Rafael Cabral plays hero as Real Salt Lake stun Club América | OneFootball

By José Nuñez

Fans who tuned into Real Salt Lake's Leagues Cup 2025 Phase One opener against Club América were treated to a game that had it all: late goals, near misses and plenty of drama.

But for all the back-and-forth, it all came down to the penalty spot and heroics from goalkeeper Rafael Cabral as RSL defeated the Mexican giants, 3-1 in the shootout, to deliver one of the tournament’s earliest shock results.

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Man of the hour

Despite a goal from US men’s national team midfielder Diego Luna and a perfectly placed upper-90 header by William Agada at the stroke of halftime, Cabral’s eight saves – five in regulation time and three during the shootout – ultimately made the difference in Sandy, Utah.

The 35-year-old Brazilian goalkeeper’s performance on the night, and over the past few weeks, has not gone unnoticed by head coach Pablo Mastroeni.

“I have never had the opportunity to work with a player of Rafa’s quality,” the manager said after the thrilling 2-2 draw ended in PKs. “His leadership skills and the way he has, in this last month and a half, been the voice in the locker room.

"He continues to come up big, continues to get the guys to believe, and play the way we want to play.”

WATCH: Cabral the Stonewall! RSL goalkeeper thwarts Club América

Trending upward

RSL have been quietly built toward this moment, winning five of their last six matches across all competitions, now including a victory over a LIGA MX powerhouse in Club América.

“Penalty kicks are really tough. It’s 99 percent psychological and about one percent technique,” said Mastroeni. “It’s a 12-yard pass, and more importantly, the 99 percent piece is really about your belief in yourself in that moment to score the goal.

“The guys executed really well … they handled themselves like an experienced group in that moment. That makes me really proud.”

With the path to qualification now slightly clearer, though no less challenging, RSL will welcome Atlético de San Luis on Aug. 2 before closing out Phase One against Querétaro on Aug. 6.

“There were a lot of top performances of the year out on the field today," said Mastroeni. "… I can go up and down the field and say there were a lot of top performances, which, as a collective, lends itself to a really good performance against a top team.

"So, maybe we’ve got a bit of momentum? But it’s really important now that we focus on Saturday.”

Real Salt Lake: Will Club América thriller fuel Leagues Cup run?

One down, two to go

In the newly minted Leagues Cup format, two points against Club América could make all the difference as RSL look to advance to the quarterfinals.

“I think we came out and did what we needed to do. To come out with two points is a great feeling, and now it’s onto Saturday,” said Luna post-match.

“That’s one result down, and now we’ve got a quick turnaround to Saturday and get another three points, hopefully."

WATCH: PK madness! Real Salt Lake snatch a point from Club América