Real Salt Lake Vs Vancouver: RSL opens 2026 season at B.C. Place
real salt lake vs vancouver headlines the MLS season opener Saturday, with Real Salt Lake arriving in Vancouver to begin its 22nd MLS campaign and the Whitecaps preparing a sold-out-feel home opener that has already moved more than 21, 000 tickets. Kickoff is set for 7: 30 p. m. ET on Saturday, Feb. 21, turning attention to new RSL personnel, a tactical shift, and a Vancouver squad marking its 500th MLS regular-season match.
Real Salt Lake Vs Vancouver kickoff details
The match at B. C. Place is scheduled for 7: 30 p. m. ET Saturday, with stadium gates opening at 6: 30 p. m. ET. Vancouver has sold in excess of 21, 000 tickets for the home opener, and the fixture will also serve as the club's 500th MLS regular-season match. The fixture is a rematch of the 2023 home opener between the clubs.
RSL lineup changes and new arrivals
Real Salt Lake arrives with several roster additions expected to make MLS debuts this month and a clear tactical change. Head coach Pablo Mastroeni has shifted the side toward a back three with wingbacks, moving from the previous 4-2-3-1 to a 3-5-2 shape. The new setup assigns the central No. 10 role to Diego Luna, supported by a two-striker front featuring Victor Olatunji and Morgan Guilavogui. Zavier Gozo is listed at right wingback, while Juan Manuel Sanabria occupies the left wingback slot after joining from Atlético San Luis and becoming the club's most expensive non-designated-player signing.
Other personnel notes carried into the opener: Stijn Spierings is included among midfield options; Emeka Eneli remains sidelined with a knee issue and primary midfield choices have included Noel Caliskan and homegrown Luca Moisa. The club has also elevated academy players and added depth loans and transfers. Visa delays and recent injuries mean some newly signed players arrived late or may not be immediately available; the coaching staff flagged that the full squad might not be available for as many as five to six matches early in the campaign.
Season context and what a result means
A positive result in Vancouver would continue a favorable recent run for Salt Lake at B. C. Place: the club has secured points in three of its last five trips to the stadium, with wins in 2023 and 2024 and losses in 2022 and 2025 — all of those four matches finished by 2-1 scorelines. RSL is also trying to end a two-game road losing streak in MLS season openers after defeats on the road last year and in 2024.
RSL returns to its home stadium the following weekend for its home opener, slated for 7: 30 p. m. ET on Feb. 28. On the longer view, a postseason berth in November would extend the club's active playoff streak in the Western Conference to six consecutive seasons; the team has reached the postseason in seven of the last eight campaigns and 15 of the last 18 years, missing the playoffs only in 2015, 2017 and 2020.
The real salt lake vs vancouver matchup also revives recent competitive history: Vancouver beat Salt Lake twice last season, including a 2-1 result at B. C. Place and a 3-2 comeback on the road, while Salt Lake's 2023 visit produced a 2-1 comeback win for RSL. Those results set an immediate competitive tone for Saturday's opener and give both clubs early-season momentum stakes beyond a single result.
Officials and coaching staffs have framed the match as both a tactical test for Real Salt Lake's new formation and a milestone event for Vancouver's busy offseason and competitive schedule. Injuries and late-arriving signings mean lineups could feature several younger or recently promoted players filling key roles during the opening weeks.
