Real Salt Lake earned a valuable point in a 2-2 draw on the road Sunday night at San Diego FC courtesy of substitute attacker Victor Olatunji’s late equalizer.
Solans strikes again as RSL controls first half in San Diego
Real Salt Lake Head coach Pablo Mastroeni kept his lineup largely unchanged following last week’s 2-1 home win over Austin FC, as the Claret-and-Cobalt looked to extend their winning streak and continue building momentum on the road. That continuity paid off early, with rookie striker Sergi Solans once again at the center of RSL’s attack.
In the 18th minute, Solans ignited the sequence himself, playing the ball wide to Juan Manuel Sanabria before making a decisive run into the box. Sanabria delivered a perfectly weighted cross back into the area, where Solans met it with a composed header to give RSL a 1-0 lead and record his second professional goal. Moments later, goalkeeper Rafa Cabral preserved the advantage with a crucial one-handed save in the 25th minute, highlighting a strong defensive presence behind RSL’s attack.
San Diego responded through Marcus Ingvartsen following a chaotic set-piece sequence, leveling the match at 1-1. Despite the equalizer, RSL continued to push forward, nearly reclaiming the lead in first-half stoppage time when Solans saw a goal-bound effort dramatically cleared off the line. The sequence encapsulated a dominant attacking half for RSL, showcasing both Solans’ growing confidence and the team’s ability to create dangerous opportunities in high-pressure moments.
Quotable
“It just shows the character of this group,” Mastroeni said. “Even when we go down, there’s no panic — the belief stays the same, and guys coming off the bench are ready to make an impact.”
Clutch finish: Olatunji’s late strike rescues point for RSL
Real Salt Lake leaned on its depth in the second half, as substitutes Diego Luna, Stijn Spierings and Olatunji played key roles in shifting momentum back in favor of the visitors. After San Diego took a 2-1 lead in the 56th minute through Anders Dreyer, RSL responded with increased urgency, creating chances and pushing numbers forward in search of an equalizer.
The breakthrough came in the 85th minute, when Morgan Guilavogui delivered a dangerous ball into the box that slipped through traffic and found Olatunji, who calmly finished leveling the match at 2-2. The goal marked Olatunji’s first of the 2026 campaign and Guilavogui’s second assist of the season, sealing a valuable road point for the Claret-and-Cobalt.
The result extends RSL’s unbeaten run to four matches, with back-to-back weeks containing goals from the bench proving decisive in securing points
Up Next
Real Salt Lake (3-1-1) return to the Beehive State to host longtime rival Sporting Kansas City (1-1-3) after the March FIFA international break at America First Field on Saturday, April 4. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. MDT.
