SANDY, Utah (Thursday, April 15, 2010) –Real Salt Lake will have a pair of midfielders taking leave from the defending MLS Cup champions in the upcoming weeks, as Jean Alexandre and Luis Gil will be joining up with their respective national team programs.
Gil
will be the first to depart the Claret-and-Cobalt, as the 16-year-old playmaker
will join up with his U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team mates for a
training camp at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. fromApril
25-May 2. Gil is the lone professional on U.S. Head Coach Mike Matkovich’s
24-man camp roster, which will train twice daily and compete against local club
teams during the weeklong stint.
Upon the return of Gil, it will be
Alexandre’s turn to take a brief respite from Real Salt Lake, as he’ll look to
earn his fifth “cap” with the Haitian Men’s National Team when “les
Grenadiers” travel to South America to take on global powerhouse Argentina
for an international friendly on Wednesday, May 5 in Buenos Aires. The
23-year-old Alexandre will leave the RSL camp following its May 1 home contest
against Toronto FC and is expected to return in time for the team’s next League
match, also in Sandy on May 8 against the Philadelphia Union. Alexandre earned
his first three appearances for Haiti in the summer of 2008 and was expected to
be a main contributor for the country’s CONCACAF Gold Cup squad last summer,
but a back injury suffered in Haiti’s opening game against Honduras would force
him to miss the remainder of the tournament.
GK
Tim Melia Heading to Charleston Battery on Loan
Another
member of Real Salt Lake is on the move, as the squad today announced that GK Tim
Melia has been sent on a season-long loan to the Charleston Battery
of the United Soccer Leagues (USL) Second Division, effective immediately.
Melia, who can be recalled to Real Salt Lake at any time per conditions of the
loan agreement, departed Utah on Wednesday to join his new Battery teammates in
preparation for the USL2 side’s 2010 season opener this Saturday, April 17 at
the Charlotte Eagles. The 23-year-old netminder officially joined Real Salt
Lake back in March, this after beginning his professional career with two
seasons of service for the then-USL First Division’s Rochester Rhinos from
2008-09.
