Real Salt Lake player honors late Diogo Jota after scoring vs. St. Louis | OneFootball

Diogo Gonçalves has struggled to deliver the production Real Salt Lake had hoped he would provide during portions of two MLS seasons.

But with a heavy heart on Saturday, he scored his second goal of the season in RSL's 3-2 home victory over St. Louis City, then paid tribute to the late Diogo Jota by doing the trademark goal celebration of the late Liverpool and Portugal national team attacker.

Jota, 28, and his brother André Silva were killed Thursday in a car accident in Spain, prompting an outpouring of grief across the football world. Gonçalves, also 28, was once Jota's teammate on the Portugal U-21 squad between 2017 and 2019.

His gesture of remembrance followed an emotional scene in Orlando, Fla., on Friday. Jota's senior national teammates Rúben Neves and João Cancelo were seen fighting back tears during a moment of silence before they played for Al Hilal against Fluminense in a FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinal.

Gonçalves moved to RSL first in 2024 after a strong one-and-a-half seasons in the Danish Superliga for FC Copenhagen.

He hasn't quite matched that production through 25 MLS appearances so far, but it hasn't been for a lack of goal-threat.

After Saturday's effort, he leads Salt Lake with 37 shot attempts and is tied for second with 11 efforts on target.

If Gonçalves could get anywhere close to the 0.59 goals per 90 minutes he scored in the Danish top flight, RSL may fancy their chances of making a late charge up the Western Conference standings into the playoff places.

They finished the night on a modest three-match unbeaten run and in 12th place in the Western Conference, four points beneath the playoff line. And they'll be getting U.S. men's national team breakthrough performer Diego Luna back next week, provided he comes out of Sunday's final against Mexico unscathed.