HERRIMAN, Utah (Wed., Jan. 10, 2024) — Real Salt Lake today acquired a 2024 International Roster Spot and up to $100,000 in conditional General Allocation Money from the Colorado Rapids in exchange for MF Jasper Löffelsend. Real Salt Lake will also receive Colorado’s natural second-round pick in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft later this year.
Selected 81st overall two years ago out of Pitt, the German-born Löffelsend, 26, crosses the Rocky Mountains to join the fan-created Cup rivalry following 51 games across all competitions with the Claret-and-Cobalt, for which he scored two goals and added seven assists, often from a deep-lying central-midfield role.
Upon being drafted by RSL, the Köln, Germany, native and Pitt alum began a run that has seen at least five collegiate draft picks in the last three years sign MLS contracts, including FW Ilijah Paul (2023), FW Bertin Jacquesson (2023), D/M Emeka Eneli (2023) and DF Kevin Bonilla (2024), with additions to that list still possible in both the short- and long-term.
“We wish nothing but the best to Jasper, who has certainly provided several highlights for us in his two seasons here as well as an incredible work ethic,” said RSL Sporting Director Kurt Schmid. “We will no doubt miss his presence around our facility and his mentorship of younger players, and hope he finds plenty of minutes and success in Colorado.”
TRANSACTION: Real Salt Lake acquires a 2024 International Roster Spot and Colorado’s natural second-round pick in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft – and up to $100,000 in conditional General Allocation Money (GAM) – in exchange for MF Jasper Löffelsend.
Real Salt Lake will resume preparations for the Club’s 20th MLS season this weekend, when Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni welcomes several players to the Zions Bank Training Center in Herriman.
The 2023 RSL side amassed the Club’s seventh 50-point season all-time, and just the second since the 2014 campaign. Finishing 11th overall out of 29 teams, RSL crashed out of the postseason by the thinnest of margins for a second consecutive year (Austin 2022, Houston 2023), dropping a road shootout tiebreaker in Texas. Other 2023 RSL milestones:
- Accumulated an all-time Club-best road record with 12 results in 17 away MLS matches, posting an 8W-5L-4T mark with 28 of its 50 reg. season points amassed on the road; RSL’s previous road bests were recorded in 2012 and 2013, with identical 6W-7L-4T marks;
- RSL’s home mark of 6W-7L-4T was its worst since 2007, when a 4W-7L-4T record on the Rice-Eccles turf marked the 19-year nadir;
- During a nearly four-month span from mid-April to early August, RSL dropped just three of 24 games across all competitions, including MLS reg. season action, its Open Cup run to the Semifinals and its initial Leagues Cup foray;
- Thirty-two (32) different players saw action for RSL in 2023, including 15-year-old FW Axel Kei and 16-year-old Zavier Gozo making their Homegrown debuts, along with Academy products GK Gavin Beavers and DF Delentz Pierre also making their first-ever first-team appearances; a trio of rookies – D/M Emeka Eneli, FW Bertin Jacquesson and FW Ilijah Paul – made their professional debuts, while FW Andrés Gómez, MF Nelson Palacio, DF Kevon Lambert and DF* Brayan Vera* notched their first-ever MLS appearances last season;
- Since April 16, 2005, RSL has enjoyed a prominent home-field advantage on Utah soil – posting a dominant 194-83-95 (Win-Loss-Draw) record across all competitions at home (1.82 points per game for a 0.649 win pct.) – since arriving on the Wasatch Front nearly 20 years ago;
- Since opening its permanent home in Sandy just over 15 years ago, in October, 2008, RSL’s 164-58-75 (W-L-T) mark at America First Field – home of the “RioT” Supporters Group umbrella – equates to a 1.91 points per game average and a 0.679 win pct, one of the truly amazing value proposition in North American sporting landscape today
