Real Salt Lake takes midfielder first in draft, seeks forward help

As a native Coloradoan, Collen Warner says he followed the Colorado Rapids "as much as any young soccer player" growing up.

He attended Rapids matches frequently and watched others on television.

But now Warner hopes to shine for the Rapids' arch-rival, Real Salt Lake.

RSL selected Warner with the 15th overall pick in the first round of the 2010 MLS SuperDraft on Thursday afternoon, and the 21-year-old said in a conference call with reporters a day later that he can't wait to get going.

"I am extremely excited, especially to be a part of a franchise like Salt Lake," said Warner. "Just with their success in the recent MLS Cup and new stadium that has been built, I really believe this to be an ideal situation for me to come into the league."

When Warner finished up a stellar four-year career at the University of Portland last fall, he began to weigh his professional options, which included trialing with European clubs overseas or signing a contract with MLS.

As it played out, some advice from RSL coach Jason Kreis helped him decide to sign with MLS and subsequently enter the 2010 SuperDraft.

"It was a really tough decision," said Warner. "I was leaning toward going to Europe, and (then) I had a chat with Jason Kreis on the phone, and we just talked about a few things — what he thought about me as a player and what some of the opportunities I might have in the MLS and at Salt Lake.

"A part of it definitely had to do with the contract that the MLS offered and that I eventually signed, but mainly it was just looking for the best opportunity for me to grow as a player, and it was just a talk with Jason. That's what led me to sign with MLS."

Warner said he hopes to push RSL's stellar starting midfield group, composed of Kyle Beckerman, Javier Morales, Will Johnson and Andy Williams. When asked what attributes he has as a player, Warner compared himself to Beckerman.

"As my skill-set goes as a midfielder, I'm fairly similar to Kyle Beckerman," said Warner. "I see myself as a box-to-box player. I work hard on both sides of the ball, and I have a large range of passing, a wide range of passing ability and good vision. Those are the skills that I think I bring to the team, to the midfield."

LOOKING FOR A FORWARD: In a conference call with reporters following Thursday's SuperDraft, Kreis reiterated what many were already assuming: RSL is actively searching for a striker to replace departed forward Yura Movsisyan.