Four First-Round Picks Selected Following Draft-Day Trade with New York Red Bulls;
Jesus Barea, Max Kerkvliet, Lineker Rodrigues dos Santos, and Sergi Solans Bolster Youth, Depth, Versatility for Claret-and-Cobalt Setup;
Additional Quartet Selected in Final Two Rounds, Looking Forward to Future Development
HERRIMAN, Utah (Fri., Dec. 20, 2024) – Real Salt Lake today selected eight players via the 2025 MLS SuperDraft, including a quartet of first-round picks – FW Jesus Barea (19th overall our of Missouri State), GK Max Kerkvliet (21st - Connecticut), FW Linekar Rodrigues dos Santos (29th - Marshall) and FW Sergi Solans (30th - Oregon State). RSL’s four selections marked the second-most of the first round (Colorado, five) en route to the second-most picks throughout the entire draft (also Colorado, nine overall).
RSL entered the day with only the 19th, 49th and 79th overall picks in the event’s three rounds, but added three more just hours prior to the 2025 MLS SuperDraft as part of its acquisition of Elias Manoel. RSL sent $700,000 in future General Allocation Money (GAM) to New York, taking each of the Red Bulls natural selections (29th, 59th and 89th overall), as well as New York’s natural second rounder in next year’s draft.
During the first round, RSL also acquired two more picks, sending $75,000 in 2024 GAM to the Columbus Crew for the 21st overall pick and $50,000 to LA Galaxy for the 30th overall pick, the final selection of the first round.
In the second round, RSL utilized both picks to select a pair of defensive specialists, taking junior DF Nick Deng from the Univ. of Virginia, with the 49th overall selection, while choosing senior GK Trace Alphin out of Wake Forest with the 59th overall pick.
The third and final round saw RSL pick 79th and 89th overall, taking another Demon Deacon, MF Liam O’Gara and Bison DF Aleksandar Vukovic, out of Marshall University.
Barea, born in Cádiz, Spain, recently completed his senior season at Missouri State University, earning Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year honors. The Spaniard appeared in all 18 matches, all starts, for the Bears, logging 1,382 total minutes. Recording 15 goals during the 2024 season, Barea became the second-highest scorer in an MSU single season, the fourth-most in all of Division I during the 2024 season. The Spanish standout, a four-year starter for MSU, left the collegiate game with 34 goals and 19 assists, after a second-round exit in the 2024 NCAA tourney.
“I was really happy and so excited to see my name on there, especially to Real Salt Lake,” said Barea via phone just minutes following the Draft’s completion. “RSL is a place that I’m looking forward to, it's a really emotional moment. The community, the fan base, the stadium, the fans are really important to me. The head coach, the squad with a lot of South American guys is going to help me, to speak spanish, I think that’s what I am looking forward to the most.”
Kerkvliet, coming off his redshirt freshman season, departs the University of Connecticut after one season with the Huskies. Starting all 18 matches, the Houston native conceded just 13 goals, ranking 10th nationally with a goals against average of 0.77. Eight clean sheets in the campaign led Kerkvliet to capture three-time Big East Freshman of the Week and one Big East Goalkeeper of the Week en route to All-Conference Third-Team honors.
“I got a text before I saw online, and I was like ‘Oh my God’,” said an excited Kerkvliet, who chatted with RSL Goalkeeper Coach Mirza Harambasic in the run-up to the draft. “We saw my name and that RSL had just traded with Columbus, my heart started beating so fast I was so excited. It was everything I’ve imagined this moment would be, it was even better than that. I thought Utah was a great place to be, even before I got picked I thought this might happen, I’m super-thrilled to be on my way to Utah”
“RSL fans need to know they are getting someone that works hard, that I’m going to work as hard as I can every single day. Being at Salt Lake, I’m going to play my hardest every single day and really make the people watching and people paying to come watch, whether it's first-team or second-team, doesn’t matter, I’m gonna make you guys proud.”
Lineker joins RSL out of 2024 NCAA runners-up Marshall, transferring to the Thundering Herd from Memphis University for the Brazilian’s senior season. The striker started in 23 of Marshall’s 24 matches this past year, scoring 15 goals and logging five assists en route to the Division I National Championship appearance, the Bison falling to Vermont in an overtime stunner.
“I was nervous at first before the draft, but when I was with my family and saw my name pop up on the website we all got really happy and excited to get started,” said Lineker, who now joins 2024 draft pick Matthew Bell, also from Marshall, although the two did not play together. RSL also selected Marshall teammate Aleksandr Vukovik with the penultimate pick in today’s draft. “I’ve heard great things about RSL, I know Salt Lake is a beautiful place, we’ve only heard good things about RSL, so of course I’m very excited. I’m going to bring a lot of hard work. I'm going to do whatever it takes to help the team on and off the pitch.”
The selection of Sergi Solans rounded out the first round for RSL, the Club’s third college forward taken by the Claret-and-Cobalt. The redshirt freshman from Oregon State notched 14 goals and three assists in his first collegiate season. The Beavers exited the NCAA tournament after a first-round loss to Gardner-Webb University back in November.
“I saw my name and I started crying. I started thinking about my aunt, my inspiration for all I achieve in my life, It was an awesome moment,” said Solans, who retains his college eligibility. “I don’t know much about Utah, I've only been once when we came down to play there. I’m always excited to know more about different cultures, different cities. The first part of my dream has been achieved, to get drafted, the second part, is now to live as a professional footballer - I’m ready for Real Salt Lake.”
2025 MLS SuperDraft Picks for Real Salt Lake:
- FW Jesus Barea
- Missouri State Senior
- Cádiz, Spain
- 5-foot-9 / 167-lb
- MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalist
- MVC Player of the Year: 2022, 2024
- Thirty-four (34) goals / nineteen (19) assists
- GK Max Kerkvliet
- Connecticut Freshman
- Houston, Texas
- 6-foot-5 / 205-lb
- All-Big East Third Team
- Top Drawer Soccer Mid-Season Top 100 Freshman list, sixth
- Fifty-seven (57) saves / eight (8) clean sheets
- FW Lineker Rodrigues dos Santos
- Marshall Senior
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- 6-foot-0 / 180-lb
- transfer from Memphis Univ.
- Fifteen (15) goals / five (5) assists
- FW Sergi Solans
- Oregon State Freshman
- Lleida, Spain
- 6-foot-2 / 178-lb
- WCC Offensive Player of the Year
- WCC Freshman of the Year
- United Soccer Coaches All-American
- Fourteen (14) goals / three (3) assists
- DF Nick Dang
- Virginia Junior
- Brentwood, TN
- 6-foot-2 / 180-lb
- All-ACC Second Team
- All-ACC Tournament Team
- Ten (10) goals / three (3) assists
- GK Trace Alphin
- Wake Forest Senior
- Raleigh, NC
- 6-foot-2 / 190-lb
- All-ACC Second Team
- No. 2 in Wake Forest career minutes (7,050)
- One Hundred Eighty-Eight (188) saves / Eighteen (18) clean sheets
- MF Liam O’Gara
- Wake Forest Sophomore
- Winston-Salem, NC
- 6-foot-3 / 195-lb
- 2023 All-ACC Freshman Team
- 2023 TopDrawerSoccer Freshman Best XI
- DF Aleksandar Vukovic
- Marshall Senior
- Nova Pazova, Serbia
- 6-foot-4 / 210-lb
- 2022 All-Big West First Team
- One (1) goal / two (2) assists
The record-setting 2024 RSL side amassed the Club’s eighth 50-point season all-time (out of 20 seasons), and just the third since the 2014 campaign. Finishing 6th overall out of 29 teams, RSL crashed out of the postseason by the thinnest of margins for a third consecutive year (Austin 2022, Houston 2023, Minnesota 2024), dropping a road shootout tiebreaker. Other 2024 RSL milestones:
- Accumulated an all-time Club-high overall point total of 59 points, RSL’s 16-7-11 (W-L-T) record eclipsing the previous record of 57 points, set in 2012; the 16 wins in 34 games matches the Club’s second-highest win total in its 20 MLS campaigns (2013, 2019), trailing only the 17 won in 2012;
- Achieved RSL’s second-highest road record with 13 results in 17 away MLS matches, posting a 5W-4L-8T mark, with 23 of its 59 reg. season points amassed on the road; RSL’s previous road best was recorded in 2023, with an outstanding 8W-5L-4T (28 pts) mark;
- RSL attained 59 points in 2024 by returning its America First Field home to “fortress” status, the Club’s home mark of 11W-3L-3T the fourth-best in MLS and the fifth-highest in RSL’s 20 previous MLS seasons;
- This most recent campaign was also the highest-scoring season in Real Salt Lake’s 20 MLS years, with 65 goals through 34 matches, eclipsing the 57 scored in 2013; RSL’s pair of goals scored on Decision Day enabled the 2024 side to match the all-time Club mark of 38 goals on home soil, matching the 2018 season’s production in Sandy;
- During a nearly four-month span from early-March to late June, RSL embarked on a Club-record 15-game unbeaten run in MLS competition, marred only by an Open Cup match in Albuquerque;
- RSL striker and Captain Chicho Arango scored 17 goals and added 13 assists during his first full season on the Wasatch Front, winning the Club Golden Boot and matching Alvaro Saborio’s all-time RSL high for goals in a season, set in 2012;
- Since April 16, 2005, RSL has enjoyed a prominent home-field advantage on Utah soil – posting a dominant 206-86-99 (Win-Loss-Draw) record across all competitions at home (1.83 points per game for a 0.654 win pct.) – since arriving on the Wasatch Front 20 years ago;
- Since opening its permanent home in Sandy just over 15 years ago, in October, 2008, RSL’s 176-61-79 (W-L-T) mark at America First Field – home of the “RioT” Supporters Group umbrella – equates to a 1.92 points per game average and a 0.682 win pct, one of the truly amazing value proposition in North American sporting landscape today.
ABOUT REAL SALT LAKE
During the first week of January 2022, the RSL compendium of properties was acquired by global sports entrepreneur David Blitzer – who boasts interests in the Philadelphia 76ers (NBA), the New Jersey Devils (NHL), the Cleveland Guardians (baseball) and the Washington Commanders (NFL) – as well as several European soccer entities, including Crystal Palace (England), FC Augsburg (Germany), Estoril (Portugal), ADO Den Haag (Netherlands), Alcorcón (Spain), SK Beveren (Belgium) and Brøndby IF (Denmark). The Blitzer group partners with Utah-based Smith Entertainment Group (SEG), which owns the Utah Jazz (NBA), led by Ryan Smith and including Dwyane Wade, among others.
Real Salt Lake completed its 20th Major League Soccer season last month, its third full season under Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni, who led the Utah side on an interim basis for the final 100 days in 2021. RSL is the lone Western Conference side to have advanced to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs in each of 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 seasons, amassing 14 postseason appearances in the last 17 years, as well as six occasions in the last seven seasons.
RSL's MLS Cup 2009 victory marked the state of Utah's only major professional championship in nearly 40 years, the title preceding an historic run to the 2010/11 CONCACAF Champions League Final. Buoyed by a passionate base boasting several thousand season ticket holders and opening its permanent home in Sandy just over 15 years ago, since October, 2008, RSL’s 176-61-79 (W-L-T) mark at America First Field – home of the “RioT” Supporters Group umbrella – equates to a 1.92 points per game average and a 0.682 win pct, one of the truly amazing value proposition in North American sporting landscape today!
For the 2024 season and beyond, Real Salt Lake’s Blitzer / Smith ownership groups have partnered to bring the National Women’s Soccer League back to Utah, as Utah Royals FC return for their second campaign in Spring 2025. Led by Head Coach Jimmy Coenraets and Sporting Director Kelly Cousins, URFC aims to seize upon the success the NWSL enjoyed during its first iteration on the Wasatch Front from 2018-20 and grow the game to even greater heights going forward. Led by visionary sports business entrepreneur Jess Gelman – the founder of the Sloan Sports Analytics Institute, along with innovative NBA executive Daryl Morey – Utah Royals FC blazes new trails in 2025.
In 2015, the club expanded its development pyramid with the addition of Real Monarchs SLC, one of several MLS-operated clubs playing in the USL Championship, the United States' Division II setup. The Monarchs boast a pair of titles in its brief history, as the 2017 USL Championship Regular-Season champions, later winning the USL Championship title in 2019. For the 2022 season and beyond, Real Monarchs compete in the newly-launched “MLS NEXT Pro” as part of a joint United States and Canada endeavor to complete the professional player pathway by connecting youth academies in MLS NEXT to first teams in Major League Soccer.
The entire competitive RSL setup, which includes nearly 70 players representing the RSL Academy’s U-16 and U-18 teams, calls the expansive Zions Bank Training Center in Herriman, Utah their daily training home. With five world-class grass fields, two indoor turf fields, a residential dormitory, the STEM-based RSL Academy High School and the 5,000-seat Zions Bank Stadium located on a 42-acre campus, Utah’s sporting future is bright.
The RSL Community Foundation was established in 2016, created with the goals of being active in the community year-round, utilizing the popularity and reach of RSL, the Royals, the Monarchs and the Academy in promoting health and wellness in children throughout the region, engaging supporters of soccer to raise funds and volunteer time for various local initiatives.
2025 RSL Full-Season Ticket Packages NOW ON SALE
at ***www.RSL.com*** or by calling 844.Real.Tix.
