Royal Roundup: RSL adds players

Real Salt Lake traded their 1st round Superdraft pick to Columbus Crew for $50,000 in allocation money, however in the 2nd and 3rd rounds they picked up two new players. They also officially signed free agent Scott Caldwell (as was rumored last week), as well as bringing Justin Meram back for two more years. Three academy players were also added to the roster (so far).

The two players drafted are Pedro Fonseca, a 24 year old forward out of University of Louisville. The second pick was Jasper Loeffelsend, also age 24; he played right back at University of Pittsburgh. Given RSL’s history with draft picks, it seems likely that these two are destined for the Monarchs; however we will be watching and will likely have more to write about them as preseason gets started this week.

[MLS/RSL - Caldwell][RSL - draft][LC - Fonseca][CH/PSN - Loeffelsend]

REAL SALT LAKE / UTAH

• [RSL] Through the Lens: Academy Jamboree
• [SBJ] The naming rights to RSL’s stadium are once again open, the team has retained Playfly to handle the negotiations for a new corporate sponsor to emblazon their name on the RioT.

MLS / USL / NWSL

• [MLS] 2022 Superdraft grades by team.
• [SocWire] Full list of all players picked in the 2022 MLS Superdraft.
• [90Min][APN] Sporting Kansas City veteran forward Alan Pulido will likely sit out the 2022 season after knee surgery. Earliest expected return is September.
• [MLS] One big question (preseason, eastern conference version).
• [APN] New York City FC will play their Concacaf Champions League ‘home games’ in Los Angeles because Yankee Stadium is not a federation approved venue, and their alternate (Red Bull stadium) is being renovated.

USA

• [SI] The bad optics of Carlos Cordeiro’s attempt to return as US Soccer president.
• [FRS] Acting president of US Soccer, Cindy Parlow Cone made her case for keeping the job on Tuesday.
• [APN][SI] The USMNT and USWNT player unions have yet to reach an agreement with US Soccer on the announced equal pay structure.
• [CBS] Trinity Rodman earns her first call-up to the USWNT January camp.

Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

INTERNATIONAL

• [FFT] 10 players who have been berated by Jose Mourinho.
• [Goal][APN] An controversial scene played out in the African Cup of Nations as a referee blew the whistle to end the game early - TWICE.