HERRIMAN, Utah (Friday, February 18, 2022) – Real Salt Lake has signed free agent defender Johan Kappelhof ahead of the 2022 season, the Club announced today. Kappelhof joins RSL on a one-year contract with a Club option for 2023.
“We’re excited to welcome Johan to Real Salt Lake,” RSL Technical Director Kurt Schmid said. “Johan’s experience in Major League Soccer speaks for itself and adds value to our roster. His veteran presence and understanding of what it takes to compete in this league will only enhance the competition within our roster, specifically our back line.”
Kappelhof, 31, was most recently a consistent figure in central defense for Chicago Fire FC from 2016-21 where he logged 147 appearances in his six years with Chicago, 140 of which were starts during the regular season. Primarily playing at the center back position, Kappelhof recorded 10 assists and was named an MLS All-Star in 2017.
In addition to his regular season tallies, he made one appearance in 2017 for the Fire in the 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs, the club’s first playoff appearance since 2012.Kappelhof is only the second Dutch player in RSL’s 18 years, and the first since the 2009 Major League Soccer Season. Kappelhof joins Rachid El Khalifi, who helped RSL earn the 2009 MLS Cup - Utah’s only major sports trophy - as the only two Dutchmen to don the Claret and Cobalt.
Climbing the ranks through the vaunted Ajax Academy, Kappelhof began his professional career in 2011 in his native Netherlands, featuring for FC Groningen where he made 123 appearances, scoring three goals.
Internationally, Kappelhof represented The Netherlands U21s, making five appearances from 2011-2013. While with the Dutch U21 squad, he participated in the qualification rounds for the 2011 UEFA European U21 Championships.
“I’m very thankful for this new opportunity in my career,” Kappelhof said “I’m proud to be a part of this club and even more excited to fight for this team and to play in front of our fans in Utah.”
Player Information
Name: Johan Kappelhof
Pronunciation: YO-han KA-pel-hof
Position: Defender
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 173 pounds
Date of Birth: August 5, 1990
Age: 31
Birthplace: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Hometown: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Citizenship: The Netherlands
Last Club: Chicago Fire FC
How Acquired: Signed as a Free Agent on February 18, 2022.
As of February 18, Real Salt Lake’s current roster headed into the 2022 MLS season – listed alphabetically by position – is as follows:
Goalkeepers (4): Gavin Beavers, Jeff Dewsnup, Zac MacMath, David Ochoa
Defenders (10): Andrew Brody, Zack Farnsworth, Justen Glad, Bret Halsey, Aaron Herrera, Erik Holt, Johan Kappelhof, Jaziel Orozco, Marcelo Silva, Tate Schmitt
Midfielders (8): Julio Benitez, Nick Besler, Scott Caldwell, Maikel Chang, Damir Kreilach, Everton Luiz, Pablo Ruiz, Jude Wellings
Forwards (8): Sergio Cordova, Bode Davis, Chris Garcia, Axel Kei, Jonathan Menendez, Justin Meram, Rubio Rubin, Bobby Wood
Real Salt Lake finished the 2021 season in dramatic fashion, booking its place in the Audi 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs on Decision Day before making a run to the Western Conference Final following a 14-14-6 regular season record. RSL will open the 2022 season on the road against Houston Dynamo FC on Sunday, February 27 before returning to Rio Tinto Stadium for the home opener against Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday, March 5.
TRANSACTION: Real Salt Lake sign DF Johan Kappelhof as a free agent on February 18, 2022.
ABOUT REAL SALT LAKE
During the first week of January, 2022, the RSL compendium of properties was acquired by global sports entrepreneur David Blitzer – who boasts interests in the Philadelphia 76ers (NBA), the New Jersey Devils (NHL), and six European soccer entities, including Crystal Palace (England), FC Augsburg (Germany), Estoril (Portugal), ADO Den Haag (Netherlands), Alcorcon (Spain) and Waasland-Beveren (Belgium). For RSL, Blitzer partners with Utah Jazz (NBA) owners Smith Entertainment Group, led by Ryan Smith.
Real Salt Lake kicks off its 18th Major League Soccer season this Spring, its first full season under Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni, who led the Utah side for the final 100 days last year, advancing to the 2021 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for the 11th time in the last 14 years.
The club's MLS Cup 2009 victory marked the state of Utah's only major professional championship in nearly 40 years, the title preceding an historic run to the 2010/11 CONCACAF Champions League Final. Buoyed by a passionate base boasting several thousand season ticket holders, RSL has enjoyed a prominent home-field advantage – posting a dominant 145-43-46 (Win-Loss-Draw) record across all competitions at home (2.06 points per game for a 0.771 win pct.) – since building its permanent Rio Tinto Stadium home in Sandy 13 years ago.
In 2015, the club expanded its development pyramid with the addition of Real Monarchs SLC, one of several MLS-operated clubs playing in the USL Championship, the United States' Division II setup. The Monarchs boast a pair of titles in its brief history, as the 2017 USL regular-season champions, later winning the USL Final in 2019. For the 2022 season and beyond, Real Monarchs will compete in the newly launched “MLS NEXT Pro” as part of a joint United States and Canada endeavor to complete the professional player pathway by connecting youth academies in MLS NEXT to first teams in Major League Soccer.
The entire RSL developmental pipeline, which includes the RSL Academy’s U-15 and U-17 teams, calls the expansive Zions Bank Training Center in Herriman, Utah their daily training home. With five world-class grass fields, two indoor turf fields, a residential dormitory, the STEM-based RSL Academy High School and the 5,000-seat Zions Bank Stadium located on a 42-acre campus, Utah’s sporting future is bright.
Added in 2020 was the elite RSL Academy basketball program, already earning accolades internationally for its vision, mission, and accomplishments.
The RSL Community Foundation was established in 2016, created with the goals of being active in the community year-round, utilizing the popularity and reach of RSL and the Monarchs in promoting health and wellness in children throughout the region, engaging supporters of soccer to raise funds and volunteer time for various local initiatives.
2022 RSL Full- and Half-Season Ticket Packages are now on sale
at www.RSL.com or by calling 844.Real.Tix.
