SALT LAKE CITY - Real Salt Lake today announced three changes to its roster, as the club signed D/M Jean-Martial Kipré to its Developmental roster and waived forwards Jeff Rowland and Luis Tejada. With the addition of Kipré and the departure of Rowland and Tejada, the Real Salt Lake active roster now stands at 25 of an available 28 players, with the three remaining spots all part of the team's 18-man Senior roster.
The 22-year-old Kipré, a native of the Ivory Coast, will officially count as a Senior Developmental player, but will occupy RSL's third Senior International slot, joining Atiba Harris (St. Kitts & Nevis) and Danny Torres (Costa Rica). Kipré traveled with Real Salt Lake to the Denver area for tonight's contest against the Colorado Rapids (7:00 p.m. MT, LIVE on ESPN2) and will be available for selection for the Rocky Mountain Cup affair.
"After a long wait, we are relieved and excited to finally have Jean-Martial Kipré officially join our club," said RSL Head Coach Jason Kreis. "He's a talented player with a great soccer background that will add a different dynamic to our roster, and we look forward to his contributions for years to come."
A versatile player with electrifying pace, Kipré (pronounced Zhahn mar-cee-ALL KEY-pray) is expected to provide Real Salt Lake with a wide option on either side of the field. After honing his skills in the youth system of French powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain, Kipré spent the previous two seasons playing for French second division side Angers S.C.O. before joining Real Salt Lake for a successful trial stint during the 2006-07 off-season.
The hard luck continues for the second-year striker Rowland, who suffered a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee on April 30, marking his second major knee injury in the last 14 months. The injury will force Rowland, who underwent successful surgery on Tuesday, to sit out the entire 2007 campaign.
"We certainly feel for Jeff, as he's going through a heart-breaking situation for a second straight year," said Kreis. "Jeff possesses a very professional attitude and we are sure he'll come back next year ready to make his mark in MLS."
Tejada joined Real Salt Lake as a Senior International after signing with the club in December, but the Panamanian was unable to distinguish himself during the club's preseason. Tejada made only one appearance for Real Salt Lake in its first five contests this season, a two-minute stint off the bench in RSL's 2-2 season-opening draw against FC Dallas on April 7.
"Unfortunately, we felt that Luis would not fit in our plans as we look to move forward and shape our roster for the remainder of the season," Kreis said.
