SALT LAKE CITY - Real Salt Lake General Manager Steve Pastorino and Head Coach John Ellinger today announced the acquisition of DF Paul Broome via trade with the Los Angeles Galaxy. Broome was acquired in exchange for a Second Round 2007 MLS SuperDraft pick, the pick acquired by RSL in March in a trade with CD Chivas USA in exchange for the rights to DF Douglas Sequeira. In order to make room on the team's senior roster for Broome, RSL waived DF Marlon Rojas Monday, who had appeared in seven of the team's 15 games this season.
"Paul Broome is a talented, experienced defender and somebody we'd hoped to get in the initial 2004 MLS Expansion Draft. But the opportunity presented itself for us to obtain him and we went for it," Ellinger said. "He adds great technical ability and pace, and our hope is that he can bring some additional stability and depth to our defense."</p>
Broome is a natural left-sided player who added consistency to the Los Angeles Galaxy defense since his acquisition in July 2003. He played the first four-plus years of his career as a teammate of RSL captain Jason Kreis with the Dallas Burn before being traded to Los Angeles, and has played in 116 career games, making 87 starts.</p>
"Paul is a fast and tenacious left-sided player who can step into the Real Salt Lake lineup immediately and contribute to our backline," Pastorino said.
The 30-year old Broome started in 20 games during the Galaxy's 2004 campaign, tied for the second-most in a single season in his career the last coming in the 2002 season when he was with the Dallas Burn. He split the 2003 season between the Galaxy and the Burn after being traded to Los Angeles on July 11, playing in 11 games and making 8 starts between the two teams. The Dallas native started in 64 games and played in 87 games for the Burn and made his MLS debut on March 20, playing the final 25 minutes against Kansas City.
"Paul is a tenacious defender and is quite good with his feet. He is one of the fastest if not the fastest player in the League," Kreis said. "He is an extremely competitive professional and should be exactly what our team needs right now."
