Real Salt Lake today announced two changes to its roster, as the club signed GK Matt Wideman to its Developmental roster and placed MF Duke Hashimoto on the Season Ending Injury list. Today transactions keep the Real Salt Lake active roster at 27 players, the side's 10-man Developmental roster staying at capacity, while one vacancy remains on the squad's 18-man Senior roster.
Hashimoto was placed on Real Salt Lake's Season Ending Injury list today after undergoing successful surgery this morning to repair a tear in the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, an injury he suffered during a practice session on June 20. The second-year pro has yet to see action in an MLS regular season contest, but has been a regular for Real Salt Lake during international friendly, MLS Reserve Division, and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup affairs. Hashimoto was acquired by Real Salt Lake last May in a trade with the Columbus Crew after the Ohio club drafted him in the fourth round (38th overall) of the 2006 MLS SuperDraft.
Hashimoto's departure from the Developmental roster made room for Wideman, who is expected to fill in RSL's third goalkeeper role while regular back-up Chris Seitz is away from the squad for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada. The 22-year-old Wideman spent four seasons at Southern Methodist University, where he was inserted into the starting line-up midway through his junior season in 2005 and helped the Mustangs - including his then-teammate Hashimoto - to an appearance in that year's NCAA College Cup semifinals. During his senior campaign last fall, Wideman would firmly grasp the Mustangs' starting job and posted a 0.62 GAA and .841 save percentage across 23 starts, numbers that earned him First-Team All-Conference USA and NSCAA First-Team All-South Region honors.
#0 Matt Wideman
Position: Goalkeeper
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 170 lbs.
Birthdate: Sept. 18, 1984 in Dallas, TX
Hometown: Fairview, TX
Last club: Southern Methodist University (2006)
Acquired: Signed by Real Salt Lake as a Developmental player on 6/28/07
