The Seattle Sounders are visiting Real Salt Lake on Saturday in their first of two meetings in the regular season. Here is everything you need to know:
WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 4:30 p.m. PT (5:30 p.m. local time) at America First Field in Sandy, Utah.
WHERE TO WATCH: The match will be available to watch on Apple TV.
WHERE TO LISTEN: The match will air on iHeartMedia Seattle and in Spanish on El Rey 1360AM.
2026 MLS STANDINGS: Sounders: 1-0-0 (3 points, 4th West), RSL: 0-1-0 (0 points, 13th West)
MATCHDAY 1 RESULT: The Sounders defeated the Colorado Rapids 2-0 at home while Real Salt Lake fell 1-0 at the Vancouver Whitecaps.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Seattle defeated RSL 1-0 at Lumen Field on Oct. 11, 2025, behind a fourth-minute goal from Paul Rothrock.
ROAD TRIP BEGINS: Saturday’s match will be the first of six games away from Seattle in all competitions as Lumen Field undergoes upgrades ahead of the FIFA World Cup this summer. The Sounders will return home on April 12 against, coincidentally, RSL.
ROLDAN 250: Fullback Alex Roldan made Sounders history last weekend by earning his 250th appearance. The 29-year-old Seattle University product is in his ninth season with the Sounders and passed club legend Brad Evans for sixth on the Sounders’ all-time appearances list. Only Stefan Frei, his brother Cristian, Osvaldo Alonso, Nouhou and Jordan Morris have suited up more times than the younger Roldan.
MORRIS OUT: Morris dealt with a first-half injury blow in the Sounders' opener against the Rapids. Morris was forced to exit the match early due to a Grade One A strain in his quad and is expected to be out for four weeks.
ROTHROCK COMES OUT FLYING: Fresh off signing a new contract this offseason, Rothrock came on as an early sub for Morris and made an instant impact. The Capitol Hill native assisted on Albert Rusnák’s opener before icing the match with a goal of his own en route to a spot on the MLS Team of the Matchday.
Heritage and History
Heritage Aqua is your front-row seat to the moments and matches that shape a season, loaded with meaning, milestones, and emotion. Be there against Real Salt Lake for the first home match on the new grass pitch installed for the FIFA World Cup, run it back for a 2025 playoff rematch vs. Minnesota, then close with our Fan Appreciation Match vs. LAFC on Decision Day.
RSL ABSENCES: Real Salt Lake started a young, Homegrown-heavy lineup in Vancouver with the likes of star playmaker Diego Luna (knee), defender Lukas Engel (knee) and forward Victor Olatunji (eye) picking up midweek injuries, forcing them to miss the season-opener. RSL is also awaiting visas for new Designated Player Morgan Guilavogui and defensive midfielder Juan Manual Sanabria.
GOALSCORING WOES: Real Salt Lake spent $5M on Guilavogui, a Guinea international from France’s RC Lens, to help in the goalscoring department. RSL finished with just 38 goals scored in 34 matches last year, which was the second-fewest in the Western Conference.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Zavier Gozo, M
If Luna is healthy or Guilavogui’s P-1 visa arrives in time to play, the emphasis will shift to either or both of them. But in their absence, Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni will expect a big shift from 18-year-old Homegrown talent Gozo, a member of the United States’ U-20 FIFA World Cup squad last summer and No. 10 on the league’s 22 Under 22 list.
