Real Salt Lake continues to improve its roster during the long pre-season period while current players keep improving on the field.
The most recent acquisition is Dema Kovalenko from the New York Red Bulls. Kovalenko is a midfielder who registered two goals last season after being sidelined earlier with an injury.
An Argentinean midfielder has also been brought in to add his talent to the squad. Matías Córdoba will hope to beat out Kyle Beckerman and Kovalenko for a starting position.
Central defenseman Nat Borchers has also been added to the squad, transferring from the Norway club Odd Grenland. Borchers was born in Arizona and grew up in Colorado. Borchers helped anchor the Colorado Rapids’ back line before being transferred to Norway last season.
Colombian defenseman Jámison Olave has been loaned to RSL with an option to buy out the contract at the end of the season. Olave has played for several clubs in Colombia and will be able to add his experience to the team.
RSL has now played scrimmage matches in California and Florida and will head to Argentina for two weeks to continue training and playing Argentinean teams.
Indra Sahdan Daud, a forward from Singapore, has been with RSL on a trial stint. Daud is known as one of the best forwards in Southeast Asia. Daud scored two preseason goals in Florida with RSL, but it is unknown whether he will travel to Argentina with the team.
Not all of the RSL roster movement has been one-way. Veteran defender Ritchie Kotschau and defender Chris Lancos have been released from the team.
Forward Yura Movsisyan, who was acquired in the middle of last season, has scored six goals for RSL in the preseason.
A scrimmage has been set for March 24 against the Ogden-based Lobos PFC at Skyline High School, which will serve as the final tune-up for RSL’s season opener against the Chicago Fire on March 29.