‘Someone has got to make a play’, says Mastroeni amid Real Salt Lake woes

Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.

Pablo Mastroeni feels Real Salt Lake’s shortcomings have been in both boxes, saying “someone’s got to make a play” if they are to end their 13-game winless streak.

RSL have not won since beating the Colorado Rapids on May 16, drawing four matches and losing nine in that stretch, with each of their last four being losses.

It is the longest single-season winless run in their MLS history, with their only longer sequence spanning being an 18-match skid between August 2005 and May 2006.

They travelled to Lumen Field to face the Seattle Sounders – who were themselves on a 13-game winless run – on Wednesday, only to lose 2-0 to goals from Danny Musovski and Albert Rusnak.

Now sitting three points adrift of the playoff picture, they host the New England Revolution on Saturday, when Mastroeni believes it will come down to the big moments, rather than his team’s tactical approach. 

Mastroeni told KSL Sports after the Seattle game: “Did we compete the right way? This is what I asked the guys in the locker room. Every one of them said yes. 

“Did you work extremely hard for the guy next to you when he made a mistake? Absolutely. Tactically between the boxes, did we execute the gameplan? Yes.

“And that just leaves the boxes again. Someone’s got to step up and make a play. I think that’s the biggest difference. [Against Seattle], the two shots, their guys executed.

“You can’t tactic your way into the goal. You can’t structure your way into the goal. You’ve got to make plays to get in the goal. That’s just the name of the game.

“If you’re doing everything you can, and it’s still not enough, we’re either not good enough at the moment or we’re unlucky. Either way, there’s only one way forward, and that’s put your head down and keep grinding.”

The Revs, meanwhile, are second in the Eastern Conference but 11 points behind Supporters’ Shield frontrunners Nashville SC.

— New England Revolution (@NERevolution) September 23, 2026

They overcame Orlando City SC 4-2 in a thriller last time out, with Peyton Miller and Carles Gil both finding the net in second-half stoppage time, after New England had conceded an 88th-minute equaliser.

“We’re never satisfied. We never give up. I think this is a special group, just how we’re able to fight through adversity,” said United States midfielder Brooklyn Raines. 

“This group is really special, and it’s just something that we continue to strive for – that we’re never satisfied with anything.”

Real Salt Lake – Morgan Guilavogui 

Guilavogui will stay with RSL throughout the international break, having declined a call-up from Guinea, and his ball-carrying ability makes him a real threat.

His 130 progressive carries this season – in just 1,381 MLS minutes – are the third-most of any RSL player, after Noel Caliskan (175) and Juan Manuel Sanabria (131). Those players have played 2,197 and 1,746 minutes, respectively.  

New England Revolution – Carles Gil

Gil’s 12 goals in MLS this season are five more than any other player has scored for New England (Dor Turgeman and Peyton Miller have seven apiece). 

His 29 shots on target are also more than any of his team-mates have had this season, and with 71 chances teed up for team-mates, he is the league’s top creator in 2026. 

Real Salt Lake have got the better of New England of late, going unbeaten in the last four MLS matches between the two clubs. 

A win for New England would be their first against Salt Lake in the league since May 2017, and during that period, RSL have outscored the Revs by nine goals to three.

The Opta supercomputer struggles to split the teams, however, which is perhaps understandable given RSL have home advantage but are in terrible form.

While RSL have 23 points from 13 outings on home soil this term (W7 D2 L4), the Revs have earned 17 from 13 road trips (W5 D2 L6).

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