This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Sandy • Real Salt Lake acquired forward Justin Braun from the Montreal Impact on Wednesday in exchange for a conditional 2014 SuperDraft pick.
Braun, 25, is a Salt Lake City native. He attended Skyline High School and Salt Lake Community College.
A 6-foot-3, 195-pounder, Braun is expected to give coach Jason Kreis depth at striker as the team prepares for its CONCACAF Champions League run and push for the MLS playoffs.
Braun, now in his fifth MLS season, spent his first four years in the league with Chivas USA, where he scored 24 goals in 96 regular-season games. Chivas traded midfielder Gerson Mayen and Braun to Montreal on Nov. 23 in exchange for defender James Riley. Braun has played in only 12 of 20 games this season, registering one assist.
Braun's best season was 2010, when he led Chivas with nine goals in 28 appearances, which included 24 starts. In 2011, he finished with eight goals and five assists.
In his MLS career, Braun has 24 goals and 13 assists in 108 regular-season games. He also has experience with the U.S. national team, receiving call-ups to camps in January 2010 and January 2011.
Braun, whose family continues to live in Utah, was the state's top scorer as a junior and senior at Skyline High.
After playing at SLCC, Braun was not drafted. But after playing for amateur teams in the Salt Lake, he was signed by Chivas.