SANDY, Utah (Saturday, May 24, 2025) – Real Salt Lake (4-9-2, 14 points, 12th West) produced its best-ever start to a league match in its 663-game MLS history with two goals scored in the first five minutes, but proved unable to hold onto the initial two-goal lead, ultimately succumbing to a heartbreaking 2-3 defeat to league-leading Vancouver at America First Field on Saturday night.
RSL Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni’s charges enjoyed a lightning-quick start, racing onto a two-goal lead inside the opening five minutes when newly-minted high school graduate Zavier Gozo netted his first-ever RSL goal, planting a low, hard finish into Vancouver goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka’s near post — after just 50 seconds, the seventh-quickest goal in Club history — just before U.S. Men’s National Team international Diego Luna scored his Club-high eighth of the campaign with a fierce half-volley into an empty net three minutes later.
Action in the first half abounded in plentiful supply as the visitors’ fight back was rewarded when the CONCACAF Champions Cup finalists managed to pull one back on a 20th-minute corner kick finished off by captain Brian White’s header from inside the six-yard box.
Parity was then restored only five minutes later when a penalty was awarded in Vancouver’s favor after a William Agada handball inside the RSL area. White then planted the resulting spot-kick into the bottom left-hand corner, sending RSL goalkeeper Rafael Cabral the wrong way in the process.
With four goals scored in the opening period, the second half developed into an end-to-end affair, with the scores still level and both sides desperately searching for the go-ahead goal. The visitors eventually managed to steal ahead late when midfielder Pedro Vite’s curling left-footed effort from the edge of the area nestled in the back of the net late in the 90th minute to complete the stunning comeback for Jesper Sørensen’s men.
The result for RSL condemns the Claret-and-Cobalt to a ninth defeat in 15 MLS games played thus far this season, extending the Club's recent winless run to five straight matches, RSL last tasting victory in a 3-1 away triumph to San Diego on April 26.
Next up for the Claret-and-Cobalt is a midweek away clash at Austin FC, this Wednesday, May 28, at Q2 Stadium, with kickoff slated for 6:30 PM MT, before another away clash next Saturday night, this time at the LA Galaxy, at Dignity Health Sports Park. Kickoff next Saturday is scheduled for 8:30 PM MT, the game streaming on Apple TV with the MLS Season Pass.
RSL 2 : 3 VAN
GOAL-SCORING SUMMARY:
RSL: Zavier Gozo (Diego Luna) 1’: A lightning-quick start from the hosts saw FW Zavier Gozo instinctively run onto a splitting through ball from teammate Diego Luna, close to the edge inside the penalty area before deftly cutting inside of an opposing defender and arrowing a low, powerful finish through the defender’s legs and inside the goalkeeper’s near post to establish an early advantage.
RSL: Diego Luna (Unassisted) 4’: A second goal in quick succession starts with Dominik Marczuk receiving a pass high out wide on the right, a teasing cross into the six-yard area which was poorly spilled by the Vancouver goalkeeper and into the path of Luna, who finished with a fierce half-volley powerfully into a gaping goal.
VAN: Brian White (Sebastien Berhalter) 20’: A set piece goal delivered by Sebastien Berhalter, a powerful out-swinging corner from the right-hand side dangerously into the six-yard area met by the head of captain Brian White, who planted a simple header past the RSL goalkeeper and into the net.
VAN: Brian White (Penalty) 25’: A subsequent VAR Review uncovered RSL striker William Agada to have inadvertently handled the ball inside his area, prompting the referee to point to the spot in favor of Vancouver, allowing ‘Caps captain Brian White to tuck home with a low, simple finish into the button left-hand corner, sending the RSL goalkeeper the wrong way in the process, to complete the comeback for the visitors.
VAN: Pedro Vite (Emmanuel Sabbi) 90’: Midfielder Pedro Vite received a simple pass outside on the edge of the area from teammate Emmanuel Sabbi, cutting to his left and bending a sublime curled left-footed effort into the far corner of the net.
NOTES FROM RSL 2 : 3 VAN
- 18-year-old Zavier Gozo’s score within the opening minute marked his first-ever goal for RSL, making him the third-youngest goalscorer in the Club’s 21-year history. Coming at precisely 50 seconds into the contest, the teenager’s strike also represents RSL’s second-fastest goal thus far this season (seventh-fastest all-time in 663 MLS games) following Diogo Goncalves’ earlier strike in the 2-1 away win on March 15 at Houston
- Saturday night’s pair of goals inside the opening four minutes also represents the first time in the Club’s history that RSL has scored more than once within the opening five minutes of any competitive match. The last MLS team to achieve the same feat were the New York Red Bulls against New York City FC in May 2018.
- During the Pablo Mastroeni era, RSL’s all-time record of matches when scoring first now stands at 38 wins, 8 losses, and 13 draws, with four losses this season alone (against Herediano, San Diego, Nashville, and now Vancouver) after breaking the 0-0 deadlock.
- Saturday night’s defeat also represents RSL’s 14th set of back-to-back defeats in 156 games with Mastroeni at the helm, RSL dropping consecutive matches on five occasions through the first 17 matches this season (all competitions).
- Midfielder Diego Luna’s 4th-minute strike marked his eighth MLS goal this season, sitting him comfortably atop the club’s scoring charts and matching his total goal output from 2024, when he earned MLS All-Star honors and captured the MLS Young Player of the Year award.
LINEUPS:
Real Salt Lake (4-2-3-1): Rafael Cabral; Noel Caliskan (Bode Hidalgo 81’), Brayan Vera (Philip Quinton 56’), Jusen Glad, Alex Katranis (Sam Junqua 71’); Emeka Eneli ©, Pablo Ruiz (Braian Ojeda 71’); Dominik Marczuk, Zavier Gozo, Diego Luna; William Agada (Ariath Piol 71’)
Subs not used: Nelson Palacio, Mason Stadjuhar, Aiden Hezarkhani, Johnny Russel
Head Coach: Pablo Mastroeni
Vancouver Whitecaps (4-3-3): Yohei Takaoka; Édier Ocampo (Mathías Laborda 81’), Tristan Blackmon, Bjørn Inge Utvik, Sam Adekugbe (Tate Johnson 68’); Sebastian Berhalter, Pedro Vite, Ralph Priso (J.C. Ngando 85’); Ali Ahmed (Daniel Ríos 85’), Brian White, Jayden Nelson (Emmanuel Sabbi 68’)
Subs not used: Ranko Veselinović, Giuseppe Bovalina, Isaac Boehmer, Jeevan Badwal
Head Coach: Jesper Sørensen
Stats Summary: RSL 2 / VAN 3
Shots: 15 / 15
Shots on Goal: 6 / 6
Saves: 3 / 4
Corner Kicks: 8 / 6
Fouls: 16 / 12
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
RSL: William Agada (Yellow card - 45’+5’)
RSL : Noel Caliskan (Yellow card - 60’)
RSL : Diego Luna (Yellow card - 65’)
Van : Ali Ahmed (Yellow card - 77’)
Van : Ralph Priso (Yellow card - 83’)
RSL : Emeka Eneli (Yellow card - 93’)
