Real Salt Lake kicks off the 2026 regular season against the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday.
Head coach Pablo Mastroeni told reporters this week that this season opener in Vancouver, which he described as “not an easy place to play,” will set the tone for the rest of the season.
“The thought is if we get a good result there, I think it springboards us into a good start to the season,” he said.
That’s because of what the team learned from last season, Mastroeni said.
“There’ll be challenges about that, but I feel like the experiences that we had last year should really present themselves heavily in the forefront as to how to manage games, what it takes to win and then just bringing in these new guys and being excited about what we can potentially be as a team.”
Defender Justen Glad feels that the team is ready for the regular season to begin, he told reporters.
“I think the team’s in a good spot. Every game is a test so that will be our first test, and we’re all looking forward to it,” he said.
Glad added that finishing preseason and “getting on to the real thing” is exciting for players.
“It’s what we wait for. It’s what we train for every week is to get to the actual games,” he said.
Real is coming off a 12-17-5 season. The club finished ninth in the Western conference and clinched a playoff spot, but it ultimately lost to the Portland Timbers in the Wild Card match.
Real Salt Lake has made the playoffs in 18 of the last 21 years, but president of soccer operations Jason Kreis has higher expectations for the club in 2026, he told the Deseret News in January.
“The success level has been good to get us to a place where we’re competing for a championship by making the playoffs. But we will push forward and make a clear objective that the team does better than just make the playoffs this year. We really think we ought to be making the next rounds,” he said.
How RSL hopes to improve in 2026
In 2025, Real scored 35 goals — its lowest season total since the shortened 2020 season’s 23 — a 44% decrease from the prior season’s 63.
Mastroeni is aware of the team’s need to increase that number this season, and as a result, the team has focused on playing more vertically.
“That doesn’t mean kicking the ball down the field,” he said. “It means having more runners that run beyond the ball so that when we do have the ball in the wide areas, we have more numbers in the box, and so that’s been a big focus in preseason.”
Mastroeni noted the three goals RSL scored in its preseason finale against LA Galaxy, a 3-3 draw.
“It’s starting to look really good, and (Zavier) Gozo playing in a relatively new position out wide as a wingback has scored the last couple games as well,” he said.
“He looks really bright, so I’m really optimistic about this group and what we’re going to be capable of doing this year.”
Mastroeni was later asked about how his young star Gozo can grow in his second season.
“I think it’s really about capitalizing on the chances in front of goal,” Mastroeni said. “I think he got himself into really good spots because of his speed, and now it’s about technique and timing to finish those chances. And like I said, the last two games, he’s notched goals. Really, really good goals.”
Mastroeni added: “I think this is a player that has a trajectory that is unbelievable, given where he started last year and where he’s at today and the level of confidence he’s playing with. I’m just so happy for him.”
Mastroeni also spoke about Diego Luna, who became a rising star with the national team last year, and where he can improve this season. One such area is Luna’s leadership.
“I think he realizes the impact of how he can impact the team, both with the ball but also emotionally, and we saw that this last weekend against L.A.,” Mastroeni said.
“He was really bright. He was really positive, and the guys really fed off his energy. And so, I think this year, it’s more of a continuing to progress, obviously from a football perspective, but also from a leadership perspective.”
Real Salt Lake plays Vancouver Whitecaps FC in its first game of the season Saturday at 5:30 p.m. MT.