SANDY, Utah – Following his powerful strike in Real Salt Lake’s 3-0 victory over Toronto FC, Bofo Saucedo made his way to his team’s bench to give head coach Mike Petke a hug.

When asked about it after the match, Petke joked and said it likely happened because “Bofo wanted to start next week.”

“It was like Titantic, you know? The music playing in the background, it was a beautiful embrace,” he added with a smile.

In reality, there was no Celine Dion singing “My Heart Will Go On,” but rather the roar of the crowd at Rio Tinto Stadium was the only thing that could be heard.

It was the second consecutive start for Saucedo, a player who usually provides high energy in a reserve role. In Saturday’s match, possibly due to Petke’s decision to make a lineup change after striker Sam Johnson was punished for arriving late to a team meeting, Saucedo got another chance to make a bigger impact on the game.

OH MY BOFO 👀 pic.twitter.com/iv5rYU7IOj

— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) May 18, 2019

He did just that, scoring on a strong boot from outside the box in the 28^th minute. His goal put RSL up 2-0. Throughout the whole match, until he was subbed out in the second half, Saucedo was arguably the best player on the field.

While Petke was proud of Saucedo for taking advantage of the opportunity to play in the starting 11, he stated that every week he’ll have to earn that chance in training and in preparation for their next opponent.

That said, Petke gave credit to Saucedo for having a good attitude, starting with his arrival in the preseason.

GOLAZO from BOFITO pic.twitter.com/6PQ3dJ7L1H

— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) May 18, 2019

“Bofo is somebody that I’ve had since I’ve been here and he’s a young player,” said Petke. “He realizes, I know he always has, but I think he realizes now that I’m willing to give opportunities, for many different reasons.”

The hug, in Petke’s mind, was the manifestation of the realization of Saucedo’s hard work and the expectations set by the head coach.

While it was a tender moment, Petke made it clear that Saucedo will have to work again to find his way into the starting lineup for RSL’s next match against Atlanta United.

“I’m happy for Bofo, the last two games he’s had some success but the most important game is the next game,” said Petke.

RSL will next face Atlanta United on Friday at 7 p.m. at Rio Tinto Stadium.

Real Salt Lake matches can be streamed live on KSLSports.com or on the KSL TV app.