RSL looks to respond in LA as Galaxy present opportunity and danger

SANDY — Real Salt Lake almost did enough to get a result Wednesday night. They just were not clinical with their chances.

RSL generated 1.07 expected goals, pressed effectively in the opening stages, and created several high-quality looks. Sergi Solans glanced a header wide. Diego Luna saw a free kick graze the upper corner. Morgan Guilavogui had a fifth-minute goal ruled out for offside.

But against a team with players like Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul, missed moments carry a cost and RSL was undone by two Miami goals in a 60-second span late in the match, falling 2-0 at America First Field.

“You’ve got to take your chances,” coach Pablo Mastroeni said afterward.

That now becomes the focus Sunday when RSL visits the LA Galaxy in a Western Conference matchup with early-season weight.

Response, not reaction

RSL will look to prove Wednesday was a missed opportunity, not a setback.

Midfielder Noel Caliskan took that view.

“For 80 minutes it was a 50-50 game,” Caliskan said Friday after training. “It was another reminder we can hang with the best teams in this league.”

Asked what separates hanging with elite teams from beating them, his answer was blunt:

“Being relentless.”

That tone echoed his midfield partner Stijn Spierings, who also struck an optimistic note.

“We can beat everyone,” Spierings said. “We need to play well, but we can beat everyone.”

For Mastroeni and his staff, the task now is recovery and response.

“The mindset and character of this group is elite,” he said after the Miami match.

Sunday is the next test of that.

Hopping on a plane to LAX
#LAvRSL | @Baileys3PL pic.twitter.com/bq50toqbU6

— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) April 25, 2026

Galaxy missing Klauss, but hardly short on threats

Galaxy fans got disappointing news on Thursday, when their coach Greg Vanney announced their leading goal scorer, João Klauss, required surgery after an injury suffered last Saturday against FC Dallas and will be out until after the World Cup break.

His absence is a significant one as LA looks to replace both his production and his physical presence.

The 29-year-old Brazilian, acquired from St. Louis City SC in January, has five goals already this season and 30 in 87 MLS appearances. With deceptively quick feet and clean touch complementing a bruising physical frame, Klauss is a nightmare for defenders.

During his time in St. Louis, Klauss became such a cult hero supporters sang “Santa Klauss is Coming to Town” after goals, even printing patches of him in a Santa hat.

Klauss’ absence removes one problem, but may create a different one.

Veteran playmaker Marco Reus can operate underneath a striker or as a central forward, and certainly knows where the goal is. He has scored over 150 goals in the Bundesliga between Borussia Mönchengladbach and Borussia Dortmund, as well as 15 for the German national team.

Wingers Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil can also slide inside and wreak havoc with nine goal contributions between them this season.

Brother against brother

Sunday will also carry a rare family subplot.

Juan “JuanMa” Sanabria could face younger brother Lucas Sanabria, a potential first professional MLS meeting between the siblings. 

Lucas was a U22 signing for LA Galaxy at the start of last season, and has two goals from his left midfield role in 2026. JuanMa plays left wing back for RSL and already has two assists on the campaign, drawing frequent praise from Mastroeni for his technical ability and positional sense.

It would mark the first time an RSL player has shared the field against his brother since last September when Tyler Wolff subbed on for RSL against Austin FC only for his younger brother Owen to sub on a few minutes later. Previously, long time RSL midfielder Nick Besler faced his older brother Matt Besler for Sporting Kansas City in 2019.

A century for Luna

If he appears Sunday, Diego Luna will make his 100th appearance for Real Salt Lake at just 22 years old.

After arriving from El Paso Locomotive FC as a teenager in 2022, Luna has scored 24 goals and notched 25 assists from midfield for the claret and cobalt, played in two MLS All-Star Games, and forced his way into the U.S. national team picture with four goals in 18 appearances.

He played 90 minutes Wednesday despite food poisoning severe enough to require IV hydration before the match and again at halftime, a clear example of the “dog” mentality supporters have come to prize. 

They also love his ability to force turnovers with his relentless workrate against the ball, pick out passes that unlock defenses and score wonder goals with either foot.

That willingness to do difficult things extends beyond the pitch.

Luna was named the 2025 MLS Community Impact Award winner for stepping into a space many athletes avoid, speaking openly with local youth about mental health, self-doubt and asking for help.

He has made a habit of doing hard things in big moments, and RSL will be hoping for some of his magic on Sunday.

Rotation could open doors

With Sunday the third match in eight days after two early-season bye weeks, rotation feels likely.

There is encouraging news on one front.

Philip Quinton passed physical tests Thursday and trained fully Friday, returning to the selection conversation after missing Wednesday.

And Sunday may also offer a glimpse of RSL’s depth.

Sam Junqua stepped into the starting role at left center-back during warmups on Wednesday, and acquitted himself well against Miami’s high-octane attack, drawing post-match praise from his head coach.

“Junqua probably played his best game in an RSL jersey,” Mastroeni said. “I thought he was a beast, a monster.”

Could this be a moment for Aiden Hezarkhani, who has two goals in 348 minutes but has been deployed as a substitute in RSL’s last two matches?

Or perhaps this matchup could suit the direct running of Victor Olatunji, who started the season as the presumed starting striker but suffered a freak injury a few days before the season opener?

Caliskan may have hinted why Olatunji is an option on Sunday during his post-training media session.

“We’re electric in transition,” Caliskan said. “I think we can really hurt them.”

One more step

Asked where this team still needs to grow, Caliskan didn’t mention scoring.

“I think our next step is a clean sheet.”

Real Salt Lake hasn’t put up a shutout in 2026, despite the herculean efforts of goalkeeper Rafa Cabral, and the coaching staff has made it clear they want to see one. 

But Sunday may ask for something more important: a response.

RSL believes Wednesday showed it can play with elite teams.

Sunday is about proving it can turn that belief back into points.

Players to watch

Real Salt Lake

Sergi Solans
The young Spanish newcomer leads the team with 5 Goals and 1 Assist. His movement and finishing remain central to RSL’s threat.

Diego Luna
On the verge of his 100th RSL appearance, coming off a gutty 90-minute performance while ill, and still capable of changing a game with one touch. 2 Goals and 3 Assists in just 308 minutes after an injury kept him out early.

LA Galaxy

Marco Reus
With Klauss sidelined, even more creative and scoring burden will fall to the World Cup veteran who has 2 Goals and 3 Assists so far.

Gabriel Pec
Explosive in transition, dangerous drifting centrally, and more than capable of drawing defenders to him before playing a killer pass. With one goal and four assists, Pec is exactly the kind of profile RSL must account for.

Match info

Kickoff: 5 p.m. MDT Sunday
Where: Dignity Health Sports Park
Watch: Apple TV / MLS Season Pass