Local product Worthen may be finished with RSL

It appears Joey Worthen's days as a Real Salt Lake midfielder are over.

The Cottonwood High School graduate, and RSL's only local player, was noticeably absent from Tuesday's training session at Rice-Eccles Stadium, even though team officials said they couldn't comment on the matter.

RSL coach John Ellinger did confirm, however, that the team is in active contract talks with Ivory Coast defender Jean-Martial Kipre, who the team invited to participate in training camp when the team was in Spain.

His signing would bump the club's roster to 29 players, one over the league maximum of 28, and it appears that Worthen is the odd man out.

According to the MLS Competition Calendar, the first date senior roster players may be waived without financial charge to the team salary budget is April 9. It's unlikely that a contract with Kipre, 22, will be finalized by then but RSL appears to be proceeding anyway.

"He's a talented player with great pace," said Ellinger. "He's very technical and combines well with other players. The biggest drawback is his communication, but luckily Mehdi (Ballouchy) speaks French."

RSL first learned of Kipre during the week of the MLS Cup last November. An agent from the United States put together a team of French-based players and had them play an exhibition game against an under-19 team from Texas.

His versatility of being able to play on the left or the right side, not to mention his tremendous pace, caught Ellinger's attention. Considering that Kipre lives in France, RSL invited him to train with the club during its two week training camp in Spain in late February to early March.

"When he was playing against an under-19 youth team, we weren't sure about him, but when we got him in Spain he was blowing by everyone, and we though, 'alright, this guy's for real."'

Ellinger said Kipre, who recently played for Angers of the French Second Division, is still young enough to qualify as a developmental player. His more natural position is left fullback, but he's also fared well at left midfield when RSL has used him in that spot during his month-long try-out.

Worthen, 27, appears to be departing RSL after just one season with his hometown club. He appeared in three games for a total of 29 minutes last year.

Prior to signing with Real last season, Worthen spent four years in the A-League, two with Pittsburgh and two with Richmond.

HEADING SOUTH: RSL will be spending its final week of the preseason in St. George and Las Vegas this week.

The team will train in St. George Wednesday and Thursday morning, while the RSL Reserves will play an exhibition match against BYU at 7:30 p.m. at Hanson Stadium.

RSL trains again in St. George on Friday morning before departing to Las Vegas for an exhibition match against the Colorado Rapids at 8:30 p.m. (MDT) on the campus of UNLV.