Pablo Mastroeni admitted that there were challenges that came with the rocky start of Real Salt Lake in MLS, but hopes to stabilize the team against Nashville SC on Saturday.
Real Salt Lake is 10th in the Western Conference this season after seven games, after they have won three and have lost four of their games so far.
After having had back-to-back defeats for FC Dallas and Minnesota United, RSL returned to winning ways with a 2-0 win against the wrestling La Galaxy previous time-out.
And Mastroeni admitted that he looked forward to finding a balance that it would keep it morally high.
“It's hard to find a balance in the group if you don't get any results,” he told KSL Sports Zone.
“It is clear that if you get a result, the murmur stop, so it's about how you go and build on that game. You have to double.
“It's a big challenge, and the most important thing for me is not to become low if we don't get results, but not to be high when we win games. I have to be stable and look at the big whole.”
Let's get to know the boys in Gold #nshvrsl | @Englandlogistic
– Real Salt Lake (@Realsaltlake) April 11, 2025
They are confronted with a Nashville side that is in the Eastern Conference at 10 points.
After a strong start of the season, so that she only lost one of their first five games (W3 D1), Nashville has now suffered back-to-back defeats against FC Cincinnati and Charlotte FC.
Nashville lost Walker Zimmerman to injury in that match after the captain was kicked in the head, and while head coach BJ Callaghan is not yet sure if he will perform on Saturday, he is convinced that the person who will be brought inside will step on the board.
“It's about getting the next man, making the connections and the coherence the same,” said Callaghan.
“Walker brings a lot of leadership to the group. So people will have to tolerate that and take care of that responsibility.
“That does not mean one person. We just have to take it and share between 20 that are named after the competition and continue.”
Players to watch
Nashville SC – Hany Mukhtar
Hany Mukhtar is scoreless in three career matches against Real Salt Lake, one of only three MLS teams Mukhtar has had to deal with the game with regular season, but never scored (also FC Cincinnati and Vancouver WhiteCaps).
Almost matchday pic.twitter.com/p3r3jmpmot
– Nashville SC (@Nashvillesc) 10 April 2025
Real Salt Lake – Diego Luna
Diego Luna scored both goals from Real Salt Lake in their victory on Saturday and took him to 11 goals and 12 assists since the beginning of the 2024 season.
The only international of the United States with more target contributions than Luna's 23 Since the beginning of last season, Djordje is Mihailovic (27).
Competition prediction: Nashville SC Win
Each party has a victory in the three all time between Nashville and Real Salt Lake (one draw). Nashville's only victory came in their only home game against RSL, a 2-0 win in May 2022.
Nashville has 10 points this season through seven games (W3 D1 L3). After seven games, Nashville collected between seven and 11 points in each of the six MLS seasons of the club.
In the meantime, all three victories of Real Salt Lake have come this season in teams that made the play-offs in 2024, including a 2-0 win over La Galaxy on Saturday. Only one of the four defeats of RSL so far was against play -off teams from a year ago (including a loss for expansion San Diego FC).
Opta wins probability
Nashville SC – 43.7%
Drawing – 26.8%
Real Salt Lake – 29.6%