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SANDY — The year wasn’t quite closed up for Real Salt Lake as it announced the first offseason signing for the club on Tuesday of 18-year-old RSL Arizona-Academy product Jordan Allen, who is the sixth RSL-Arizona Academy player signed in club history.
“To see my dream of signing with RSL come true is very exciting,” Allen said in an RSL press release. “This is the reason I first moved to the academy in Arizona. At the same time, I know that this is just the first step, and I need to stay grounded. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to play at RSL, but I know that I have plenty of work to do in order to become a successful pro.”
Allen, originally from Rochester, N.Y., attended and played at the RSL-Arizona Academy from August 2011 to December 2012. Allen has been attending the University of Virginia this fall and saw 24 starting appearances for the Cavaliers as the team made its way to an appearance in the NCAA College Cup this season.
“Extremely grateful to @UVA and @UVAMenSoccer for a semester on and off the field that I will cherish for the rest of my life,” Allen tweeted following his announcement of signing with RSL.
“What a great feeling it is to have signed w/ @RealSaltLake & say that I’m officially a professional soccer player! Excited for the future!,” Allen tweeted.
Aside from playing for the Salt Lake club’s Arizona Academy, Allen has seen time with U.S. Soccer in both its Developmental Academy and as a U.S. Youth International, and he remains in the U-18 player pool. Allen was named the U.S. Soccer Developmental Academy Player of the Year in 2012 and was also named USSDA Western Conference Player of the Year and was named to the USSDA Starting XI Team of the Year for the 2011-2012 season.
Allen brings much versatility to the roster as he can play in the defender, midfielder and even forward position. During his time at UVA, Allen put three goals in the back of the net for the Cavaliers from the midfield position.
During his time in the RSL-Arizona Academy, Allen played with other current RSL first team players — defender Carlos Salcedo, goalkeeper Lalo Fernandez and forward Benji Lopez. Kira Terry is a sports writer covering Real Salt Lake for KSL.com. Follow her on Twitter, @kiraterry.
