Frustrations mount after Real Salt Lake's 1-0 loss to Toronto FC, Diego Luna's controversial red card
Alex Katranis had some frustrations he needed to vent after RSL felt hard-done — again — by the officiating in a 1-0 home loss to Toronto FC, the Reds' first win in Utah in 18 years.
SANDY, Utah — Alex Katranis wasn’t asked to talk to the media after Real Salt Lake’s 1-0 loss Saturday night to Toronto FC.
It was the Reds’ first win of the year, and the Canadian side’s first win over RSL on Utah soil since July 4, 2007 at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
If that weren’t enough, the loss added insult to injury with a controversial red card against star attacker Diego Luna.
So yeah, the Greek left back needed to say his piece.
He didn’t blame the loss — or a similar 2-1 road loss to Nashville SC a week ago in which he held his tongue following a controversial no-call against teammate Dominik Marczuk — on the officiating. RSL put up 23 shots with just six on target, and held TFC to two shots including a single shot on goal.
But Katranis clearly isn’t happy with the state of MLS officiating. And he has plenty of reasons to be upset.
“We need to talk,” he said. “Ari got a red card; soft. But we get it. Dominik takes an elbow in his throat. I asked the referee why it wasn’t a red card, and he told me, ‘he tried to turn.’ I’m a left back, and I don’t turn with my elbow in his throat — and the same guy, afterward, he scored a goal.
“It’s not an excuse; I’m not here to say we’re losing because of the referee. It’s different. We’re going to see our mistakes, because of course we are not where we want to be. But it’s impossible if we play 11 against 14 or 15; I don’t know. The VAR for two games in a row called the referee to review his decision — and you want to tell me they reviewed this on Diego today, and it was a red card? C’mon.
“We need to do something about that. We play our careers here. We don’t have until we’re 100 years old; 35, 36, maybe 32, and we’re finished. We have to respect what we’re doing. We’re not just running up and down for 85 minutes to have these decisions. A good referee is when you finish the game, you don’t remember the guy … But we have two games where we’ve played very good and deserved a minimum four points.”
He said a lot more. But you should listen to his passionate, reasonable complaints about a side that feels increasingly hard done a quarter of the way into the 2025 MLS season.
The visitors took the early lead in the ninth minute, when Theo Corbeanu picked off Bode Hidalgo out of the back. Justen Glad raced back to try to recover, but the 22-year-old Canadian international made short work of his first goal with the club to put Toronto up, 1-0.
Things went from bad to worse around the hour mark, when video review of an on-field scuffle deemed Luna to be involved in “violent conduct” and sent off with a red card (Toronto’s Raoul Petretta was also shown yellow for his involvement in the fracas).
That left the hosts playing with 10 men for the final 30 minutes and stoppage time.
Pablo Mastroeni explained that before Luna’s red card, they were going to shift to a 4-2-3-1 formation, an attempt to overload the middle of the field. Obviously, that plan shifted once the reigning MLS Young Player of the Year was sent off.
“It wasn’t meant to be,” said Mastroeni with a measured tone, though clearly frustrated by several decisions as he brushed past head official Sergii Demianchuk’s conversation with captain Emeka Eneli while exiting the field. “I think the guys that came in definitely did a great job; down a man isn’t easy. And we’ve done it twice now.”
NOTES FROM RSL-TOR
Toronto’s win this evening was its first of the 2025 season, along with its first over RSL since 2018
The 1-0 win over RSL was also Toronto’s first in Utah soil since 2007, when the then-expansion side won at Rice-Eccles Stadium
Tonight was a homecoming of sorts for Toronto boss Robin Fraser, a former RSL assistant coach and member of Jason Kreis’ 2009 MLS Cup Championship staff
RSL boss Pablo Mastroeni made one change to the starting XI from last Saturday’s 2-1 loss in Nashville, opting for rookie striker Jesus Barea, who made his first-ever professional start after coming off of the bench in each of the last three RSL matches
Goalkeeper Rafael Cabral remains the lone player to start each of RSL’s 11 games across multiple competitions this year.
Joining him is homegrown defender Justen Glad, who is the lone field player to appear in every minute of the Cobalt and Blue’s nine MLS matches in 2025.
RSL now plays six of its next eight contests away from home, including a three-game road run at San Diego, Vancouver and Dallas from now through May 14, when Portland comes to America First Field.
LINEUPS
Real Salt Lake (4-2-3-1): Rafael Carbal; Bode Hidalgo (Zavier Gozo, 75’), Justen Glad, Brayan Vera, Alex Katranis; Emeka Eneli ©, Braian Ojeda (Sam Junqua, 75’); Dominik Marczuk (Ari Piol, 66’), Diego Luna, Diogo Gonçalves; Jesus Barea (Tyler Wolff, 90’+1’)
Subs not used: Mason Stajduhar, Philip Quinton, Nelson Palacio, Noel Caliskan, Lachlan Brook
Head Coach: Pablo Mastroeni
Toronto FC (3-5-2): Sean Johnson; Kevin Long, Sigurd Rosted, Raoui Petretta; Kosi Thompson, Deybi Flores (Alonso Coello, 87’), Jonathan Osorio © (Matty Longstaff, 87’), Theo Corbeanu (Tyrese Spicer, 58’), Lorenzo Insigne (Maxime Dominguez, 58’); Fredrico Bernardeschi, Derrick Etienne Jr. (Ola Brynhildsen, 72’)
Subs not used: Luka Gavran, Kobe Franklin, Markus Cimermancic, Lazar Stefanovic
Head Coach: Robin Fraser
Stats Summary: RSL / TOR
Shots: 23 / 2
Shots on Goal: 6 / 1
Saves: 0 / 6
Corner Kicks: 8 / 1
Fouls: 16 / 14
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
TOR: Deiby Flores (Yellow Card - 12’)
TOR: Federico Bernardeschi (Yellow Card - 36’)
RSL: Diego Luna (Red Card - 61’)
TOR: Raoul Petretta (Yellow Card - 63’)
RSL: Emeka Eneli (Yellow Card - 67’)
TOR: Sean Johnson (Yellow Card - 74’)
TOR: Kosi Thompson (Yellow Card - 84’)
RSL: Justen Glad (Yellow Card - 90’+5’)