SALT LAKE CITY - Real Salt Lake is pleased to announce that three members of the team will be participating in the 2006 Generation adidas "Euro Tour", taking place in London, England from Friday, December 1st to Sunday, December 10th.
RSL will be represented by FW Jamie Watson, DF Nikolas Besagno and MF Christian Jimenez, who will join 17 other Generation adidas players as they depart for London on Friday, December 1st. The team, led by Columbus Crew Head Coach Sigi Schmid, will be training at Chelsea Academy, and are currently scheduled to play four exhibition matches against some of the top reserve teams in England, including Chelsea, Queens Park Rangers, Watford and Crystal Palace.
In addition to the three RSL players traveling with the team, RSL Assistant Coach Brian "BJ" Johnson and Head Athletic Trainer Jacob Joachim will also be making the trip. Johnson will serve as an assistant to Schmid, while Joachim will serve as the team's head athletic trainer.
In addition to the invaluable experience gained from training sessions and games, the Generation adidas players will be attending two EPL matches and one Champions League Match. The group will also be taking in the sights around London during their down time.
RSL Head Coach John Ellinger sees the trip as an opportunity for his young players to garner some valuable experience, and hopefully, return home to his team as improved players.
"All three of our guys who are making the trip should benefit greatly from this experience", said Ellinger. "They will be playing against some of the best young talent in the world; I can only assume they will come back to us having learned some very valuable lessons, and hopefully they will apply those lessons to their MLS careers moving forward.
"The Generation adidas program is a great opportunity for many young American soccer players to excel their game; I am glad that some of our guys can benefit from the experience the program affords. Nik, Jamie and Christian all have bright futures in MLS; this is a great step for them as they look to improve as soccer players and mature as people."
Generation adidas, which was established ahead of the 2005 MLS season, is Major League Soccer's youth player development program designed to identify and nurture the elite youth soccer talent in the United States. The youth players who join MLS as part of the Generation adidas program receive unprecedented opportunities to develop their game and hone their skills at the professional level in Major League Soccer. In addition to training and playing on a weekly basis with one of Major League Soccer's 13 professional clubs, Generation adidas players also receive educational grants to further their college education.
TENTATIVE PROGRAM ITINERARY
FRI. DEC. 1 Depart US for London
SAT. DEC. 2 Arrive London Airport
Training Chelsea Academy
SUN. DEC.3 Training at Chelsea Academy
MON. DEC.4 Match 1 - Generation adidas at QPR Reserve Team
TUE. DEC. 5 Match 2 - Generation adidas at Crystal Palace Reserve Team
Transfer to Stamford Bridge
Attend Champions League - Chelsea vs. Levski Sofia at Stamford Bridge
WED. DEC.6 Training at Chelsea Academy
Transfer to Upton Park
Attend West Ham vs. Wigan at Upton Park
THU. DEC. 7 Transfer to Watford
Match 3 - Generation adidas vs. Watford Reserve Team
Transfer to Cobham
FRI. DEC. 8 Transfer to Chelsea Academy
Match 4 - Generation adidas vs. Chelsea Reserve Team (TBC)
SAT. DEC.9 Transfer to Liverpool
Attend Liverpool vs. Fulham at Anfield</p>
SUN. DEC. 10 Return Flight to US
Generation adidas 2006 tour participants:
GOALKEEPER: Brad Guzan (Chivas USA)
DEFENDERS: Hunter Freeman (Colorado Rapids), Patrick Ianni (Houston Dynamo), Drew Moor (FC Dallas), Michael Parkhurst (New England Revolution), Nathan Sturgis (Los Angeles Galaxy), Blake Wagner (FC Dallas), Tim Ward (Columbus Crew)
MIDFIELDERS: Nik Besagno (Real Salt Lake), Christian Jimenez (Real Salt Lake), Quavas Kirk (Los Angeles Galaxy), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Dax McCarty (FC Dallas)
FORWARDS: David Arvizu (New York Red Bulls), Chad Barrett (Chicago Fire), Kei Kamara (Columbus Crew), Jacob Peterson (Colorado Rapids), Ryan Pore (Kansas City Wizards), Willie Sims (New England Revolution), Jamie Watson (Real Salt Lake)
COACH: Sigi Schmid (Columbus Crew)
RSL GOALKEEPER JAY NOLLY TO TRAIN WITH CELTIC FC: RSL Goalkeeper Jay Nolly has been invited to train with Scottish Premier League powerhouse Celtic FC for the next two weeks in Glasgow, Scotland. Nolly is set to leave for Scotland in the next 24 hours, and is very excited at the prospect of training with the 117 year-old club, who has won the SPL title 40 times including during the 2005-06 campaign.
"Celtic FC is one of the most renowned soccer clubs in the world", said Nolly. "Their tradition and pedigree speaks for itself. When the opportunity came about, I was ecstatic. I am eager to test my skills against some of the best players in the world and anticipate gaining invaluable experience that will serve me well as I progress in my own career."
