Real Salt Lake crumbles under pressure and suffers embarrassing exit | OneFootball

Real Salt Lake’s participation in the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup came to a bitter end. A 2-1 loss at home to CS Herediano at America First Field not only meant an early elimination, but also exposed several weaknesses that Pablo Mastroeni’s team must address if they want to compete for something bigger this season.

The defeat was painful because, at times, RSL seemed to be dominating the game. More possession, more shots, and a fine first half were not enough to hold onto the lead provided by Forster Ajago's beautiful goal. But soccer is not always about positive statistics, and the second half was a harsh lesson in how efficiency and attitude are what matter in knockout tournaments.

Dominance that did not translate to results

If the game had been won via offensive volume, RSL would have walked away with the win easily. The first half was that of an attacking team, one that was able to pin Herediano back in their own end and create dangerous chances. Dominik Marczuk and Forster Ajago created a sequence that seemed to set the tone for the match.

Yet when a team wastes chances, it often pays the ultimate penalty. The second-half leveler showed how Herediano took advantage of theirs. Hernández found Aguilar with a precise pass, and the forward finished calmly to level the match. From there, the Costa Rican side got better, and RSL began to make more mistakes than normal.

Stoppage-time agony and home heartache

The game was deep in injury time when a lethal counterattack reversed the narrative on its head. Herediano capitalized on a mistake in RSL's transition and freed Vega in space. One on one with RSL goalkeeper Rafael Cabral, the forward came out on top and earned a penalty that wrapped things up.

Vega scored, Herediano won, and RSL had its elimination confirmed in the most heartbreaking way, at home, in the final minutes.

The loss also had symbolic importance. It was the first time RSL lost an elimination match at home since 2022. More than that, it ended a streak of three consecutive home victories in elimination matches in all competitions.

A mentality issue or a bad night?

There are two ways to approach this elimination. One is to believe that it was just an off game, a game where the ball wouldn't fall, and the opponent capitalized on their clutch moments. The second, more ominous perspective, is that RSL has an issue with holding onto leads.

Since Pablo Mastroeni took over as manager in August 2021, the club has now lost five matches in which they scored first. In knockout tournaments, that statistic assumes even greater importance. Not being able to protect leads is a problem that can de-rail entire seasons, and something the coaching staff must address with all due speed.

What does the rest of the season have in store for RSL?

Being eliminated from the Concacaf Champions Cup forces RSL to focus on MLS. If so, then the next Seattle Sounders game has that much more meaning. It's a chance for the team to show some resilience and, more importantly, score at the back of the net in their home opener.

The positive moments in the first half against Herediano demonstrated that RSL does possess a winning game plan, but one that needs to be tweaked a little in the finishing and decision-making departments in critical moments. If the team is able to correct those issues, then they can perform at a better level within MLS. Otherwise, games like last Wednesday's could turn into a frustrating pattern.