RSL kicked off their Leagues Cup campaign with a dramatic 2-2 draw against Mexican powerhouse Club América on Wednesday night behind goals from Diego Luna and Willy Agada, who also set up Luna’s tally. Despite some profligacy in front of goal- creating five or six big chances that failed to yield a full 3 points- RSL showed resilience. Club América equalized on the final play of injury time, forcing the match into penalties.
Goalkeeper Rafael Cabral was the hero in the shootout, saving three penalties and helping RSL secure the valuable extra point. This performance earned the team 2 points in the group standings.
Head coach Pablo Mastroeni praised the match as possibly the best he’s seen from RSL this year, emphasizing the mental toughness he saw in the penalty shootout after giving up a last minute tying goal.
“To concede on the last play of the game and still have the courage to step up and finish the game,” Mastroeni said, shaking his head, “is the most important part of the game for me tonight.”
Mastroeni then discussed the need to re-focus on their next opponent and needed improvements if they hope to advance in the tournament.
“We got a bit of momentum,” Mastroeni said, “but it’s really important now that we focus on Saturday. It’s a crazy way to live (chuckles) where you can’t even enjoy the moment and you’ve gotta get to work. This game was great but we’ve got a big challenge at the weekend as well.The variability in our attack was good tonight, we had 5 or 6 big chances and that’s been a thorn in our side this year. We’ve created some really good opportunities and got nothing from it.”
Fans were offered some good news on that front just this morning.
Adding firepower to RSL’s attack, this morning the club announced the signing of Brazilian striker Rwan Cruz on an 18-month loan from Botafogo, pending his transfer certificate and work visa. Once those are secured, Cruz can be added to the Leagues Cup roster, but must be registered at least 48 hours before he is eligible to play. Cruz, a 24-year-old Designated Player, arrives with a strong scoring pedigree, including 24 goals in 50 league games for Ludogorets Razgrad and recent experience in Brazil’s top flight.
Cruz struck an excited tone when discussing the decision to join RSL, citing quality on the field but also praising the vocal supporters in the stands.
“I have been watching the RSL games and I think we play very well as a team,” Cruz said. “We have a playing style with short passing combinations that I enjoy very much, and I believe this is an excellent fit for me. The fans are our 12th player… I have felt and seen the atmosphere in the stadium for both the San Jose and Club América games, it was influential in our ability to turn these games around.”
RSL Chief Soccer Officer Kurt Schmid expressed confidence in Cruz’s ability to bolster the team. “Rwan’s quality, finishing and attacking flexibility should allow him to bolster our options up top,” Schmid said, “adding a difference-maker to our core as we pursue a strong finish to the season.”
San Luis began their Leagues Cup campaign on July 30 with a tough 4-0 loss to the Portland Timbers. Portland established early dominance and controlled the match, putting San Luis on the back foot heading into their matchup with RSL. With everything to prove, San Luis will be eager to rebound on the road against a strong RSL squad.
Real Salt Lake currently sits tied for 9th place among MLS teams in the Leagues Cup group standings with 2 points after their shootout win over Club América. Only the top 4 MLS teams in the group will advance to the knockout stage, so while the path is challenging, RSL still has a very real and attainable opportunity to move on.
With two group matches remaining- Saturday’s home game against Atlético San Luis and the August 6 clash with Querétaro- every point is crucial. Strong performances can propel RSL into the top four and secure advancement.
Here are the current MLS-side standings after one match (table shows top 10 MLS teams; all other MLS sides lost their opening match):
| Rank | Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
| 1 | Seattle Sounders FC (SEA) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +7 | 3 |
| 2 | Portland Timbers (POR) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +4 | 3 |
| 3 | LA Galaxy (LA) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +3 | 3 |
| 4 | Minnesota United FC (MIN) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +3 | 3 |
| 5 | FC Cincinnati (CIN) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +1 | 3 |
| 6 | Inter Miami CF (MIA) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +1 | 3 |
| 7 | Colorado Rapids (COL) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +1 | 3 |
| 8 | New York Red Bulls (NY) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +1 | 3 |
| 9 | Real Salt Lake (RSL) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 10 | CF Montréal (MTL) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Following Saturday’s showdown against Atlético San Luis in Sandy, RSL will conclude its Phase One matches of the tournament next Wednesday, August 6, against Querétaro. Querétaro opened the tournament with a 4-1 loss to Minnesota United FC and will face the Portland Timbers on Saturday, August 2.
RSL’s home form and recent performances offer optimism, but the challenge remains steep. The team will look to build on their penalty shootout heroics against Club América and claim all three points this Saturday to take a firm step toward advancing in the Leagues Cup.
Home grown midfielder Zavier Gozo, speaking after the Club America match, says the mood in the locker room is positive.
“We can compete against anybody,” Gozo said. “We back ourselves against anybody, especially at home.”
Kickoff Info
Kickoff is set for 7:30 PM MT on Saturday night, August 2, at America First Field. This match is included in Season Ticket Members’ packages.
All Leagues Cup matches stream live on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV, with select matches broadcast on TelevisaUnivision, FOX Sports, TSN, and RDS. Tickets are available here.
For more Real Salt Lake, Real Monarchs, and Utah Royals coverage, subscribe to the Royal Riot Podcast, available on all major streaming platforms.
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