Sandy • If you’ve attended a Real Monarchs MLS Next Pro game in Herriman over the last two years, odds are you’ve seen Zavier Gozo, Luca Moisa, Aiden Hezarkhani and Ari Piol on the field.
The quartet transferred its chemistry to the “big leagues” Saturday in Real Salt Lake’s home opener, contributing both goals in a 2-1 win over the Seattle Sounders.
The teenage trio of Gozo, Moisa and Hezarkhani, in particular, is the story of RSL’s young season so far, coming up through the RSL Academy in Herriman together and starting the first two games of the 2026 season.
Saturday’s win over Seattle was particularly sweet, with Hezarkhani in the attack scoring his first Major League Soccer goal on a play started by Moisa in the midfield, and Gozo on the wing getting the assist on Piol’s game-winner.
“It is kind of crazy, but I feel like it’s something that we’ve all manifested, so it’s no surprise that we’re here now,” Hezarkhani said. “It’s just good to see that all the boys are at the highest level too.”
The Utah homegrown players preserved an RSL undefeated streak against Seattle that dates back to 2012, making it 14 years since the Sounders last won a regular-season game in Sandy.
‘Winning together through development’
Head coach Pablo Mastroeni calls it “doing what we say,” when the club started to push its mission statement of “winning together through development” in recent years.
Mastroeni says the club has been more “intentional” about bringing academy and Monarchs players into first-team training sessions during the week, so that when the opportunity arises to give them game minutes, they’re more prepared.
Gozo got his first big opportunity a year ago, when injuries and departures opened up minutes on the right wing, and the then-17-year-old from Eagle Mountain grabbed a starting position that became permanent.
Injuries and delays in new player arrivals have once again provided opportunities early in the season for Las Vegas native Moisa and Southern California native Hezarkhani. Time will tell whether they keep the starting spots like Gozo did.
RSL’s major offseason acquisitions were absent from last week’s season opener in Vancouver, but defender Lukas Engel and midfielder Juan Manuel Sanabria started the home opener, and designated player Morgan Guilavogui — the most expensive RSL signing since Chicho Arango — made his debut off the bench.
Changes coming?
A start for Guilavogui next week in Atlanta, or the arrival of Dutch midfielder Stijn Spierings from his visa procurement process, could push one or both of Hezarkhani and Moisa to the bench, as they play the same positions.
Piol was forced to leave the game in the second half after experiencing an Achilles injury, however. That could leave the door open in the attack for Hezarkhani going forward.
Despite the constant competition across positions, Mastroeni credits the older players on the team for “looking after” the younger ones instead of making the “easy” move and pointing the finger at the youth when things go wrong.
“They’re the ones that guide them when the bullets are flying,” Mastroeni said, mentioning homegrown veteran Justen Glad and goalkeeper captain Rafael Cabral in particular.
There’s a lot of soccer left to be played and hard times to go through in 2026 for the Claret and Cobalt, but as far as a checkpoint and proof of concept for “trusting the process” of developing young players into winning squads, the home opener served as the best example yet for this current generation.
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