HERRIMAN, Utah (Wednesday, November 27, 2024) – Real Salt Lake Chief Soccer Officer Kurt Schmid today announced various end-of-season roster moves, returning 29 players – including 10 from the Club’s Academy/Monarchs homegrown pipeline – from the record-setting 2024 squad, which set new all-time Club highs in points (59) and goals (65), finishing third overall in the MLS Western Conference and sixth out of 29 teams in the MLS Supporters Shield race.
RSL posted an overall 17-9-13 (W-L-T) record across multiple competitions, also earning a berth in the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup, the Claret-and-Cobalt’s first foray in continental competition since the 2015/16 CCL run to the quarterfinals, where it was eliminated by Liga MX power Tigres. RSL’s 2025 CCC opponent and dates/times for its mid-February international fixtures will be determined in the December 10 draw (see key offseason dates below).
Today’s announcements arrive 18 days after Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni’s team saw its fourth consecutive MLS Cup Playoff run end in Minnesota on penalty kicks, despite an eight-game unbeaten streak, as RSL advanced to the postseason for the sixth time in the last seven years, and the 14th occasion in the last 17 years overall.
2024 RSL Roster Decisions
Out of Contract – MF Maikel Chang, GK Tomas Gomez, DF Marcelo Silva
Options Declined – DF Kevin Bonilla, DF Erik Holt, FW Bertin Jacquesson, FW Benji Michel, DF Jaziel Orozco, FW Ilijah Paul, DF Delentz Pierre, FW Rubio Rubin
Options Exercised – GK Gavin Beavers, DF Javain Brown, MF Noel Caliskan, FW Anderson Julio, DF Philip Quinton, DF Tommy Silva
Guaranteed for 2025 – FW Chicho Arango, MF Matthew Bell, DF Andrew Brody, FW Lachlan Brook, MF Matt Crooks, MF Emeka Eneli, DF Justen Glad, MF Diogo Gonçalves, DF Bode Hidalgo, DF Alex Katranis, FW Axel Kei, DF Kevon Lambert, MF Diego Luna, GK Zac MacMath, FW Dominik Marczuk, MF Braian Ojeda, MF Nelson Palacio, DF Luis Rivera, MF Pablo Ruiz, DF Brayan Vera, MF Jude Wellings
Ongoing discussions TBD – DF Zach Farnsworth
Several acquisitions from the past year – including DF Alex Katranis, MF Matt Crooks, FW Dominik Marczuk, FW Lachlan Brook and MF Diogo Gonçalves – remain under contract for the 2025 season, which sees preseason kick off on January 11. Recent college SuperDraft pick Matthew Bell remains guaranteed, while two RSL Homegrowns – GK Gavin Beavers and DF Tommy Silva – join four others to see 2025 options exercised (FW Anderson Julio, DF Javain Brown, MF Noel Caliskan and DF Philip Quinton).
RSL sees 10 “Homegrown” Players – GK Gavin Beavers, DF Andrew Brody, DF Justen Glad, FW Zavier Gozo, DF Bode Hidalgo, FW Axel Kei, MF Luca Moisa, DF Luis Rivera, DF Tommy Silva and MF Jude Wellings – currently slated to return for next season, RSL’s 21st in Major League Soccer.
Several other veterans of the Club – Captain and FW Chicho Arango, 2024 MLS Young Player of the Year and 2024 MLS All-Star MF Diego Luna, GK Zac MacMath, MF Braian Ojeda, enforcer DF Brayan Vera, 2024 RSL Team MVP MF Emeka Eneli, Colombian international MF Nelson Palacio, and long-time talismanic MF Pablo Ruiz – also own guaranteed contracts for the 2025 season.
Six players – DF Kevin Bonilla, MF Maikel Chang, GK Tomas Gomez, DF Erik Holt, DF Jaziel Orozco, and DF Marcelo Silva – either saw their 2025 options declined are also now out-of-contract at the end of the 2024 League season. Chang played 138 games with RSL and 73 with Monarchs during his six-year tenure in Utah, while Silva made 147 appearances across all competitions since his summer 2017 arrival on the Wasatch Front, scoring four goals and serving as the team’s captain during most of 2023 season following Damir Kreilach’s injury.
As of Nov. 27, 2024, Real Salt Lake's current roster headed into 2025, listed alphabetically by position, is as follows:
Goalkeepers (2): Gavin Beavers, Zac MacMath
Defenders (10): Andrew Brody, Javain Brown, Justen Glad, Bode Hidalgo, Alex Katranis, Kevon Lambert, Philip Quinton, Luis Rivera, Tommy Silva, Brayan Vera
Midfielders (10): Noel Caliskan, Matt Crooks, Emeka Eneli, Diogo Gonçalves, Diego Luna, Luca Moisa, Braian Ojeda, Nelson Palacio, Pablo Ruiz, Jude Wellings
Forwards (6): Chicho Arango, Matthew Bell, Lachlan Brook, Anderson Julio, Axel Kei, Dominik Marczuk
Key 2024/25 MLS Offseason Dates & Roster Mechanisms:
(Dates, Times [MT] – Subject to Change)
• Sat., Dec. 7 – MLS Cup 2024
• Mon., Dec. 9 – Half-day MLS trade window (7-11a MT); Expansion Draft Protected Lists due 3p MT
• Tues., Dec. 10 – CONCACAF Champions Cup Draw (5p MT)
• Wed., Dec. 11 – MLS Expansion Draft – San Diego FC (TBD)
• Thu., Dec. 12 – MLS Free Agency period opens (11a MT)
• Fri., Dec. 13 – Re-Entry Process, Stage 1 (11a MT)
• Tues., Dec. 17 – 2025 MLS Schedule Unveiled for all 30 teams
• Thu., Dec. 19 – Re-Entry Process, Stage 2 (11a MT)
• Fri., Dec. 20 – 2025 MLS SuperDraft (TBD)
• Fri.- Sun., Jan. 11-13 – 2025 RSL / MLS Preseason Begins
• Tue.-Thu., Feb. 18-20 – 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup Leg One – RSL v TBD
• Sat., Feb. 22 – 2025 MLS Regular Season // RSL Season #21 Kicks Off
