Real Salt Lake's Zach Booth and head coach Pablo Mastroeni were named to the MLSsoccer.com Matchday 35 Best XI on Monday, Nov. 9, 2026. The recognitions follow a 2-1 victory over the LA Galaxy on Saturday that secured a postseason berth for the club.
Booth, a native of Eden, Utah, made his first start since being sidelined with a mid-August hamstring injury. He provided the game-winning goal in the 13th minute of Saturday's win. The victory improved Real Salt Lake to a 13-4-4 record on Utah soil during the 2026 season.
Booth, a former RSL Academy player and brother of teammate Taylor Booth, finished the non-playoff portion of his 2026 loan from Excelsior with three goals across all competitions. His goals included two in MLS regular-season action, with scoring strikes occurring in a 1-1 draw at Minnesota on May 23 and a 4-0 Leagues Cup win over Atlante CF in early August.
Coach Pablo Mastroeni was selected to guide the Matchday 35 selection. During his five-plus years managing the club, Mastroeni has led the team to consecutive losses just 25 times in 222 games. RSL has also improved to a 61-12-23 record when drawing first blood during the Mastroeni era.
By clinching a playoff spot, the club has extended its postseason qualification streak to six consecutive seasons, all under Mastroeni. This represents the longest active streak in the Western Conference, trailing only Orlando City's seven-year streak.
Real Salt Lake's recent performance includes a 5-2-1 finish over its final eight games, moving the club from 13th in the West to ninth. The club has also qualified for the 2027 Leagues Cup, making it one of three Western Conference sides, alongside Seattle and Portland, to appear in all five editions of the annual MLS v. Liga MX tournament.
Real Salt Lake will observe the FIFA international window before its West Wild Card matchup against the Sounders. That game is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 19, at Lumen Field in Seattle, with kickoff set for 8:00 p.m. MT.
