Dream Start Turned Nighmare For Real Salt Lake In Loss To Vancouver
May 24, 2025, 10:13 PM
Vancouver Whitecaps defender Édier Ocampo (18) and Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna (8) both chase the ball during a MLS match between Real Salt Lake and the Vancouver Whitecaps at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
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SANDY, Utah- Saturday’s matchup between Real Salt Lake and Vancouver Whitecaps FC was the two teams’ second battle in the month of May. At the beginning of the month in Vancouver, Real Salt Lake fell to the Western Conference leading Whitecaps 2-1, avoiding the shutout thanks to a Diego Luna penalty shot in stoppage time.
Now, with he venue switch and home field advantage on RSL’s side, the Claret and Cobalt sought to even the season series and get their first win since April 26. Revenge aside, the midway point of the MLS Regular Season is quickly approaching, and Real Salt Lake currently sits in 12th in the standings, four points out of a playoff spot, so points are beginning to matter more and more.
Ready to embrace the challenge ahead pic.twitter.com/4FYwCTi9o2
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) May 24, 2025
First Half
It was a picture-perfect start for Real Salt Lake, who put the pedal to the metal as soon as the whistle blew.
The moment that Real gained possession or the first time in the game, Deigo Luna dribbled through space in the midfield before sending a perfectly weighted pass to the feet of Zavier Gozo, who was streaking toward goal. Gozo caught up to the ball in the box and dribbled, looking for his shot.
He floated toward the middle of the box, and when his defender lunged to make an attempt at the ball, Gozo shot it between his legs, beating the Vancouver goalkeeper on the near post for his first RSL goal less than a minute into the game. The young homegrown product netted his first for the senior team just days after graduating from high school.
Gozo became the third-youngest goal-scorer, and also scored the seventh first-minute goal in club history.
Graduated Thursday, scored his first RSL goal today. Not a bad week for Gozo 🙂↕️ pic.twitter.com/CHQe9JMUZo
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) May 25, 2025
The stellar start didn’t stop there. Real Salt Lake found themselves once again with the ball in their attacking half shortly after Gozo’s goal. The ball was sent wide to the far side of the field where Dominik Marczuk crossed the ball across the face of goal, but it was punched away by the Vancouver keeper right to the left foot of Diego Luna who scored of of the easier goals of his career, sending the ball into a wide open net to give Real Salt Lake their history making 2-0 lead.
The goal was Luna’s eighth of the year, already tying his scoring total from last season.
goal no. 8 for our no. 8 🔥 pic.twitter.com/i79O7xObjB
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) May 25, 2025
RELATED: Real Salt Lake Bursts Out Gates With Two Goals In Four Minutes
A shocked Whitecaps side seemed to settle into the match after the stunning offensive display, holding the ball in their attacking half for several minutes, seeking to stop the bleeding inflicted by Real Salt Lake’s offense.
The action calmed down as the game approached the half hour mark, but as Real Salt Lake quickly found out, as quickly as you score, you can also concede.
In the 20th minute, Vancouver had earned a corner kick, and an almost uncontested Brian White, who is the league’s second leading goal scorer so far this s season, redirected the ball into the back of the net with a header, cutting the RSL lead in half.
Set piece magic 💫 White gets us on the board!
📺 https://t.co/KDfGTKtKZn #VWFC | #RSLvVAN pic.twitter.com/4tyhSBqJJg
— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) May 25, 2025
Then, a minute later, Whitecaps sent another corner into the box that was cleared, but the players in white quickly campaigned for a handball. After a VAR review, it was determined that the ball had, in fact, made contact with the extended bicep of Willy Agada, putting Brian White at the spot. He converted with a strike into the bottom left corner, tying the game and giving him a brace before the 25-minute mark.
GET IN!!! Our boy Brian gets the equalizer! 👊
📺 https://t.co/KDfGTKtKZn #VWFC | #RSLvVAN pic.twitter.com/jrs09ckLZW
— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) May 25, 2025
Agada would continue his search for his first Real Salt Lake goal. In the 29th minute, he received a great pass from Diego Luna in the box with a poor first touch, eliminating his opportunity to put the ball on net. Then again, in the 32nd minute, Zavier Gozo put a shot on goal that rebounded off the keeper, but Agada was unable to put the ball into the wide-open net, sending it wide.
Nearing the end of the half, Vancouver found themselves with a good chance to take the lead, but Rafael Cabral made his presence felt with an incredible diving save to keep the scoreline even.
In extra time, Agada picked up a yellow card for a bad foul, capping off his undesirable first half.
we keep fighting 🔜#RSLvVAN | @SeatGeek pic.twitter.com/XSrFYUlpBG
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) May 25, 2025
Second Half
The second half started slowly with little action through the first twenty minutes. In the 56th minute, Philip Quinton subbed on for Brayan Vera.
In the 59th minute, Real found their first scoring chance of the second 45 with Zaviar Gozo once again on a breakaway. He put the ball into the six-yard box, but it was behind his teammate, ending the dangerous chance.
Rafael Cabral continued to show his class and ultimately ended up being the reason the score was not more lopsided in the wrong direction. In the 63rd minute found himself away on goal, forcing Cabral off his line. He defended White’s shot near the top of the 18-yard box, and just a minute later, he cleared a point-blank shot from Brian White once again.
As the game crested the hour mark, Vancouver was clearly the more dangerous team on the pitch.
In the 71st minute, Willy Agada, Alex Katranis, and Pablo Ruiz all came off and were replaced by Braian Ojeda, Ari Piol, and Sam Junqua.
Vancouver has been the more dangerous team in the last half hour
In the 77th minute, Whitecaps were shown their first yellow card of the game, being shown to Ali Ahmed.
In the 81st minute, Noel Caliskan was subbed off and Bode Hidalgo came on.
It was tough for either side to find a decent scoring chance as the game neared 90 minutes, but Ari Piol tried to change that with a shot from way outside the box that flew high.
It seemed that a draw was imminent just before stoppage time was announced, but in an instant, the trajectory of the match changed when Pedro Vite sent a left-footed shot from outside the box that got past Cabral and snuck into the far post, giving Vancouver the late 3-2 lead.
STUNNER BY VITE! 💥
📺 https://t.co/KDfGTKtKZn #VWFC | #RSLvVAN pic.twitter.com/eeR9M7wFMQ
— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) May 25, 2025
At the end of stoppage time, Real Salt Lake was awarded a free kick and set piece in the final action of the game. Diego Luna sent the ball into the box, which was deflected, ultimately falling at the feet of Zavier Gozo, but he couldn’t catch it clean, sending it over the bar, ending the game. Real Salt Lake is now winless in their last five matches.
Fulltime #RSLvVAN | @SelectHealth pic.twitter.com/ReCDEnTd1B
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) May 25, 2025
Up Next For Real Salt Lake
Tonight was Real Salt Lake’s last home game before the international break, and will not be back at America First Field until June 14th.
Before the break, the Claret and Cobalt will play two away matches, first against Austin FC on May 28 and then LA Galaxy on May 31.
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