Real Salt Lake hosts Los Angeles FC (LAFC) at America First Field in Sandy, Utah, for another matchday in the 2026 Major League Soccer season.
While the home side hopes to pick up points to move into the playoff qualification zone, the visiting team will look to remain near the top of the standings and close the gap with Houston Dynamo, who sit three points above them with a game in hand.
Below, you have all the information you need ahead of this Saturday’s MLS game.
Preview: Real Salt Lake vs. LAFC
Kickoff: 9:30 pm ET / 6:30 pm PT @ America First Field, Sandy, UT
How to watch live: Streaming on Apple TV
The team, managed by English coach Matt Wells, is coming off a 0-1 loss to the Colorado Rapids on Aug. 29, thanks to a goal from Reggie Cannon in the 58th minute. Before that, Salt Lake had already accumulated a negative streak of four games without a win, with three losses and one draw.
Specifically, they lost 3-0 to Liga MX side Club León in the Leagues Cup quarterfinals. Before that, they fell 2-1 to Orlando City on Aug. 22 and 4-3 to FC Dallas on Aug. 19. On Aug. 15, they drew 1-1 against Minnesota after defeating FC Juárez 3-0 on Aug. 11 in the Leagues Cup.
Real Salt Lake currently sits 10th in the Western Conference with 28 points after 21 games played.
On the other hand, LAFC has gone four games without a win. The team managed by Marc Dos Santos drew 0-0 against D.C. United on Aug. 29. Before that, they drew 1-1 against the Portland Timbers on Aug. 22, with Denis Bouanga being the team’s only goalscoreteam’shat occasion.
On Aug. 19, they lost 1-0 to the Colorado Rapids and had already lost 1-0 to San Diego FC on Aug. 15. Despite the negative streak the California team is going through, they can remain calm in the sense that they are still in a good position to qualify for the playoffs, sitting third in the Western Conference with 36 points after 23 games.
Players to Watch & Match Prediction
Despite not appearing on the scoresheet in the last match against the Colorado Rapids, one of Real Salt Lake’s clear offensive threats is 23-year-old Spanish forward Sergi Solans, who has 12 goal contributions this season: 9 goals and 3 assists.
His attacking partner, 28-year-old Guinean winger Morgan Guilavogui, is also one of Wells’ standout players and could represent a threat to LAFC.
On the other hand, it is known that the Los Angeles team is filled with stars, such as Heung-min Son, Denis Bouanga or even French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. Son has eight assists and four goals this season, while Bouanga has 11 goals and 4 assists.
Other midfield players include Marc Delgado, who has 2 assists and 2 goals, as well as Mathieu Choinière, who has 3 assists and 2 goals.
Evidently, the California team is a very well-balanced squad, but the bad run they have been carrying for several weeks has not been shaken off and could be their main opponent in this match.
That said, Real Salt Lake is also carrying a negative streak, and an even worse one than Los Angeles, and this could be the Dos Santos side’s great opportunity to return to winning ways.
Match Prediction: Real Salt Lake 0-1 LAFC
Manuel Meza is a writer for Hooligan Soccer. He is a distinguished digital content creator specializing in soccer and NHL writing, SEO, and podcast production. With a B.A. in Business Administration from Instituto Tecnologico de Sonora, Manuel has honed his expertise in news writing, copywriting, digital journalism, social media, and community growth. His prolific work, including over 600 articles for Athlon Sports, established him as a key contributor to their early soccer coverage. He notably led coverage of Sunderland for Sports Illustrated, elevating it to the network’s top soccer site. Manuel’s insights have also graced Yardbarker, Roundtable Sports, The Sporting News, Inter Miami News, and MX Futbol. As a former Site Expert at FanSided, he generated over one million pageviews in a single month and has hosted the official Spanish-language Paris Saint-Germain FanFest. Connect with Manuel on X, LinkedIn, and Muckrack for his expert analysis and engaging content. Manuel is dedicated to delivering high-quality, insightful content that captivates and informs.
