SANDY, Utah (Wednesday, August 7, 2019) – Real Salt Lake has acquired MF Kelyn Rowe in a trade with Sporting Kansas City ahead of the close of the secondary transfer window, the club announced today. In exchange for the eighth-year MLS veteran, RSL will send an international roster slot for 2019 and $75,000 in Targeted Allocation Money split between 2019 and 2020.
Sporting will retain $171,856 of Rowe’s 2019 budget charge. Real Salt Lake will be responsible for the remaining $100,000 of his budget charge this season. He is scheduled to join the team in training on Monday.
“Kelyn adds experience and depth to our midfield and can play in several positions,” RSL General Manager Craig Waibel said. “He is someone we have sought to acquire for some time and will certainly be a player that can press for time on the field. He is very experienced in our league and will be a great addition in the locker room.”
Rowe, 27, has 29 goals and 42 assists in 220 MLS regular season matches. Originally drafted third overall by the New England Revolution in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft, he played seven seasons at Gillette Stadium before an off-season trade landed him with Sporting Kansas City prior to the 2019 season. After a solid rookie season in 2012, he had a breakthrough in 2013, notching seven goals and eight assists in 33 matches in his second MLS campaign. In a four-year stretch from 2013-2016, he totaled 24 goals and 26 assists in 126 matches, playing 33 matches in three of the four seasons. The versatile midfielder lead New England to the playoffs in three straight seasons from 2013-2015, reaching the MLS Cup Final in 2014.
“I’m excited for a new opportunity with Real Salt Lake,” Rowe said. “The have an exciting group of players that have come together well this year and I’m looking forward to what I can contribute.”
In addition to his time in MLS, he also earned four caps for the U.S. National Team in 2017, scoring his first goal in a friendly with Nicaragua on July 15, 2017.
A native of Federal Way, Wash., Rowe played two years at UCLA before embarking on his professional career. Off the field, Rowe has been an active member of the community in New England and Kansas City, earning the Revolution’s Humanitarian of the Year award four years running from 2014-2017. Rowe’s primary philanthropic work came through the Jessie Rees Foundation – an organization that helps children with cancer – by hosting his own initiative, “Kelyn’s NEGU Crew” (Never, Ever Give Up) at every Revolution home match, giving each child a memorable experience as they continue to fight cancer.
Rowe joins a Real Salt Lake side currently sixth in the Western Conference at 10-9-4 (34 points). RSL plays against Rowe’s former team, Sporting Kansas City, on Saturday at Children’s Mercy Park with kickoff scheduled for 6:30 p.m. MT.
TRANSACTION: Real Salt Lake acquires midfielder Kelyn Rowe from Sporting Kansas City in exchange for an International Roster Slot in 2019 and $75,000 in Targeted Allocation Money split between 2019 and 2020.
