Most of Real Salt Lake's player moves in the past couple of years have been geared toward building a winner right now, but the club added a piece for the future on Monday.
RSL signed 18-year-old Donny Toia as its first Homegrown Player, adding a left-footed attacking commodity who is still a ways away from contributing to the first team, according to statements made by team general manager Garth Lagerway.
Toia was a member of RSL's academy in Arizona for two years before going to Pima College in Tuscon, where he had 14 goals and six assists in 18 games last fall.
RSL is the 14th team to sign a Homegrown Player, leaving Portland, Seattle, San Jose and Columbus as teams currently without one on their rosters.
What do you think of the signing?
Share your thoughts below.
RSL has the “rights” to developing players in Arizona due to their small demographic. With that said it is warm all year around, and Arizona already had a facility up and ready whereas one would have to be built from scratch here in SL.
They can play all year long in Arizona because of the weather, unlike Utah.
I read that RSL get’s to have Arizona (and Idaho) for academies, since they don’t have teams. I also read that RSL is Arizona’s unofficial team, although Chivas and LA are closer. I have no idea where i read that or if i made it up altogether haha.
don’t sign em, if ur not going to play em
Being lost in this news is a blurb at the bottom of the linked article. Nationally ranked player Conor Chinn is on trial at RSL! He’s a true star(kick) of the modern game!
Soccer fans love their homegrown players.
CAP HIM!
I think it has to do with population base.
Never really understood why it’s okay for RSL to have their academy in AZ. It’s just weird.
Frankly, I’m surprised that San Jose hasn’t signed one. You’d think–even if their academy team wasn’t that great at developing players–there is enough good Northern California talent to poach off of local clubs for a year or two in order to label as “academy” or “homegrown”. I guess that just hasn’t been a priority of Doyle’s and Yallop’s.
Interesting also that RSL has their academy in Arizona.
I thought i read somewhere that Tony Cascio from Uconn was part of Real Salt Lake youth set up. If thats true and they can acquire him without a draft pick next year that would be a nice addition also.
I’m not a Rocket Surgeon so i dont know the MLS draft/homegrown/allocation mumbo jumbo perfectly
Honestly, I’m still too disturbed by the video below to even comment.