By Erick De La Rosa
Real Salt Lake and Atlante FC are set to face off in Matchday 2 of the 2026 Leagues Cup at America First Field in Sandy, Utah.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
- 1st matchup between the two sides
- Record at Leagues Cup: Real Salt Lake (5-5), Atlante (1-0)
LAST FIVE GAMES
- Real Salt Lake:
- 1 Win, 1 Draw, 3 Loss
- Atlante:
- 2 Wins, 1 Draw, 2 Losses
MAIN STORYLINES
- Atlante arrives in Utah after two consecutive victories against tough opponents. First, they defeated the reigning Liga MX champion, Cruz Azul, 3-2, and then traveled to Canada to beat the MLS Western Conference leader.
- Jhojan Julio has quickly become one of Miguel Herrera's team's main weapons. The Ecuadorian scored against Cruz Azul and then again against Vancouver, netting Atlante's first-ever Leagues Cup goal.
- Playing at home could be a significant factor. Real Salt Lake has played a large part of its Leagues Cup history at America First Field and already knows what it takes to defeat Mexican teams there.
KEY FACTORS
- Real Salt Lake:
- Pablo Ruiz arrives after scoring the equalizer against Tigres. The Argentine midfielder could be key in controlling the game's tempo.
- Diego Luna started on the bench against Tigres and came on in the second half. His ability to receive the ball between the lines and create chances could offer RSL an important option.
- Real Salt Lake will need to capitalize on their home advantage. A win here is crucial before closing out the First Phase against FC Juárez.
- Atlante:
- Atlante is capable of ceding possession and still winning matches. They have shown comfort on the field, even when the opponent dominates possession.
- Luis Puente is the driving force behind Johan Julio. The striker scored against Cruz Azul, and his movement, alongside Julio, allows the Colts to create danger on the counter-attack.
- Óscar Jiménez can also be a key player again. The goalkeeper responded when Vancouver broke through Atlante's defensive block and helped the Colts keep a clean sheet in their debut.
WHAT TO EXPECT?
Real Salt Lake will likely have greater incentive to dictate the tempo. Playing at home with just one point from its opening match, the MLS side is expected to control possession and force Atlante to defend for extended stretches.
That scenario, however, may not bother Los Potros. Miguel Herrera's team has already shown it can absorb pressure while remaining dangerous on the counterattack, particularly when Jhojan Julio and Luis Puente find space to exploit.
The match could ultimately be decided by that contrast in styles: Real Salt Lake looking to impose itself on home soil, while Atlante waits patiently for the right moment to strike. Los Potros arrive full of confidence after opening the tournament with three points, while Real Salt Lake is still searching for its first victory of the competition.
Another win would put Atlante in an excellent position to reach the quarterfinals, while Real Salt Lake needs all three points to avoid entering its final Phase One match with its knockout-stage hopes hanging by a thread.
Despite Atlante's impressive upset of Vancouver Whitecaps in its Leagues Cup debut, the market still favors Real Salt Lake with 57%, compared to 21% for Atlante, as the MLS side looks to bounce back from its opening-night penalty shootout defeat.
