Storylines | Real Salt Lake Looks to Course Correct Away at Portland Timbers

By: Javier Mico-Crump

Despite dominating possession and recording a season-high shot total Wednesday night, Real Salt Lake was unable to earn a win from its first MLS match in more than eight weeks, falling 3-1 at Los Angeles Football Club at BMO Stadium in LA. Looking to bounce back yet again, the Claret-and-Cobalt continues its road trip Saturday, July 25, facing the Portland Timbers at Providence Park. 

This edition of Storylines highlights new faces looking to contribute in the second half of the season, while also exploring the vast history between RSL and Portland.

New Contributors Impact Return to MLS Action

Late in the second half against LAFC, fans glimpsed some of the new faces that should contribute to RSL’s pursuit of this year’s Leagues Cup and MLS Cup trophies. In the 78th minute, Georgian international Saba Lobjanidze made his debut for the Utah side, earning his initial minutes since he was traded to the Claret-and-Cobalt on July 1. When he stepped onto the field, Lobjanidze became the 237th player in RSL’s 22-year history, and it didn’t take long for him to make an impact. With the clock winding down, Saba took a corner in the 86th minute that found an open Lukas Engel at the back post. Engel took a touch with his chest and fired the ball at goal, which found the back of the net after a slight deflection, giving Lobjanidze a debut assist - just the eighth player in RSL history to do so in his first match with the Club.

Lobjanidze joins such RSL luminaries as current teammate Juan Manuel Sanabria, Matt Crooks, Andrew Brody, Rubio Rubin, Joao Plata, Pablo Campos and the legendary Javier Morales on the list of “assist in RSL debuts” iconoclasts. 

The former Atlanta United player adds his playmaking and scoring ability to a front line that is already dangerous, joining young talents like Zavier Gozo, Diego Luna and Sergi Solans as well as former European league players Morgan Guilavogui and Victor Olatunji.

There is no shortage of attacking firepower for Real Salt Lake, but Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni recognizes the Club has to do a better job of converting the chances it creates. RSL put up 28 shots in the loss to LAFC, surpassing the previous season high of 25 that it set against none other than the Portland Timbers on May 2. In the rematch on Saturday, RSL will look to replicate that offensive performance, hoping players like Lobjanize can be the difference against a Timbers side that has conceded 10 goals in its last five games. 

Another bright spot in the tough loss to Los Angeles was Engel. In his 50th game with an MLS Club—after spending a year on loan with FC Cincinnati before his permanent move to Real Salt Lake—the Dane recorded his first MLS goal and ensured the Claret-and-Cobalt didn’t leave empty-handed. Engel has been a key defensive piece for RSL this season, with his role expanding significantly in the absence of veteran defender Justen Glad. After the match, while he praised the team’s performance, Engel pointed out the need to defend better in critical moments, something RSL will be forced to do against a Portland side that has scored seven goals in its last two games.

An Unlikely Historical Record Against Portland

Dating back to 2011, when Portland joined MLS as an expansion team, there have been a total of 44 encounters between the Timbers and RSL. Despite this long history, neither team has been able to gain an upper hand on the other, with the all-time record dead even at 16-16-12 (W-L-T). Portland holds a slight advantage in MLS play, while RSL has won the only two U.S. Open Cup games between the two sides. Portland also benefits from a significant home-field advantage, where they boast a record of 10-5-7 (W-L-T) against RSL, with the last match at Providence Park being a 3-1 Wild Card playoff win for the hosts on October 22, 2025. 

In the most-recent matchup between these two West sides, Real Salt Lake claimed a 2-0 win at America First Field. In the 10th minute, MLS All-Star Zavier Gozo gave RSL the lead with a thunderous right-footed strike that beat the keeper to his near post. Not long after in the 28th minute, Diego Luna finished off a meticulous team move with a left-footed shot that found the bottom right corner of the net. The two early goals were enough to give Mastroeni and Co. the full three points, despite recording a total of 25 shots.

The Timbers enter Saturday’s encounter with firepower to match RSL’s attacking depth, as both teams average 1.8 goals per game. Portland is led by young star Kevin Kelsy, who at the age of 21 is already one of the most prolific scorers in the league, notching eight goals in 16 appearances. The Venezuelan international scored once in Portland’s last game against FC Dallas, and another two in the Timbers’ 5-1 dismantling of Seattle Sounders FC last week in its return from the World Cup break. With players like Kelsy keen on extending Portland’s two-game unbeaten streak, Saturday’s matchup is sure to be a test for an RSL defense that promised big improvements from the last outing against Los Angeles. 

This weekend’s clash is scheduled to kickoff at 8:30 PM MT from Providence Park in Portland, Oregon and is available to stream on Apple TV. Next week, Real Salt Lake will finish their three-game road trip with a visit to St. Louis City on Saturday, August 1. That game, scheduled to kickoff at 6:30 PM MT from Energizer Park, is also available to stream on Apple TV. 

RSL finally returns home on Tuesday, August 4, kicking off Leagues Cup 2026 against Liga MX power Tigres UANL in the first of five home games in 15 days at America First Field. RSL also hosts Atlante FC on Sat., August 8 and FC Juarez on Tues., August 11 in Leagues Cup Phase One matches, with a return to MLS competition on Sat., August 15 against Minnesota United and Wednesday, August 22 against FC Dallas. Tickets for all five matches are available at www.RSL.com/tickets, as RSL looks to extend its 13-game sellout streak in Sandy, and improve upon the Club’s 16-4-2 home mark since last June.