RSL adds HG Gozo, Moisa to roster; Chicho to don captain's armband for 2024
The club announced a pair of transactions Tuesday, while officially unveiling captain Chicho Arango ahead of Wednesday's season opener at Inter Miami.
Major League Soccer’s most thorough academy-to-first team pipeline added two more Tuesday.
Real Salt Lake announced the signing of homegrown forward Zavier Gozo and midfielder Luca Moisa to the roster on the day before the club’s season opener at Inter Miami (6 p.m. MST, MLS Season Pass).
The move gives RSL its 38th and 39th homegrown signings since 2011, the most in the league. That includes 15 players on the 2024 roster.
Gozo, who grew up in Eagle Mountain and whose brother Elijah plays for Kyle Beckerman at Utah Valley University, made his RSL debut at 16 years, 206 days back on Oct. 14, 2023, as RSL’s third-youngest debutant all-time against the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Only Axel Kei, whose MLS debut came the same day at 15 years, 289 days, and Nik Besagno, the former first-round draft pick who made his debut in 2005 at 16 years, 201 days, were younger at the start of their career.
“Since joining our Academy, Zavier has proven to be an all-around athletic talent with an exceptional eye for goal and an insatiable hunger to succeed,” said assistant general manager Tony Beltran of the youngster who scored one goal in 10 games (seven starts) for Real Monarchs in 2023. “As he takes this next step in his professional career, we look forward to supporting his continued development with RSL and Real Monarchs.”
Moisa, a 15-year-old midfielder from Las Vegas, joins RSL after making his debut with Real Monarchs in 2023, appearing twice off the bench in September matches against Tacoma and Portland. A U.S. U-15 youth international, Moise joined the RSL Academy in the fall of 2021 as one of the youngest on the U-15 roster, playing up an age group.
Still, the youngster broke out in the midfield, helping the U-15 squad to a quarterfinal appearance at the Generation Adidas Cup in April 2022 and earning a second consecutive appearance in the MLS NEXT Cup final.
“In his player pathway, Luca has excelled in all aspirational areas and developed into an exciting two-way midfielder,” Beltran said. “Our staff believes he has a bright professional future, and we look forward to his growth and matriculation, on and off the field."
Chicho to don armband for 2024
Also Tuesday, Real Salt Lake formally unveiled Chicho Arango as the club’s primary captain for the 2024 season.
The Colombian striker takes over the role left vacant by Damir Kreilach’s offseason free-agency move to the Vancouver Whitecaps. He becomes the sixth captain all-time at RSL:
Damir Kreilach, (2022-23)
Albert Rusnak (2021)
Kyle Beckerman (2008-20)
Carey Talley (2007)
Jason Kreis (2005-07)
Arango, who has 99 career goals prior to Wednesday night, will wear armband against Inter Miami. Joining him on the roster with captain experience are Marcelo Silva, Zac MacMath and Justen Glad, the first and only RSL homegrown to wear the armband in over a decade.
Capitan Chicho! Totally love this. And excited to see what Gozo and Moisa do. Go RSL!