TUCSON, Arizona (Saturday, January 29, 2022) – Real Salt Lake has re-signed MF Everton Luiz to a one-year deal ahead of the 2022 Major League Soccer season, facilitating the return of a vital member of the Claret-and-Cobalt’s historic run to the 2021 Western Conference Final last December.
“We are very excited to bring Everton back to RSL for his fourth season in Utah,” said RSL General Manager Elliot Fall. “His tenaciousness and steady presence in the midfield protects our back four and connects our build-up, while his experience with this Club, in this league, and through his career amplifies his value to our locker room.”
“Everton’s arrival at this stage of preseason gives our coaching staff options, and we welcome the depth and flexibility he provides.”
Everton, 33, first joined Real Salt Lake ahead of the 2019 season on loan from Societa Polisportiva Ars et Labor (SPAL) of Serie B in Italy. In his first season he appeared in 27 matches, as well as each of the Club’s playoff appearances that year against Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders FC. In just three years on the Wasatch Front, the Brazil native has appeared in 66 matches, adding three assists from the defensive midfield position, taking up the “destroyer” mantle following the retirement of Club legend Kyle Beckerman in 2020.
During a tumultuous 2021 season, Everton provided stability in the midfield regardless of tactical setup, appearing in 27 matches and playing a crucial role for RSL. Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni’s side ascended to the Western Conference Final in the 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs, knocking out both Seattle Sounders FC and Sporting Kansas City away from home. Everton was forced to miss the Western Conference Final at Portland due to caution accumulation.
Prior to his arrival in Utah, Everton featured for several teams across Europe, including stints in Italy, Serbia and Switzerland. However, he spent the majority of his early professional years playing in his home country of Brazil. While in Serbia, Everton completed the 2016/17 “double,” winning both the Serbian SuperLiga and the Serbian Cup with FK Partizan, earning himself a spot on that year’s Serbian SuperLiga Team of the Season.
As of January 29, 2022, 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 (9): Andrew Brody, Zack Farnsworth, Justen Glad, Bret Halsey, Aaron Herrera, Erik Holt, 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 (7): 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 re-sign MF Everton Luiz on January 29, 2022.
2022 RSL PRESEASON SCHEDULE (ALL SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Mon., January 24 – Wed., February 2: Training in Tucson, Arizona
Sat., January 29: Match #1 against Grand Canyon University – CLOSED
Wed., February 2: Match #2 against Houston Dynamo FC – 11a MT
Fri., February 4 – Sat., February 12: Training at Zions Bank Training Center
Wed., February 9: Match #3 against Utah Valley University – 11a MT
Sun., February 13 – Sat., February 19: Training in Portland, Oregon
Sun., February 13 – Match #4 against Viking FC – 3:30p MT
Wed., February 16 – Match #5 against Minnesota United – 6p MT
Sat., February 19 – Match #6 against Portland Timbers – 6p MT
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.
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