Mountain, Utah native’s finishing touches from close range were well repelled by Portland, forcing Mastroeni’s men to settle for a share of the spoils for the second successive game in less than a week.
The result ensures RSL maintain its place in 11th in the Western Conference standings with 14 points from the team’s opening 13 MLS matches. Next up for Mastroeni and Co. is a Rocky Mountain Cup clash away against the Colorado Rapids at DSG Park on Saturday, May 17, with kickoff slated for 7:30 PM MT.
RSL 0 : 0 POR
GOALSCORING SUMMARY:
No goals scored.
NOTES FROM RSL 0 : 0 POR
- Tonight’s clean sheet marked RSL’s fourth in 15 games across all competitions this season, with GK Rafael Cabral the lone RSL player to appear in all 1,350 minutes played in 2025.
- Two RSL players suspended for tonight’s match - DF Justen Glad and FW William Agada - are eligible to return for Saturday’s match at Colorado in the rivals’ first 2025 leg of the fan-created Rocky Mountain Cup.
- Entering Saturday’s match at Colorado, DF Alex Katranis and MF Diego Luna are one yellow card away from earning the caution accumulation suspension, with Braian Ojeda two yellows away.
- Tonight’s shutout suffered snapped Diego Luna’s three-game goalscoring streak, tied with several others for the sixth-longest MLS streak in RSL’s 21-year history.
- With draws at Dallas Saturday and at home tonight against Portland, RSL has earned points in back-to-back games for the first time in 2025.
LINEUPS:
Real Salt Lake (4-2-3-1): Rafael Cabral; Noel Caliskan, Bode Hidalgo, Sam Junqua, Alex Katranis; Emeka Eneli ©, Braian Ojeda (Pablo Ruiz, 78’); Zavier Gozo, Diego Luna , Diogo Gonçalves (Jesus Barea, 59’); Ariath Piol (Dominik Marczuk, 59’)
Subs not used: Mason Stajduhar, Tyler Wolff, Lachlan Brook, Zackery Farnsworth, Johnny Russell, Griffin Dillon
Head Coach: Pablo Mastroeni
Portland Timbers (5-4-1): Maxime Crepeau; Antony (Jonathan Rodriguez, 61’), Claudio Bravo, Kamal Miller, Dario Zuparic, Juan Mosquera; Santiago Moreno (Ariel Lassiter, 79’), Joao Ortiz (Diego Chará, 61’), David Da Costa (Omir Fernandez, 72’), Cristhian Paredes ©; Kevin Kelsy (Felipe Mora, 72’)
Subs not used: Trey Muse, David Ayala, Finn Surman, Eric Miller
Head Coach: Phil Neville
Stats Summary: RSL / POR
Shots: 8 / 12
Shots on Goal: 2 / 4
Saves: 3 / 1
Corner Kicks: 4 / 0
Fouls: 13 / 11
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
RSL: Bode Hidalgo (Yellow Card - 21’)
POR: Cristhian Paredes (Yellow Card - 46’)
RSL: Noel Caliskan (Yellow Card - 64’)
RSL: Diego Luna (Yellow Card - 69’)
