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Real Salt Lake Adds First-Round Pick Emeka Eneli to First-Team Roster

March 24, 2023 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


HERRIMAN, Utah - Real Salt Lake has signed D/M Emeka Eneli, one of the Club's three first-round selections (25th overall) from the 2023 MLS SuperDraft, to a Major League Soccer contract. Eneli, 24, holds dual USA and Nigerian citizenship and joins Generation adidas signings Ilijah Paul (7th overall) and Bertin Jacquesson (16th overall) on Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni's senior roster.

Emeka Eneli (PRONOUNCED: uh-MECK-uh uh-NELL-ee) officially joins Real Salt Lake after spending the preseason training with both RSL and Real Monarchs (MLS Next PRO) for the past 10 weeks. As a graduate of Cornell University, Eneli scored 20 goals and added 17 assists in 60 matches. After recording seven goals and seven assists in 2022 he was named a Second Team All-American. Eneli helped Cornell qualify for the 2022 NCAA Sweet Sixteen for the first time in nearly three decades.

Should the tactically versatile and athletic Eneli appear for the Claret-and-Cobalt in MLS action, he would become only the second "Big Red" alumni to appear in a Major League Soccer match, joining David Mahoney, who played in three matches for Chicago Fire in 2005. Before attending Cornell, Eneli was a member of the Columbus Crew Academy from 2012 to 2017.

Utah's Major League Soccer side hosts its second home match of 2023 on Saturday against expansion St. Louis City SC at 7:30p MT, RSL recently kicking off its 19th MLS campaign. Since the 2021/22 seasons, RSL has earned an 18W-8L-9T home record at what is now known as America First Field in Sandy, setting a new Club mark in 2022 and 2023 with 18 consecutive sellout crowds in as many MLS contests at the venue, which celebrates its 15th anniversary of its opening this October.

2023 Season Tickets - which include one of July's two home Leagues Cup matches - can be purchased at www.RSL.com/tickets, or by calling 844.Real.Tix.

#25 - Emeka Eneli

(PRONUNCIATION: uh-MECK-uh uh-NELL-ee)

Position: Defender/Midfielder

Height: 5'9

Date of Birth: 1 January 1999

Age: 24

Birthplace: Lansing, Michigan

Hometown: Dublin, Ohio

Citizenship: United States / Nigeria

Last Club: Cornell University

How Acquired: Signed on March 24, 2023

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