Real Salt Lake needs a regulation win at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, Aug. 8, against Atlante CF, or its path to the 2027 CONCACAF Champions Cup gets significantly steeper.

After Tuesday's 1-1 draw with Tigres UANL ended in a 6-5 penalty shootout loss, RSL sits on just one point in Leagues Cup group play. Atlante, which beat Vancouver 1-0 on Tuesday, leads the group with three. Under tournament rules, only a win in regulation earns the full three points RSL needs to stay in contention for one of three Champions Cup berths awarded to Leagues Cup's top finishers.

Kickoff is 8 p.m. MT, streaming on Apple TV.

The Gozo question

Whether RSL's most dangerous player will be on the field remains unclear. Zavier Gozo, the 19-year-old wingback who has six goals and five assists in 16 league matches this season, missed Tuesday's Tigres game with an "excused absence" as Crystal Palace's transfer bid progressed.

The Guardian reported Wednesday, Aug. 5, that Gozo is expected to complete an £11 million (roughly $15 million) move to south London. The Athletic reported Wednesday, Aug. 5, that talks are "advanced" and "trending in a positive way."

If completed, the deal would be the largest sale in RSL history and the first direct transfer of an RSL academy product to the Premier League, according to KSL Sports. Crystal Palace investor David Blitzer remains a minority owner of Real Salt Lake, providing an unusual connection between the two negotiating clubs.

No official announcement has been made. Coach Pablo Mastroeni has not publicly addressed Gozo's availability for Saturday.

RSL ownership CEO Steve Starks said in July that the club prefers to keep players through the season rather than sell midyear. "If we have the opportunity, as one example, to keep a player to finish a year, we want to prioritize winning and continuity and then see that transfer take place, if it has to happen, after the end of the season," Starks told the Deseret News.

Tuesday's near-miss

RSL controlled long stretches of Tuesday's Leagues Cup opener in front of 16,155 fans at America First Field. After falling behind in the 6th minute on a Juan Brunetta finish, the club out-shot Tigres 16-13 with a 6-4 edge in shots on target but couldn't find a second goal after Pablo Ruiz's 16th-minute equalizer.

Ruiz's left-footed strike into the bottom right corner ended a 35-game, 1,444-day scoring drought dating to June 2023. It was his first start of 2026.

"Any other night, we score a second goal," Mastroeni said after the match. "Thinking about the performance, because the result is what it is, it's about how we can affect it."

Zach Booth's penalty hit the left post on RSL's sixth attempt, and Tigres' Jesús Garza converted the decisive sudden-death kick.

RSL also lost forward Griffin Dillon, who underwent surgery Wednesday, Aug. 5, to repair a fractured fifth metatarsal in his right foot.

What RSL faces Saturday

Atlante CF is making its first Leagues Cup appearance after returning to Liga MX by acquiring Mazatlán's franchise. The club now plays at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

RSL's home form offers reason for optimism. The club is 8-1-0 at America First Field in 2026 across all competitions, outscoring visitors 22-9. But RSL's all-time record against Mexican clubs at home is a more modest 6-6-5.

Last year, RSL failed to advance out of Leagues Cup group play despite winning its final match.

Remaining schedule

• Saturday, Aug. 8: RSL vs. Atlante CF, 8 p.m. MT, America First Field (Apple TV)
• Tuesday, Aug. 11: RSL vs. FC Juárez, 7:30 p.m. MT, America First Field (Apple TV)