New Look Real Salt Lake to Convene for 2008 Preseason this Weekend in SLC
It seems like just yesterday that
Real Salt Lake
ended its season by carrying the Rocky Mountain Cup off the field at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, but already the hunt for new trophies begins anew this weekend when more than 30 players will convene in Salt Lake City to begin the squad's 2008 preseason schedule. Roster members, trialists, old faces, and new draft picks will all come together for the first time this Saturday, Jan. 26, for entrance physicals and fitness tests, while the real work begins on Sunday with the squad's first full practice. The RSL Communications Department will release the team's official practice schedule for its three days in Salt Lake City from Jan. 27-29 (including media availability) and the squad's full 2008 training camp roster on Thursday.
2008 Real Salt Lake Preseason Schedule
Saturday, Jan. 26: Players report to Salt Lake City for entrance physicals / fitness testing
Jan.27-29: Training in Salt Lake City (sites/times TBA Thursday)
Jan. 30-Feb. 9: Preseason Trip #1 to Oxnard/Ventura, Calif.
- Dates/sites of 2-3 scrimmages TBD
Feb. 10-13: Training in Utah (sites/times TBD)
Feb. 14-23: Preseason Trip #2 to Sunrise/Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
- Dates/sites of 3 scrimmages TBD
Feb. 24-28: Training in Utah (sites/times TBD)
Feb. 29-March 12: Preseason Trip #3 to Rosario, Argentina
- Dates/times of 3 exhibitions TBD
March 22: Exhibition contest - Opponent/Site TBA
March 29: MLS First Kick 2008 - RSL v. Chicago Fire at Rice-Eccles Stadium - 4:00 p.m. MT
Roster Moves Continue as RSL Signs DF Ian Joy...
After a busy week at the MLS/adidas Player Combine and MLS SuperDraft last week, the Real Salt Lake Technical Staff continued its offseason roster overhaul earlier today by making its first official signing of the new year in DF Ian Joy. The 26-year-old Joy joins Real Salt Lake from German 2. Bundesliga (Second Division) side FC St. Pauli, just the latest stop in a professional career that has taken the San Diego native to Scotland, England, Germany, and now his second stop in America's top-flight division. For more info on Joy, including the team's official announcement of today's signing and Joy's exclusive interview with KALL 700 Sports' Bill Riley, visit www.RealSaltLake.com.
... Waives MF Jamie Watson
The signing of Joy was not Real Salt Lake's only roster move of the week, as the team announced Tuesday the waiving of M/F Jamie Watson. The 21-year-old Watson, who was one of six players on the 2007 squad that had been carried over from RSL's Inaugural 2005 campaign, made 38 appearance (six starts) for the team in three seasons, scoring a pair of goals and adding one assist in 1,112 minutes of MLS regular season action.
RSL GM Garth Lagerwey Coming Your Way via Online Chat, Radio Airwaves, and the Big Screen
Following a busy week of personnel changes, Real Salt Lake General Manager Garth Lagerwey will host his second online chat of the off-season this Friday, January 25, on www.RSLstadium.com from 2:00-3:00 p.m. MT. Fans can log onto the website beginning at 12:00 p.m. on Friday to begin posting questions, while any fans unable to log on to the live chat on Friday are invited to send their questions to RSLcommunications@RealSaltLake.com at any point prior to the chat to ensure their voices are heard.
Lagerwey will also make two live radio appearances this week, with the first coming this afternoon at 4:15 p.m. MT on The Bill Riley Show on KALL 700 Sports. Lagerwey's multimedia blitz will continue tomorrow, Thursday, January 24, when he'll drop by 1280 The Zone's The Big Show - hosted by Gordon Monson and Kevin Graham. Lagerwey will dish the inside scoop on everything from the team's four SuperDraft selections, the decision-making process regarding its recent roster moves, the squad's preseason plans, and much more.
To cap off the hectic week, make sure to check out the final Sundance Film Festival screening of Kicking It, featuring the play-by-play stylings of the broadcaster-turned-GM Lagerwey this Sunday, January 27, at 5:30 p.m. MT at the Holiday Village Cinema IV in Park City, UT.
UCLA D/M Tony Beltran Leads RSL's Four Selections at 2008 MLS SuperDraft
Real Salt Lake decided to stand pat with its four selections in last Friday's 2008 MLS SuperDraft in Baltimore, leading off its "Class of 2008" by selecting UCLA defender/midfielder Tony Beltran with the draft's third overall selection. The RSL Technical Staff - headed by General Manager Garth Lagerwey and Head Coach Jason Kreis - were kept busy early in the draft, and the club's brain trust closed out the first round by taking Old Dominion defender David Horst with the 14th overall selection before tabbing U.S. Under-17 National Team midfielder Alex Nimo three picks later. RSL rounded out its day by drafting its second UC-Santa Barbara product in as many years, MF Brennan Tennelle, with the 37th overall pick in the third round.
D/M Tony Beltran - First Round - 3rd overall pick - UCLA - Claremont, CA
DF David Horst - First Round - 14th overall pick - Old Dominion - Pine Grove, PA
MF Alex Nimo - Second Round - 17th overall pick - U.S. Under 17 MNT/Residency Program - Portland, OR
MF Brennan Tennelle - Third Round - 37th overall pick - UC-Santa Barbara - San Diego, CA
RSL Trades FW Alecko Eskandarian to Chivas USA for Allocation Money
2005 MLS Expansion brethren Real Salt Lake and Chivas USA linked up for their second trade in one month's time last Friday, with the Utah side receiving allocation money from the southern California club in exchange for veteran FW Alecko Eskandarian in a SuperDraft day deal. Per club policy, financial details of the allocation will not be released. During his five-month tenure with RSL in 2007, the hard-working Eskandarian started in all 17 of his appearances while contributing a goal and a team-high-tying three assists across 1,428 minutes of play.
