From Deseret News archives:

RSL selects UCLA midfielder with No. 3 pick

Published: Friday, Jan. 18, 2008 2:02 p.m. MST
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
RSL has already made a splash this offseason by trading Alecko Eskandarian and Atiba Harris, in addition to agreeing in principal to contracts with an American defender playing abroad, an Argentine midfielder and a Colombian defender.

On Friday, it has already added three more elements to its 2008 roster overhaul.

The fourth-year Major League Soccer club selected UCLA midfielder Tony Beltran with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2008 SuperDraft, followed by Old Dominion defender David Horst at No. 14 and U.S. Under-17 National Team forward Alex Nimo at No. 17.

Beltran is a 5-foot-9 junior midfielder out of UCLA, and a member of the Generation adidas program. As a member of the Generation adidas program, his salary will not count toward RSL's approximate $2.1 million salary cap in 2008.

Mock drafts had Real Salt Lake going with defender Julius James out of Connecticut, but instead the club decided to shore up its midfield with Beltran. The Claremont, Calif., native played his freshman year at St. John's before transferring to UCLA for his sophomore and junior seasons. In 2006 he started 21 games, finishing with one assist. Last year he started 21 matches adding two assists.

RSL has one pick remaining, No. 37 overall.

Story continues below
Kansas City opened the draft by selecting UCLA midfielder Chance Myers, a member of the Generation adidas program. The No. 1 pick originally belonged to San Jose, but it dealt the pick to the Wizards in exchange for veteran defender Nick Garcia.

Brek Shea, a 6-foot-3, 180-pound midfielder, went No. 2 to FC Dallas. Shea is a member of the U.S. Under-17 National Team, and is regarded as a very fast wide midfielder.

Horst will provide immediate depth for RSL at center back, checking in at 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds. He was a four-year starter at Old Dominion.

Nimo, 17, is a native or Portland, Ore., and was a Parade All-American high school player last year. At 5-foot-5, he isn't a very big forward, but his resume is impressive already at such a young age. He started in all four games for the U.S. at last summer's FIFA U-17 World Cup.

2008 MLS SuperDraft

First Round

1. Kansas City — Chance Myers, MF, UCLA

2. FC Dallas — Brek Shea, MF/DF., U-17 National Team

3. Real Salt Lake — Tony Beltran, MF/DF., UCLA

4. L.A. Galaxy — Sean Franklin, DF, CS Northridge

5. Colorado Rapids — Claran O'Brien, MF, UC Santa Barbara

6. Columbus Crew —Andy Iro, DF, Liverpool, England

Recent comments

I understand why most people don't like soccer. Many of them...

RSL1 | Jan. 20, 2008 at 12:28 a.m.

soccer, really who in the U.S. cares unless you're from S. America?...

ernie | Jan. 18, 2008 at 5:51 p.m.

As an out of state RSL fan, (yes, it's my hotel taxes that are paying...

RSL Fan in Washington | Jan. 18, 2008 at 4:52 p.m.

previousnext

Latest comments

That game was amazing! I think this will really help the sport grow in Utah....

Real Champions

Congrats on a great win. Utah as a whole should be proud not just of a major...

Congrats Real Salt Lake! but, they aren't the first major sports team to...

RSL regroups, dominates 2nd half

I told ALL of you how much i liked NED Pure irony his contributions vs x...

RSL wins MLS Cup on penalty kicks

this is to NevadaUTE @ 10:25!!! I love soccer, I love Real and it brought a...

Real Champions

wow!!! amazing. UTAH JAZZ DO SOMETHING!!!

Glenn Beck to enter politics?

So much fear and anger from Beck lovers. You all lost the last election, we...

RSL wins MLS Cup on penalty kicks

This is the most emotion I have had watching a sporting event since my...

Nicky Rimando is my hero! I love that guy. He has had his detractors, but...

Real Champions

Two stars means nothing! We played as a team and it showed! I'm still in...

Advertisements