In what looms as a colossal battle between two teams desperate to finally snap their lengthy winless streaks, the Seattle Sounders’ clash with Real Salt Lake is massive.
With Seattle having not tasted victory in 13 matches and RSL in 12, expect both teams to come out swinging in their quest to prevail and keep their fading playoff hopes alive.
While Seattle have undoubtedly been in better form, there are still plenty of dangers the injury-depleted RSL pose. One man they will need to keep a particularly close eye on is multifaceted Spanish striker Sergi Solans.
Enjoying a breakout season that’s seen him score nine goals and supply four assists while leading the line with menace for Pablo Mastroeni’s side, he’ll need to be monitored closely by the Rave Green.
Despite not receiving much service of late, which has contributed to a four-game scoring drought, and with RSL also hindered by Diego Luna’s recent injury, Solans remains a legitimate threat.
From a tactical perspective, what makes Solans such a handful is his intelligence and mobility within Mastroeni’s base 3-4-2-1, which the RSL manager has tried tweaking recently due to their slump by experimenting with deploying a back four.
Constantly rotating with his attacking teammates and varying his movement, he’s excellent at manipulating opposition shapes. Be it dropping between the lines to create overloads, pinning center backs to open pockets for colleagues, bursting in behind, or executing counter movements to destabilize defensive structures, the 23-year-old adds fluidity and unpredictability to RSL’s attack.
A smart scanner who reads situations quickly, he’s always searching for ways to maraud in behind, as his movement is especially dangerous when operating on the last shoulder of defenders. Blessed with searing speed and a keen understanding of timing, Solans successfully stretches backlines vertically and injects directness into RSL’s attacks.
Excelling at gaining separation before darting into the blindside of opponents, often delaying his run until the ball reaches a teammate’s preferred foot and their head is up, this is a tidy weapon of his. His capacity to provide depth is illustrated by the fact he receives 2.72 long passes per 90, among the higher figures for attacking players in MLS, while his 3.50 touches in the penalty area per 90 further underline how frequently he gets into dangerous positions.
Another valuable aspect of his game is his willingness to sacrifice for the collective, as there have been countless examples of him occupying foes to manufacture space for teammates between the lines. Moreover, his clever positioning and movement regularly drag markers away from strategically beneficial zones, meaning even when he isn’t directly involved, his off-the-ball work has a profound impact on RSL’s offensive play to create the platform for others to thrive.
Although his movement forms the foundation of his game, his finishing has been equally impressive. Having banked nine MLS strikes from 9.84 expected goals, he’s largely delivered the returns his chance quality suggests he should, which is in contrast to his team as a whole, who are underperforming their xG (37 goals from an xG of 40.40).
Averaging 2.35 shots per 90 and generating 0.51 expected goals per 90, he consistently gets himself into threatening scoring locations. Importantly, the overwhelming majority of his opportunities come in premium areas, with 25 of his last 27 goals in all competitions arriving from inside the penalty area.
A crafty poacher with a diverse scoring repertoire, Solans is capable of finding the net in a variety of ways. Whether it’s calmly firing home one-on-one at full tilt, producing composed strikes under pressure, tapping in rebounds, or directing headers beyond the goalkeeper, he’s proven reliable when in range. Solans’ timing when attacking the box is noteworthy as well, enabling him to arrive in promising positions and evade adversaries.
Encouragingly for RSL, his all-round game continues to evolve, highlighted by his ability to play with his back to goal and contribute in possession that have improved significantly. His hold-up and link play have come on leaps and bounds, and he’s provided a quality option for long balls when RSL can’t beat the press to connect attacks and bring others into play — he’s been a fine outlet to breathe life into passages between the lines or the man to kickstart transition sequences.
These qualities are reflected in his output too, with his four assists and 0.52 shot assists per 90 highlighting the creative side of his game.
More than willing to do the dirty work without the ball and showing how effectively he can lead the press for the team, which ranks ninth in MLS for PPDA, he’s recorded 1.67 counter-pressing recoveries and 0.99 final third regains per 90. Combining athleticism, tactical nous, smart movement, and clinical finishing, it’s easy to see why Solans has emerged as such a key figure for Mastroeni’s men.
When speaking after a 4-1 friendly triumph over Championship outfit Burnley in July, where Solans registered two goals and an assist, Mastroeni was full of praise for the remarkable rise of his young sharpshooter, who was playing college soccer at UCLA last season, stating: “Super happy for him. I think for young players especially, you always anticipate a bit of a dip. Just because college leads right into the MLS season, and it can be the longest season probably of their lives. So to be able to come back like he did, I thought he was super sharp in every phase of the game.”
Hailing from the Spanish city of Lleida, 96 miles west of Barcelona, Solans deserves enormous credit for the route he’s taken since leaving his homeland for the United States in 2023.
Selected 30th overall by RSL in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft, he opted to continue his development in college, transferring from Oregon State to UCLA while RSL retained his rights. The move paid off handsomely, as he logged 16 goals in 19 matches and earned a host of individual honors, including the 2025 Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player award, selection to the 2025 All-Big Ten First Team, and recognition as a 2025 United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-American. Given how rapidly his career has accelerated since then, Solans will feel vindicated by the decisions he’s made.
Solans recently signed a new contract at the end of August, keeping him at RSL through the 2029/30 MLS campaign with a club option for 2030/31 — a fitting reward for all of his persistence, tireless effort, and terrific output.
“My time in Utah has been very good so far," Solans said in a team-released statement. "It is such an amazing place to live. I tell everyone that the people in this state are so nice, the club is unbelievable, everyone is so willing to help, and we should all be very proud of that. I’m grateful because the coaches trust me, but every day it’s my job to keep proving myself, to keep raising the level, to improve for the future. One of the attributes of my success so far comes from working hard every day, not thinking too far ahead, having my feet on the ground, seizing the opportunity on the weekend, and enjoying that opportunity — soccer is hard.”
Attracting interest from abroad, most notably from English Championship clubs Wolverhampton Wanderers and Birmingham City, Solans could become an increasingly difficult player for RSL to retain if he continues on his current upward trajectory.
For now, the focus for Solans and his teammates will be on arresting their slide, while the Sounders will be doing everything in their power to nullify his influence and emerge victorious from what promises to be an intriguing contest.
All statistics sourced from Wyscout
