On Saturday, Real Salt Lake fell 3-0 to the Vancouver during Black Diamond Kit Night at America First Field, with fans a sea of red and black as Salt Lake battled the MLS Western Conference leaders.
The Utah Royals also suffered a 3-0 defeat, going down to Angel City FC on Sunday afternoon. The match celebrated Pups at the Pitch, with fans’ puppies in the stands at America First Field, alongside dogs that were available for adoption through the Humane Society of Utah.
RSL downed by Vancouver
RSL Head coach Pablo Mastroeni made three personnel changes from last Saturday’s 2-0 loss to New York City FC. Inserted into the lineup was homegrown striker Aiden Hezarkhani, 19-year-old newcomer Colin Guske and defender Kobi Henry. Missing from the starting 11 was star Diego Luna, who announced earlier this week a season-ending injury.
The home side came out aggressive, with RSL’s Golden Boot leader Sergi Solans taking a shot on goal in the eighth minute that was narrowly saved by the Whitecaps keeper. The opponents returned the favor just seconds later when Vancouver’s Brian White scored from the bottom right corner, ultimately giving the opponents an early 1-0 lead in the ninth minute.
Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Rafael Cabral provided crucial saves in the 21st and 26th minutes, preventing Vancouver from lengthening the lead, however, the visitors found the net once again in the 28th minute when Thomas Müller found the back of the net, doubling their lead in the first half.
Despite Salt Lake having multiple attempts on goal in the second half, the team was unable to convert. Vancouver’s momentum continued in the 63rd minute, when Yadaly Diaby finished from the left side of the field into the top right corner of the net, handing Salt Lake a 3-0 loss at home.
Despite a disappointing result, fans were treated by the appearance of former RSL Captain Emeka Eneli, who made his 2026 RSL debut in the 65th minute, after missing the majority of the 2026 campaign due to injury.
Quotable
“It means a lot to us that the fans continuously have our back, and we’re trying to do everything that we can to turn this around … We’re going to start to build some momentum because there’s still nine games left this season, and although it’s been a tough run since the World Cup break, we’re still right around the playoff line, so it’s not out of our hands, we still have a lot that we can accomplish and it’s going to start by getting back to work on Monday.” — RSL midfielder Emeka Eneli
“It was a tough day, to go down to nine players, it’s obviously something you never want to do. But I’m proud of this group for defending the way we did for 75 plus minutes. All eyes are on next week to regroup, recover, and see what we can do next time because we can’t do much with nine out there. But I’m proud of the girls.” — URFC defender Kate Del Fava
Royals fall to Angel City FC
Coming off a 1-0 victory over the Houston Dash last Saturday, Royals Head coach Jimmy Coenraets made three personnel changes to the starting lineup. Inserted into the backline was Royals’ captain Paige Cronin, along with goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn who returned to the box after allowing Mia Justus to earn minutes last week in rotation. Coenraets also placed newly acquired Jameese Joseph into the attack after the forward made her Royals’ debut during the second half of last weekend’s match.
The Royals got off to a rocky start when Cronin was given a red card in the 11th minute, marking the first straight red card of the season for Utah. Angel City’s Ally Setnor, who was originally drafted by the Royals in 2024, took a shot on goal in the 14th minute, however McGlynn denied the effort, preventing the opponents from gaining a lead.
In another instance, midfielder Ana Tejada also picked up a red card after a collision with Angel City’s Ary Bordes, giving the Royals their second red of the night in only the 24th minute. Following the misconduct decision, Setnor took a penalty that narrowly passed by McGlynn, giving the rivals a 1-0 lead in the 26th minute.
Despite being down two players, the Royals maintained strong defensive form with McGlynn making crucial saves in the 45th minute when Angel City took a shot on goal that the Royals keeper parried. The shot led to a corner that McGlynn then punched away, making back-to-back saves for URFC.
Minutes after the whistle for the second half blew, Angel City once again found the net when Taylor Suarez sent a left-footed shot into goal, doubling the lead in the 47th minute. In the 67th minute, the opponents added another goal to the tally, cementing a 3-0 win for the visitors.
Up next
Real Salt Lake now heads to Lumen Field to take on the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday, Sept. 23 with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. MDT before returning home to host the New England Revolution days later at America First Field on Saturday, Sept. 26 with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. MDT. Tickets for the match are available for purchase at RSL.com.
The Royals will remain at home to host the North Carolina Courage at America First Field on Sunday, Sept. 27 with kickoff set for 5 p.m. MDT. Tickets for the match are available for purchase at RSL.com.
