Real Salt Lake Picks Up Scoreless Draw Against C.S. Herediano
Feb 19, 2025, 6:37 PM | Updated: Feb 20, 2025, 1:23 pm
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica – Scoring chances were few and far between in the opening leg of the Champions Cup as Real Salt Lake battled C.S. Herediano to a 0-0 draw.
RSL opened the 2025 campaign with a CONCACAF Champions Cup match against C.S. Herediano on Wednesday, February 19—the two-game series shifts to America First Field on Wednesday, February 26.
This one ends in a draw. We'll see y'all in a week when we host the return leg. #HERvRSL | @SelectHealth pic.twitter.com/BFseX7q6WX
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) February 20, 2025
Goaltender Zac MacMath, forward Matthew Bell, centerback Philip Quinton, and striker Diego Luna.
C.S. Herediano looked like the stronger squad for most of the match but couldn’t convert that into a goal. RSL was outshot 17-7 and 5-2 in shots on goal.
First Half
Familiar faces Brayan Vera, Bode Hidalgo, Alexandros Katranis, Diogo Gonçalves, Braian Ojeda, Emeka Eneli, and Dominik Marczuk were in the starting 11.
😠😠😠😠😠😄
😠🙂🙂😠😠 pic.twitter.com/wXrTIkIC4z— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) February 19, 2025
RSL went down a man briefly when Katranis was shaken up after blocking a shot with his head. Katranis was subbed out in the 18th minute. Samuel Junqua came on in his stead.
18' | Sam comes on for Alex. Concussion sub. #HERvRSL | 0-0 pic.twitter.com/xzo2GlMEND
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) February 19, 2025
Herediano generated a scoring chance in the sixteenth minute, but a centering pass came in too high and hot. The ball was harmlessly knocked away.
Real Salt Lake’s first great scoring chance came in the 22nd minute. Braian Ojeda took a rip from the top of the eighteen that missed wide left.
In the 25th minute, RSL had another scoring chance. Forster Ajago broke loose and entered the box with a head of steam. Herediano goalkeeper Dany Carvajal came off his line to cut off the angle, making a nice stop to keep the match scoreless.
Herediano outshot RSL 8-3 in the opening half, but the Claret & Cobalt logged the only shot on goal in the opening 45.
Second Half
RSL created a corner in the half’s opening minutes but couldn’t convert. Minutes later, C.S. Herediano made a run, setting up their fruitless corner in the 55th minute.
Later in the half, Herediano’s Keyner Brown fired a shot that caromed off the crossbar to keep the match scoreless. Ajago answered with a shot on the other end that Carvajal stopped.
RSL substituted Tyler Wolff and Zavier Gozo early in the half as they looked for a spark. Wolff came on for Lachlan Brook, and Gozo replaced Dominik Marczuk.
75' | Pablo Ruiz returns to the pitch for the first time in 354 days. Good to have you back, @PabloRuizR31. #HERvRSL | 0-0 pic.twitter.com/gRxiTVqRJV
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) February 20, 2025
Pablo Ruiz entered the match in the 75th minute. This is his first game in 354 days after suffering a knee injury last season. He took Ajago’s spot in the lineup.
Real Salt Lake looked to have a goal on a beautifully placed corner from Ruiz. Junqua rose above the defense to redirect the ball toward the goal, but an unfortunate deflection kept RSL off the scoreboard.
Three minutes until the final whistle #HERvRSL | 0-0 pic.twitter.com/k65TpvTb6O
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) February 20, 2025
Three minutes of stoppage time made no difference in the 0-0 draw.
RSL introduces 2025 kits
Real Salt Lake has a new look for 2025, turning the page on the last season and focusing on a new era of Claret & Cobalt.
“What we love about our city,” the video begins from the rooftop of a downtown SLC building. “The Grid!”
“It’s more than just street lights and concrete,” the nearly 90-second video continues. “It’s the backbone that shaped our city—the place where we dream. Every square represents the streets that connect us, the people that made us, and the place we proudly call home. It’s a design that reflects community, connection, and infinite possibilities. That’s the thing about our city. You never know where the grid will take you or who you’ll meet.”
Welcome to Grid City pic.twitter.com/4OtdNeLsOq
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) February 13, 2025
Each square on the new kit represents the architecturally famous streets that shape Salt Lake, and a unique design in each square depicts the endless possibilities on each city block.
The new kits are available in the RSL team store.
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How To Watch Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake will open the 2025 MLS season on Saturday, February 22, against former striker Chicho Arango and the San Jose Earthquakes.
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For more Real Salt Lake coverage and analysis, subscribe to The RSL Show and follow them on Instagram.
You can find KSL Sports coverage of Real Salt Lake here.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X and Instagram at @bpreece24.
