Real Salt Lake host New York City FC at America First Field this weekend in a match that could reshape both clubs' playoff chase. The home side are trying to stop the longest winless run of the five-year Pablo Mastroeni era, while New York City FC arrive on a six-game winless stretch and sitting in the East's ninth and final play-in spot.
The timing matters because this is not just another late-season fixture for either side. Real Salt Lake need points to climb back above the Western playoff line, and New York City FC need to protect the position they have already built. Both teams are carrying the kind of run that turns a routine weekend into a pressure test.
One reason Real Salt Lake still believe there is a way out is Sergi Solans, who returns to availability after missing Wednesday's trip to Houston because of an illness. He leads the club's 2026 Golden Boot race with 13 goals across all competitions, including nine MLS goals that set a new Real Salt Lake rookie record. Solans opened his account on March 7 in a 3-2 victory over Atlanta and later scored in five of six games during a recent spell that included a four-game scoring streak.
There is more help on the way. Taylor Booth is expected to be available off the bench for the first time since returning to Utah last week, and he will be on the field with his younger brother Zach Booth for the first time in the same period. Emeka Eneli could also dress and be added to the bench for the first time since recovering from surgery, after being out with a knee injury since January.
That would be a welcome change for a team that has been forced to patch together its lineup for much of the MLS season. Real Salt Lake have been stronger outside league play, including a 4-1 friendly victory over Burnley FC after the World Cup break and a Leagues Cup group stage finish of seven points that sent them into the knockout stage. In league play, though, the recent trip to Houston pushed their winless run to 10 games, the fourth-longest drought in the club's 22-year history and its longest since a 12-game skid from September 7, 2016 until April 1, 2017.
That gap between what Real Salt Lake have done in MLS and what they have shown elsewhere is the problem this weekend. The home crowd will see a team with enough attacking talent to change a game, but one that has spent too long looking up in the standings instead of pushing forward. If Real Salt Lake cannot turn that around now, the question becomes not whether the skid is serious, but whether the season is already starting to run out of road.
