HERRIMAN, Utah (Tues., Feb. 20, 2024) – Real Salt Lake have added two Homegrown players to its 2024 Major League Soccer roster, as RSL Academy products FW Zavier Gozo and MF Luca Moisa become the 38th and 39th Homegrowns in Club history. Each player is signed through the 2027 season, with team options for 2028/29 on Gozo and the 2028 season for Moisa.
With the Homegrown designation, RSL now boasts 15 HGs on the roster, with Gozo and Moisa joining current RSL Homegrowns Gavin Beavers, Andrew Brody, Justen Glad, Zack Farnsworth, Bode Hidalgo, Erik Holt, Axel Kei, Diego Luna, Jaziel Orozco, Delentz Pierre, Tommy Silva Luis Rivera and Jude Wellings. Of this group, only Luna did not attend the RSL Academy in Herriman or Casa Grande, Ariz., while two players – Orozco (Larne FC, No. Ireland) and Pierre (Colo. Springs, USL) – are currently on loans to facilitate their unique professional development pathways.
Gozo – a native of Eagle Mountain, Utah – made his RSL debut at 16 years, 206 days on October 14, 2023 at LA Galaxy as the third-youngest debutant in RSL’s 19-year history, joining fellow Academy product Axel Kei for the final six minutes plus stoppage of a late-season 2-2 draw in Carson, Calif. Kei’s debut at 15 years, 289 days made him the fourth-youngest to appear in MLS history, and the youngest in RSL’s 19 years, eclipsing DF Nik Besagno’s 2005 appearance at 16 years, 201 days. Gozo – who turns 17 years of age on March 22 of this year – was just five days older than Besagno.
“Since joining our Academy, Zavier has proven to be an all-around athletic talent with an exceptional eye for goal and an insatiable hunger to succeed,” said Assistant General Manager Tony Beltran. “As he takes this next step in his professional career, we look forward to supporting his continued development with RSL and Real Monarchs.”
“In his player pathway, Luca has excelled in all aspirational areas and developed into an exciting two-way midfielder,” continued Beltran. “Our staff believes he has a bright professional future, and we look forward to his growth and matriculation, on and off the field."
TRANSACTION: Real Salt Lake signs FW Zavier Gozo and MF Luca Moisa as MLS Homegrown players on February 20, 2024
Player Information
Name: Zavier Gozo
Position: Forward
Height: 5’11"
Date of Birth: 22 March 2007
Age: 16
Birthplace: West Valley City, UT
Hometown: Eagle Mountain, UT
Citizenship: USA
Last Club: Real Monarchs (MLS NEXT Pro)
How Acquired: Signed on February 20, 2024
Player Information
Name: Luca Moisa
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5’8"
Date of Birth: 20 April 2008
Age: 15
Birthplace: Las Vegas, Nevada
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada
Citizenship: United States
Last Club: Real Monarchs (MLS NEXT Pro)
How Acquired: Signed on February 20, 2024
\ABOUT ZAVIER GOZO: \
The young forward scored one goal for Real Monarchs in 2023, playing 10 games (starting seven) in his first professional season, one marred by injury early in the year. Gozo eloquently describes his first season with the Monarchs, as well as his path to RSL HERE: https://www.rsl.com/news/in-my-own-words-zavier-gozo-presented-by-adidas
Gozo joined the Real Salt Lake organization as a member of the Academy in the fall of 2021. In his first season with the RSL Academy, Gozo established himself as a prolific goalscorer, leading the team with 16 goals in the regular season, while scoring multiple goals at both the Generation Adidas Cup and MLS NEXT Cup tournaments. Gozo’s eye for goal led the U-15 RSL Academy team to its second-consecutive MLS NEXT Cup Final, and despite not winning the championship, he was awarded the tournament’s Golden Boot Award in recognition of his five goals, the most by a single individual at the U-15 level.
In his second season in the RSL Academy, Gozo was elevated to the U-17 squad, once again leading the way, netting 10 goals in 10 games while also contributing one assist. Gozo’s 10 goals accounted for nearly half of the team’s goals that season.
His performances with the Claret-and-Cobalt have earned Gozo numerous roster invitations to numerous United States Youth National Teams. In late 2022, Gozo was selected to travel with the Red, White and Blue for a U-16 tournament in Spain, during which he scored a goal against Wales and netted the game winner in the final match against England.
\ABOUT LUCA MOISA: \
Moisa made his professional debut in 2023 with the MLS NEXT Pro Real Monarchs side, appearing twice off the bench in September matches against Tacoma Defiance and Portland Timbers 2. Moisa also helped the U.S. U15s win the CONCACAF Youth Championship alongside fellow Academy standouts Omar Marquez andJuan Gio Villa – who each just signed Monarchs deals this offseason - and GK Will Mackay.
\Just over a year ago, in December, 2022, Moisa became the youngest player to ever sign directly with MLS NEXT Pro’s Real Monarchs, at just 14 years, 7 months and 26 days old. Moisa’s signing to a professional deal made him the second-youngest signing in Club history, behind now-fellow RSL Homegrown Axel Kei, who was 14 years and 15 days when he inked his Claret-and-Cobalt deal in January, 2022.
Moisa first joined the RSL Academy in the fall of 2021 as one of the youngest on the U-15 roster, playing up an age group. After a quiet first semester Moisa broke out, cementing a place in Andrew May’s starting lineup. As the lynchpin of the midfield, Moisa helped that year’s U-15 squad earn a quarterfinal berth at the Generation Adidas Cup in April of 2022, and a second-consecutive appearance in the MLS NEXT Cup Final, as well as two undefeated runs through MLS NEXT Flex and MLS NEXT Fest. During the 2022 MLS NEXT Cup, Moisa recorded two assists, including one on the game-winning goal in the quarterfinal match against Chicago Fire.
The 2022 season saw Moisa lead the U-15 squad as the captain, helping the team earn an 8-1-1 record through the first 10 games, going undefeated since September 11, 2022. In those matches Moisa has recorded one goal and two assists, contributing to four clean sheets with the team outscoring their opponents 22-7. During the preseason Moisa traveled with the U-15 team to Germany, where he started in five of the team’s eight matches against clubs from across Europe.
At the international level, Moisa earned his first call-up to the U-15 United States Youth National Team late in 2022 for a training camp in Kansas City, Kansas, alongside three of his Academy and eventual Monarchs teammates,* Omar Marquez, Axel Uriostegui and Juan Gio Villa.*
