HERRIMAN, Utah (Monday, November 18, 2024) – Real Salt Lake’s locker room today unveiled its 2024 Team Award Winners, following the 39-game campaign that saw the Club finish third overall in the Western Conference and sixth overall in the 2024 MLS Supporters Shield race. RSL’s record-setting 59-point regular season also saw the Club earn a berth in the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup, while the Claret-and-Cobalt’s 14th postseason appearance in the last 17 years and RSL’s sixth MLS Cup Playoff run in the last seven seasons ended with a shootout loss at Minnesota in the Best-of-Three Round One series.
A mix of statistical, community-service oriented and peer-selected honors, RSL’s 2024 Team Awards recognize four different players – MF Emeka Eneli (Most Valuable Player), DF Justen Glad (Defensive Player of the Year), Captain Chicho Arango (Golden Boot) and MF Matt Crooks (Humanitarian of the Year) – for their contributions to Real Salt Lake’s 20th season, on and off the pitch.
ENELI NAMED 2024 RSL MVP :: Versatile D/M Emeka Eneli, who started 33 of his 35 MLS / MLS Cup Playoff games played this year, was voted by his teammates as the Club’s 2024 Most Valuable Player. With all but 2 starts this year in midfield, the second-year man played right back in both RSL’s Feb. 21 kickoff in Miami and the 2024 postseason opener against Minnesota. Eneli – just signed to a new long-term contract in late August – was an available substitute for the first time on June 22 after 19 consecutive starts this year, the former Cornell man not appearing just three days after wearing the Captain’s armband for the first time June 19 at KC, the youngest Captain in RSL history. Eneli lost his “Iron Man” status when being subbed out May 25 at Dallas in the 71st minute, now playing all but 391 of a possible 3060 minutes of this 2024 RSL season. Eneli scored his first professional goal March 9 at home to give RSL the 1-0 lead in the 21st minute of the eventual 1-2 loss to the Rapids, while his second goal came as a late equalizer at Minnesota in the second leg of the first-round playoff series.
ARANGO EARNS 2024 RSL GOLDEN BOOT :: One-time 2024 Landon Donovan MLS MVP candidate, iconic RSL striker and now the sixth full-time Captain in the Club’s 20 years, FW Chicho Arango securing the Club’s 2024 Golden Boot, scoring 17 goals and adding 12 assists in 30 reg. season games. The once-incendiary striker completed the 2024 season just one goal shy of breaking Alvaro Saborio’s single-season RSL goal record of 17, set in 2012, while his assist June 19 saw the RSL Captain join Albert Rusnák and Jeff Cunningham as just the third RSL player in 20 seasons with a 10g / 10a campaign. Chicho’s six game-winning assists also tied the 2011 club record set by Kyle Beckerman.
Contributing to 29 of RSL’s 65 goals this season, the 28-year-old now has 116 goals in his professional career, which started in his native Colombia and includes stops in Portugal and Mexico alongside a stellar MLS record of 60 goals in 103 games across all competitions for RSL and LAFC. Since last July, Chicho has 27 goals and 15 assists in 51 appearances across all competitions for RSL.
GLAD CONTINUES DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR TREND FOR RSL HGs :: For the eighth time in the last nine seasons (Brayan Vera 2023), an RSL Homegrown was named the Club’s Defensive Player of the Year, as 2024 MLS All-Star Justen Glad (2016, 2017, 2024), adds to the legacy of RSL Academy defenders Andrew Brody (2022), former RSL man Brooks Lennon (2018), and former teammate Aaron Herrera (2019, 2020, 2021) in securing the peer-voted honor.
2024 MLS All-Star and Homegrown DF Justen Glad – the RSL Academy poster boy now in his 10th MLS season, all with RSL – finished the 2024 campaign with 14 consecutive starts, making his 277th Club appearance across all competitions in the playoff finale at Minnesota. Glad now ranks third all-time in RSL’s MLS regular-season history (242 appearances / 234 starts). Glad’s September start at Austin allowed him – at still only 27 years old – to move ahead of the iconic Beltran/Wingert outside-back tandem with 232 MLS games started for the Tucson, AZ native representing Claret/Cobalt. In the 16th minute on Oct. 2 against Minnesota, Glad moved ahead of the legendary Tony Beltran and into third-place all-time in RSL’s ranker for MLS minutes played with nearly 21,000, now looking up at only Nick Rimando (33,000+) and Kyle Beckerman (29,000+).
CROOKS NAMED COMMUNITY MVP :: As previously announced, first-year RSL MF Matt Crooks was named the Club’s Jordan Guernsey Humanitarian of the Year for his wide-ranging and extensive work in the community this season, across both Utah and his native England.
Since his arrival in Utah earlier this year, Crooks has helped fund a local refugee soccer league in conjunction with Catholic Community Services. In addition, the selfless Crooks has volunteered with several organizations, including the Utah Food Bank, Special Olympics Utah, the RSL Unified Team, Primary Children's Hospital and spearheaded numerous refugee soccer clinics.
Through his own foundation established in his native England, Crooks has also donated to the Utah Epilepsy Foundation and provided funds and time to the Volunteers of America local Teen Resource Center. Additionally, Crooks also already purchased tickets to bring kids from underserved communities to RSL’s home game in the recent Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs.
Throughout his career, the 30-year-old Crooks has been noted for his work across various communities, previously winning the Middlesbrough Community Player of the Year in 2022-23. The midfielder has his own charity set up in memory of close friend Jordan Sinnott, which he has continued stateside upon his move to Utah. Crooks is also diagnosed with epilepsy and has worked with the Peter Doody Foundation to destigmatize and normalize the condition.
ALL-TIME RSL SEASON-ENDING AWARDS ::
RSL Most Valuable Player: Emeka Eneli (2024), Pablo Ruiz (2023), Justen Glad (2022), Damir Kreilach (2021), Damir Kreilach (2020), Everton Luiz (2019), Damir Kreilach (2018), Albert Rusnák (2017), Kyle Beckerman (2016), Javier Morales (2015), Joao Plata (2014), Kyle Beckerman (2013), Kyle Beckerman (2012), Kyle Beckerman (2011), Javier Morales (2010), Nat Borchers (2009), Javier Morales (2008), Nick Rimando (2007), Jeff Cunningham (2006), Andy Williams (2005)
RSL Golden Boot Award: Chicho Arango (2024), Jefferson Savarino (2023), Sergio Cordova (2022), Damir Kreilach (2021), Damir Kreilach (2020), Albert Rusnák (2019), Damir Kreilach (2018), Albert Rusnák (2017), Joao Plata (2016), Javier Morales (2015), Joao Plata (2014), Álvaro Saborío (2013), Álvaro Saborío (2012), Álvaro Saborío (2011), Álvaro Saborío (2010), Robbie Findley (2009), Yura Movsisyan (2008), Robbie Findley (2007), Jeff Cunningham (2006), Jason Kreis (2005)
RSL Defensive Player of the Year: Justen Glad (2024), Brayan Vera (2023), Andrew Brody (2022), Aaron Herrera (2021), Aaron Herrera (2020), Aaron Herrera (2019), Brooks Lennon (2018), Justen Glad (2017), Justen Glad (2016), Aaron Maund (2015), Chris Schuler (2014), Nick Rimando (2013), Nick Rimando (2012), Nat Borchers (2011), Nat Borchers (2010), Jamison Olave (2009), Nat Borchers (2008), Eddie Pope (2007), Carey Talley (2006), Eddie Pope (2005)
Jordan Guernsey Humanitarian of the Year: Matt Crooks (2024), Zac MacMath (2023), Damir Kreilach (2022), Zac MacMath (2021), Kyle Beckerman (2020), Kyle Beckerman (2019), Kyle Beckerman (2018), Justin Schmidt (2017), Jordan Allen and Justen Glad (2016), Abdoulie Mansally (2015), Abdoulie Mansally (2014), Chris Wingert (2013), Will Johnson (2012), Jean Alexandre (2011), Jean Alexandre (2010), Robbie Russell (2009), Nat Borchers (2008), Carey Talley (2007), Seth Trembly (2006), Brian Kamler (2005)
2025 CONCACAF CHAMPIONS CUP FATE TO BE DETERMINED DECEMBER 10 ::
By virtue of the 2-1 Decision Day win over Vancouver, RSL earned the third-place Western Conference seed, its 59 points outdistancing Seattle Sounders FC and finishing five points shy of the two LA sides. With that win, RSL finished sixth overall in the MLS Shield race, joining FC Cincinnati – also on 59 points – to earn one of several MLS berths in the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup.
On Tuesday, December 10, just a few days after MLS Cup 2024, RSL and the other qualifiers from North America, Central America and the Caribbean will learn their tourney placements and first-round dates and opponents with the CONCACAF Champions Cup draw. RSL has not enjoyed continental competition since the 2015/16 season, which saw RSL drop a Quarterfinal series to Tigres (LIGA MX). Next year’s Cup will be the Claret-and-Cobalt’s fourth journey into the CCC / CCL.
