The Cabr-wall of the Wasatch: Rafael Cabral clutch as RSL snatches 2 points from Club América
The Brazilian goalkeeper stopped three penalties to lift the Claret-and-Cobalt to a two-point draw/shootout victory against Club América in Phase 1 of the Leagues Cup
Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Rafael Cabral turned back the clock, and turned up a crucial extra point Wednesday night to open Leagues Cup 2025 play.
The 35-year-old Brazilian shot stopped made a pair of crucial penalty saves to help RSL clinch a 2-point performance with a 3-1 shootout win over Club América in front of 19,000+ fans in Sandy, Utah — including a seeming majority that showed up loud, proud and wearing the yellow shirts of the Liga MX champions.
Just moments after América’s Érick Sánchez scored in the seventh minute of second-half stoppage time — with the final kick of regulation — Cabral made sure it wasn’t for naught.
The former goalkeeper with Napoli and Gremio also made five saves in regulation as Salt Lake took two leads, first through Diego Luna in the 16th minute and again through William Agada’s header in the second minute of first-half stoppage time.
But when Sánchez’s silenced the RSL faithful and sent a roar through the Americanista faithful at America First Field, Cabral quickly rallied his teammates, saved a pair of penalties to open the shootout, and Pablo Ruiz, Justen Glad and Braian Ojeda did the rest.
“My team needed that,” Cabral said in the post-match mixed zone. “Two points are so important for us; the way Leagues Cup works, every single point matters.
“We wanted three points. But at the end of the day, two points are more important.”
See more reactions from after the match below:
Post-match mixed zone | RSL GK Rafael Cabral
Post-match mixed zone | MF Pablo Ruiz
Post-match mized zone | DF Justen Glad