David Beckham notwithstanding, the Salt Lake Tribune has this as the Year of the South American in MLS. Colombians Juan Pablo Angel and Juan Toja, Guillermo Barros Schelotto and Carlos Marinelli of Argentina and Brazilians Luciano Emilio and Fred have all stamped their influence on the league this season-and now Real Salt Lake wants a piece of the action. For the last several days, while Freddy Adu mulled a move to Europe RSL Coach Jason Kreis was courting three Argentines-all of whom are expected to sign contracts by the close of the MLS transfer window on Aug. 31.
The trio, Edgar Espindola, a striker, Javier Morales, a midfielder, and Matias Mantilla, a defender, are technically “on trial” with the team, which means they’re taking part in training sessions. RSL hopes it will have the same success other MLS clubs have had signing South Americans. “We play futbol since we were young, all the time,” Mantilla told the Tribune. “Our first thought is ‘ball.'”
As Kreis says, the time is right for importing South American talent. “Financially, we are able to compete with South American teams, more so than we are with European teams, especially with the wages they’re getting paid over there combined with the strength of the euro right now,” he explained.