Real Salt Lake aims to extend their unbeaten streak to five games as they take on a struggling Sporting Kansas City in a Western Conference match on Saturday in Sandy, Utah.
Salt Lake (3-1-1, 10 points) marked their season with a strong start, bouncing back from a 1-0 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps on February 21. Under head coach Pablo Mastroeni, several new players have energized the team, with eight rookies making their MLS debuts in the first five games, boosting the performance of the veterans.
“It’s been impressive, lighting a fire under the experienced players,” Mastroeni said about the newcomers. “This has helped the team come together and the training level has improved significantly compared to previous years.”
Sergi Solans has quickly made an impact, leading the team alongside Aiden Hezarkhani with two goals each.
Salt Lake has won both of their home matches and is prepared to face a Kansas City team eager to move up from the last place in the conference. Mastroeni emphasizes the importance of maintaining their performance.
“A good start doesn’t mean we can relax,” Mastroeni noted. “MLS is unpredictable, and any team can win. We need to improve from our last game.”
In their previous match, Salt Lake drew 2-2 against San Diego FC on March 22.
Sporting Kansas City (1-3-1, 4 points) holds the second-worst goal difference in the Western Conference at minus-6. First-year head coach Raphael Wicky is navigating a challenging start, compounded by a significant roster change following last season’s struggles.
The team brought in 14 new players this year, the most in the MLS, and hopes to recover from a disappointing 4-1 defeat against the Colorado Rapids in their last match on March 21.
“We just need to recover, stay positive, and keep believing,” Wicky said. “We’ve shown we can perform much better than our last game.”
Leading Kansas City is Dejan Joveljic with three goals, while Lasse Berg Johnsen and Shapi Suleymanov have each scored once.