Three Players to Watch: Real Salt Lake
(image via Real Salt Lake)
Each week we’ll be looking more into the Houston Dynamo’s opponent, talking to media that covers the team, digging into what we can expect from that squad, and in this series, taking a look at three players to watch from the upcoming opponent. The Dynamo return to Shell Energy Stadium this weekend for a meeting with Real Salt Lake. Talk about a team that has severely cooled down from a solid 2024 campaign. Here are three players that might be able to reignite this once burning RSL side.
Diego Luna
One of the most promising youngsters in American soccer, Luna is a bulldog for RSL. Did you see his broken nose with the USMNT? He’s got a 6.74 average rating this MLS season, according to Fotmob, and this tracks with his tenacity and grit. He’s one of the best players in terms of successful tackles (105 so far in 2025) and is pound for pound one of the most dominant attacking midfielders in MLS. His versatility brings so much depth to RSL where they can really apply their trademark pressure that has previously been ineffective due to Houston’s strong midfield. Now that the midfield has weakened on the defensive front (excluding Artur), Luna could be a massive piece for RSL to find success in the counterattack against the Dynamo.
Ariath Piol
Piol is dubbed the million-dollar man ln RSL’s recent article previewing the match, and his success willl really come down to his potential impact in the attacking third. He notched RSL’s lone goal in a loss against expansion club San Diego FC last weekend and showed some promise in the Australian A-League before his arrival to MLS. Is Piol the type of player to bring this RSL team some goals after the loss of Chicho Arango? Piol is still unproven in the MLS world but will he be a threat on Saturday against Houston? I’m not entirely sure, however I would heed the warning that he can definitely put the ball in the back of the net if the Dynamo give him any chance to do so.
Dominik Marczuk
The Polish international has done everything to start the season off on the right footing, and his performances speak for themselves. His average match rating is consistently high (7.20 according to Fotmob) and his ability to distribute the ball has been one of the few bright spots in a very bleak attack for RSL. Considering the struggles as of late for the Dynamo when it comes to play on the wing, expect Marczuk to cause some trouble. With Piol being so unproven, Marczuk is definitely a reliable player that is building the MLS pedigree to back up his name.