Domino effect: Real Salt Lake's MLS collapse a chain reaction of Chicho Arango suspension, Andres Gomez exit, Diego Luna drought

In a league with little margin for error, RSL were nearly perfect to begin the season. Like many MLS clubs, they lost to Lionel Messi and Inter Miami, but that was their first match of the season. They went on to lose just two more matches through the end of June, winning 10 and drawing seven, taking points in 17 of their 19 matches that followed that 2-0 loss to Miami on Feb. 21.

They were playing remarkable soccer, and pulled out extraordinary results, including two five-goal winning performances and a 3-0 victory over the eventual Western Conference top seed, LAFC. Essentially, they were doing everything right to keep up with some of the best in the league - including draws against playoff sides Columbus, Minnesota, LA Galaxy and the Seattle Sounders.

Then, July arrived, and despite a brilliant start, the first domino fell.

Dominant wins over the Houston Dynamo and Atlanta kicked things off ... before they lost 3-0 to the Portland Timbers, drew LAFC 1-1 and lost 3-2 to the Colorado Rapids ahead of the Leagues Cup - in which they were knocked out in the group stage.

Arango's suspension happened during that span, too. He missed the LAFC and Rapids matches, as well as the MLS All-Star Game. It was the start of an eventual collapse, the beginning of the end.

Arango's suspension significantly shifted the tide of RSL's season. To this day, though, there are still no announced specifics as to what what prompted his four-game break from the pitch, beyond the original club statement.

He returned for RSL's second Leagues Cup game, with 17 goals already under his belt, looking to build on momentum for the rest of the season. In 10 appearances, including two playoff games, he didn't score a single goal, and during that stretch, recorded just two assists. It was an unfathomable turn of events for the Colombian, who had been in red-hot form.

In April, two months ahead of his suspension, Apple TV analyst Taylor Twellman had picked Arango as his frontrunner for 2024 MVP. After an April 20 performance in which he scored twice and recorded an assist, Mastroeni reaffirmed his belief in the Colombian to be the "leader" the club needed.

"Chicho's doing everything that we're asking. I think he's playing with a ton of confidence," Mastroeni said of the RSL captain. "I think one of the things he said to the group today before the game was, 'If you want to be a champion, we have to conduct ourselves like champions, and that's getting a result tonight.' "

Arango's mentality from the spring into early summer seemingly disappeared, and he stopped playing like a captain and a leader. A minor hamstring injury in August factored into play, as well, but the Colombian seemingly lost his eye for goal.

Just more than a week before Arango's suspension, the USMNT roster for the Paris Olympics was announced, and Luna was listed only as an alternate for the team - much to the shock to many observers. The 21-year-old declined the opportunity to represent his country in a role outside the main squad, asking instead to stay with Real Salt Lake.

"There's a lot of things that go into deciding to turn down being an Olympic backup. Some people from one side say something and from another side another but no one is behind the human and mental aspect," Luna told ESPN. "For me, there are a lot of things behind the scenes that affected my decision, but basically it was being away for six or seven games that could change my career. I'm in good form and playing well, my team is at the top of the league, so if we continue to do that and I play well the options are endless. It was a decision I had to commit to and I did."

Ahead of the announcement, the winger had an impressive nine assists in the league, and was near the top of the league in direct goal-contributions.

His omission from the main team was unexpected, but his decision to decline a call-up as an alternate was just as surprising. And while his immediate response was brilliant - three assists and a goal in a 5-2 victory over Atlanta - what followed were eight straight games across all competitions without a goal-contribution. In 11 regular season games after that first response, he failed to register a single assist, only scoring three times, bringing his season tally to eight goals and 12 assists in 31 appearances. That was domino No. 2.

The third and final domino to fall was the departure of Gomez, who had been the third member of the blistering attack alongside Luna and Arango that had RSL sky-high ahead of the Leagues Cup.

On Aug. 17, during the tournament break, the 22-year-old was sold for a club-record fee of a reported $11M to Ligue 1 side Saint Etienne. Prior to his departure, he had recorded 22 goal-contributions in 23 games, helping lead them toward the top of the West.

With Arango and both Luna misfiring, there was hope that at least Gomez would be able to carry the attack while the others got over their slumps, but his departure left a gaping hole on the pitch. As a result, both Marczuk and Goncalves were brought in, with hopes that one of them could pick up the slack.

"If I had to take a flier, I'd say Diogo is a top player. He has the pedigree of playing for some top clubs, he's an established player," Mastroeni told KSL Sports at the time of his August transfer. "All his attributes are extremely refined, he has an unbelievable eye for goal. I think he will be an important player for our team. He is the player I would say can be most equivalent to Andres Gomez in terms of his effect on the attacking side of our game."

The trajectory of their attack spiraled downward from July onward, and they never recovered, despite bringing in support to bolster their ranks.

Come the postseason, a time in which stars are made in tough and gritty situations, Arango scored, but both Luna and Goncalves missed their penalty shootout attempts against the Loons in game two of their First Round series, ultimately resulting in elimination.

So all of that begs the question: who is to blame?

Arango's suspension was presumably of his own doing. You are only in charge of yourself, and in moments, your actions can define you. Whatever prompted the suspension, the discipline ultimately defined the season.

As for Mastroeni, what did he do to counter the attacking drought by the Colombian, Luna and the eventual absence of Gomez? Could he have adjusted tactically, done more to get the best out of them, or was this just an unavoidable downward spiral?

The former U.S. international has led the team from the touchline since the start of the 2022 season, but joined the club as an assistant in 2021 before being promoted to the senior position after a brief stint as interim coach. In his debut season, he led RSL to the Conference semifinals, but followed it up with a round one exit in 2022 and 2023 - and now in 2024.

It's been three-straight seasons of playoff disappointments, and it seems as if they've flatlined. How do they improve? How do they fix whatever the hell happened to their attack in the second half of 2024?

It's no easy task for Mastroeni and his staff, who need to play their cards right this offseason if they're to improve come next season. All the dominoes fell, everything was lost. And now 2024 is a campaign to forget, as they look to bounce back in 2025.