HERRIMAN, Utah (Thu., January 16, 2025) – Real Salt Lake Assistant General Manager Tony Beltran announced today that four RSL Academy players – MF Owen Anderson, MF Aiden Hezarkhani, MF Omar Marquez and DF Juan Gio Villa – have signed Major League Soccer contracts. The addition of this 2025 quartet – each of whom completed the MLS NEXT Pro portion of their contracts last season with Real Monarchs – brings to 45 the total number of Academy homegrowns that RSL has signed over the years, leading all 30 MLS sides in the youth development total.
“Each of these four fantastic young men have more than earned this heightened professional opportunity” said Beltran, who joined the RSL front office after a 12-year playing career with the Utah side. “I couldn’t think of better representatives to wear the RSL / Monarchs badges than Owen, Aiden, Omar and Gio, with their collective poise, passion, and integrity – just to name a few of the characteristics that enable our Academy products to succeed at the Monarchs and MLS levels. These gentlemen have exhibited great character during their time within the organization, and we are beyond excited to see their evolutions and growth as players, both on and off the pitch.”
Northern California native MF Owen Anderson,17, appeared in 16 matches for the Monarchs last year as an Academy callup, finishing as the squad’s joint-top goal scorer after finding the back of the net five times. Anderson’s iconic two-minute, second-half brace in a 2-1 win over Colorado Rapids 2 on Aug. 18 capped off his four-game, four-goal run, contributing heavily to the Monarchs’ late-year push for the postseason. Monarchs Head Coach Mark Lowry awarded Anderson the Club’s “Academy Player of the Year” Award, an honor bestowed to the year’s top performer without a professional contract.
Southern California-born MF Aiden Hezarkhani, 17, signed with the Monarchs on July 20 of last year, amidst hi first professional season with the Monarchs. Raising eyebrows across the Club last preseason and invited by RSL boss Pablo Mastroeni to travel for games in Santa Barbara, Calif., last February, Hezarkhaniappeared in 15 MLS NEXT Pro matches a year ago, starting in nine and notching two goals plus one assist in his first year as a professional. The frequent U.S. Youth National Team invitee scored his first professional goal in just his third professional match last season as part of a 1-2 Monarchs loss to Houston Dynamo 2 on May 8.
The winger gained notice from Mastroeni and Beltran during early in 2024 during a monthly RSL Academy “Tournament Day,” where a series of 5v5 and 6v6 matches were played. Hezarkhani was awarded “Player of the Tournament” by Mastroeni to earn a spot in RSL training. Hezarkhani impressed and was invited to travel with RSL during the 2024 preseason to Portugal and California, where he appeared in four of five preseason matches, logging one assist.
Playmaker Omar Marquez, 16, concluded his first professional season with the Monarchs last year. Prior to his professional debut, Marquez frequently appeared and contributed heavily with RSL Academy after moving from Sacramento Republic FC. Marquez appeared in 17 MLS NEXT Pro matches over the course of his first professional season, starting in five matches, oftentimes providing a spark to the Monarchs attack off the bench. Born in 2008, Marquez has become a a regular U.S. Youth National Team call-up for U17 Head Coach Gonzalo Segares, as the winger has been a frequent call-up his entire youth national team career.
DF Juan Gio Villa, 16, joined the RSL Academy prior to the 2022-23 season from his hometown club Chicago Fire FC. The Chicago native grew up appearing for Mexico’s Youth National team, prior to making the switch with the USYNT, for which he has been regularly invited, alongside RSL Academy / Monarchs teammate Marquez. Villa made his professional debut with the Monarchs on April 28 last year, subbing on in the second half of a 1-0 win over Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2. The Mexican-American outside back would then start and play the full 90 the following week in a 2-3 loss against LAFC2.
Real Salt Lake continues its 21st preseason in Herriman this week at the Zions Bank Training Center in Herriman, prior to next Thursday’s departure for the Santa Barbara, Calif., portion of training camp. The Claret-and-Cobalt are now preparing for its fourth-ever CONCACAF Champions Cup foray, paired with Costa Rican side CS Herediano away on Wed., Feb. 19, with the return leg at America First Field in Sandy, Utah, one week later on Wed., Feb. 26 (6:30p MT kickoff). RSL opens the 2025 MLS campaign – its 21st – away at San Jose Earthquakes on Sat., Feb. 22, with RSL’s 2025 MLS home opener set for Sat., March 1 against long-time rival Seattle Sounders FC.
Tickets and information for both competitions can be accessed at www.RSL.com/tickets.
