Sports briefs: RSL wins rights to Arnoux in ..

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Real Salt Lake acquired the rights to forward Cody Arnoux on Friday night during a special Major League Soccer lottery.

To do so, RSL overcame long odds and five other clubs. With a projected success rate of just 5.4 percent, RSL won the 22-year-old striker's services by beating out Houston (48.9 percent), Seattle (24.2), Columbus (19.4), Portland (1.6) and Vancouver (0.5).

"We are very excited to have obtained the rights to this highly sought-after player — especially considering our slim chances," said RSL general manager Garth Lagerwey.

While now a member of Real Salt Lake, Arnoux isn't likely to see the field anytime soon. He's currently recovering from a knee injury he suffered in November that may keep him out until next month — at the earliest.

After three stellar seasons at Wake Forest — Arnoux helped lead the Demon Deacons to an NCAA national title in 2007 as a sophomore — he skipped his senior season, turned down an MLS contract and signed a one-year deal with English club Everton.

Arnoux returned to the United States last summer, signing with Vancouver, which was then a member of the USSF D-2 Pro League. When the Whitecaps jumped to the MLS this year, they were unable to retain Arnoux's rights because he had rejected a contract offer from the league after leaving college, which led to the special lottery.

Sports briefs: RSL wins rights to Arnoux in lottery