Fresh off a dramatic 2-1 Rocky Mountain Cup comeback victory over the Colorado Rapids last weekend, Real Salt Lake now shifts its focus to another key matchup in the Western Conference, against Minnesota United FC. Riding a wave of confidence after winning three of their last four games, extending their home dominance once again at America First Field, Claret-and-Cobalt now head to St. Paul looking to close out the opening stretch of the 2026 season with another spectacular result before the FIFA World Cup break.
Solans and Gozo continue to lead RSL’s young attack
RSL’s young offensive core once again delivered in Saturday’s rivalry victory over Colorado, with rookie forward Sergi Solans and Utah native teenager Zavier Gozo playing important roles in the comeback. After Colorado opened the scoring early, Solans helped create the tie in the 36th minute, where Gozo buried his shot to level the match at 1-1.
Later in the second half, Solans scored the winning goal himself with a powerful header following a perfectly delivered cross from Juan María Sanabria.
The victory continued a great campaign for both young stars. Gozo’s equalizer marked his sixth goal of the season and fourth in the last four games, while Solans reached six goals with another powerful header, further displaying the aerial ability that quickly made him one of the most dangerous rookie forwards in MLS.
As RSL prepares for another difficult away environment, the attacking chemistry between Solans, Gozo and US World Cup hopeful Diego Luna will once again be pivotal to the Club’s hopes of securing points away from home.
Home Confidence continues with the challenge of the road
The Claret and Cobalt enter Saturday’s contest full of momentum after improving to 7-1-0 (WLT) at home this season, extending the Club’s active sell-out streak to 13 consecutive games at America First Field. Under the head coach Pablo MastroeniRSL has now posted a remarkable 15-4-2 (WLT) record in its last 21 home games dating back to June 1, 2025.
While RSL’s home form has helped move the club closer to the top of the Western Conference standings, the upcoming trip to Minnesota presents another opportunity to prove themselves away from Utah against one of the conference’s toughest defensive teams.
Veteran goaltender Rafael Cabral continues to be the team’s defensive anchor, extending his streak of consecutive appearances to 53 straight games after again playing every minute in Saturday’s win over Colorado.
Final match before half-time
Saturday’s game has added importance as Real Salt Lake looks to enter the FIFA World Cup break with momentum and remain firmly positioned near the top of the Western Conference standings (third overall) and Supporters Shield (fifth overall). With confidence growing throughout the team and several young players continuing to emerge, Claret and Cobalt now aim to build on the rivalry win and secure another good result on the road, where they have only won once this year (early March in Atlanta).
Against a disciplined Minnesota United FC team, RSL will need another well-rounded performance both defensively and in transition, as Claret and Cobalt look to close out the first half of the season on a high note. The match will be broadcast exclusively on Apple TV, with a kick-off at 2:30 pm MT.