Since his arrival to the Real Salt Lake Academy in August of last year, Zavier Gozo has proven to be a force.
Towering over most of his fellow U-15 teammates, Gozo is easy to spot with his full ‘fro and quick speed, making him the ideal target to score on the pitch. In just this year alone Gozo has scored 16 goals for the Claret-and-Cobalt, four more than any other player in Head Coach Andrew May’s squad.
Gozo grew up on the outskirts of Salt Lake City, Utah, one of the few players within the Academy to actually hail from Utah. In his earlier years the forward played with local clubs Comba and La Roca, where his coaches encouraged him to dream bigger and seek the highest level of competition.
“My coaches were telling me that I should go to the next level, so I took their advice,” Gozo explained.
Since joining the Academy, Gozo has honed his craft under the tutelage of Coach May, one of the winningest coaches in RSL Academy history. “I love working with Coach May because he tries to really work on your individual strengths, as well as the teams.”
During his time with the Academy Gozo has gained the attention of the U.S. Youth National Team, earning several call ups for the Stars and Stripes, including at the Torneo delle Naziono where he played against Belgium and Slovenia.
Gozo aims to model his game off one of the brightest young stars in all of football: French superstar Kylian Mbappe. “We kind of play the same, using our speed and skills a lot to break the defense,” Gozo shared.
Looking to the future, Gozo hopes to move up to Real Monarchs and eventually earn a contract with his hometown club, Real Salt Lake. But for the time being he is focused on lifting the MLS NEXT Cup trophy, helping the team become the first-ever back-to-back champions.
