The Real Salt Lake winger scored a crucial goal against St. Louis before delivering a poignant tribute to the Portuguese footballer
WHAT HAPPENED
Diogo Gonçalves found the net in the 43rd minute of Real Salt Lake's home match against St. Louis FC, cutting inside after he was found on the left wing and curling a powerful strike into the goal on Saturday night.
After the ball hit the net, Gonçalves immediately went to the corner flag, sat down and mimicked playing a video game before pointing to the sky. That was in tribute to the late Liverpool star Diogo Jota, who passed away earlier this month in a car crash and who was a big fan of the football game FC 25.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
The tribute holds special significance as Gonçalves and Jota shared a connection through Portuguese youth national teams, where both represented their country at the U20 level between 2016-2017. Jota's sudden death in a car accident on July 3 alongside his brother André Silva sent shockwaves through the football world, particularly affecting Portuguese players across the globe.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Following their 3-2 win over St. Louis, Real Salt Lake move up to 12th on the Western Conference table and will host the Houston Dynamo next on July 12.