Real Salt Lake Striker Victor Olatunji Named to MLS Decision Day Team of the Matchday
MLS Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake Striker Victor Olatunji Named to MLS Decision Day Team of the Matchday

Published on October 20, 2025 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


HERRIMAN, Utah - Real Salt Lake striker Victor Olatunji has been named to MLSSoccer.com's Decision Day MLS Team of the Matchday for his two-goal performance Saturday in RSL's 2-2 draw at St. Louis. Olatunji's brace Saturday night was RSL's fourth of the 2025 campaign, with two previously in MLS reg. season action (both by Diego Luna) and one by Braian Ojeda in Leagues Cup.

Both of Olatunji's goals came in the first 32 minutes on a rainy night at Energizer Park, giving RSL a 2-0 lead just past the half-hour mark. Taking a precise through-ball from playmaking DP Diogo Gonçalves to break open the defense, Olatunji's 60-yard sprint onto the ball enabled him to calmly slot home his second of the match for his first-ever MLS career brace.

In just the 17th minute of the match, Olatunji scored his third of what is now four goals in eight games for RSL, streaking in alone on the keeper on a sequence begun by Paraguayan international Braian Ojeda. Olatunji stayed just onside in a perfectly-timed run, taking the centering pass from teenage homegrown Zavier Gozo and running to the right post, cutting his low line-drive shot back across goal, past STL GK Roman Bürki.

Olatunji's opening goal enabled RSL to score first for the 23rd time in 39 games across all competitions this year, with the draw improving RSL to 11 wins and five draws against seven losses when drawing first blood. RSL's July 26 home victory over San Jose was its lone come-from-behind win throughout 2025 in MLS reg. season, Leagues Cup and Champions Cup action.

Real Salt Lake (12-17-5, 41 points, 9th West) then survived the gritty MLS Decision Day road contest with a 2-2 draw at St. Louis to clinch its MLS-best fifth consecutive postseason berth, its seventh in the last eight seasons and its 15th in 18 occasions since first progressing to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs in 2008.

The draw combined with other results allowed RSL to secure ninth place in the MLS Western Conference, now traveling to Providence Park in Portland for Wednesday's Wild Card matchup against the eighth-seeded Timbers, a rematch of the 2021 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs Western Conference Final. Kickoff against the eighth-seeded Timbers is scheduled for 8:30p MT and will stream free of charge on Apple TV.

The Saturday draw is yet another example of RSL's ability to bounce back from a previous game loss, the Utah side now dropping back-to-back games just 17 times in Pablo Mastroeni's 181 games coached at RSL, winning 31 games and drawing 12 in matches following a loss.

With the postseason clinch Saturday, Mastroeni became just the sixth manager out of 205 all-time in the 30-year history of MLS to advance his team to the playoffs in each of the first five seasons at the helm.

Check out the Real Salt Lake Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Major League Soccer Stories from October 20, 2025


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central