This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
In late July, general manager Craig Waibel sat behind his desk inside his office at Rio Tinto Stadium and discussed the uncertainty surrounding the midfielder Luis Gil.
Gil was tabbed as one of the next major talents in American soccer before he had a driver's permit. He signed with RSL when he was 16 after worldwide interest from some major clubs. Fair or not, Gil always had hype around him.
But six years after arriving at RSL, Gil was out of contract at the end of 2015, and his future at the club was clouded. And Waibel knew the future was as such for a young, talented player open to be courted by the global market.
On Wednesday, the Luis Gil era at RSL ended. The 22-year-old from Garden Grove, Calif., signed a three-year contract with LigaMX club Queretaro F.C. on a free transfer. The news was initially reported Wednesday morning by Goal.com. Soon after, photos of Gil holding a new black Queretaro jersey flooded social media an hour before the club made the signing official.
"This looks like something he needed to do and wanted to do," Waibel told the Tribune.
RSL offered Gil a Bona Fide Offer, which, according to MLS rules and regulation, means the club will retain his MLS rights should Gil wish to return to the league.
"We're happy for him, and obviously, this is a life goal," Waibel said. "Playing in another country was always something he wanted to do. That made it hard to retain him."
Gil's departure comes three weeks after reports surfaced that RSL's other out-of-contract midfielder, Luis Silva, was destined to sign with LigaMX club Tigres UANL — who RSL faces in a CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal series starting Feb. 24 in Monterrey.
Gil appeared in 134 regular-season games in his career at RSL, logging 7,819 minutes. He started 89 matches and scored 11 goals and notched nine assists. In 2013, Gil had his best year as a pro. He appeared in 30 matches, starting 24 of them. He scored a career-high five goals that year and started in the 2013 MLS Cup final at Sporting Park.
The last two seasons, however, Gil's starts dipped — as did his production. Gil managed one goal and one assist this past season. He was a healthy scratch from the RSL game-day roster on a few occasions late in the season by coach Jeff Cassar.
Earlier this year, Gil called the 2015 season at RSL "a rollercoaster," acknowledging the uncertainty of his circumstances.
"Every player's different," he said. "Some break out when they're 20 years old, some at the average age when they're at 26 or 27 when they really break out. To me, I'm still searching to get there. When that year comes, I'm going to take advantage of it."
It won't be at RSL, like so many had hoped. Instead, it will be at Queretaro F.C.
Twitter: @chriskamrani —
About Luis Gil
Position • Midfielder
Age • 22
Hometown • Garden Grove, Calif.
Career path • Real Salt Lake (2010-2015), Queretaro FC (2015)
MLS • Acquired in a trade with Kansas City on Feb. 23, 2010, in exchange for a 2011 SuperDraft selection, international player roster lot and future fee considerations
Statistics • Scored 11 goals and had nine assists in his RSL career; appeared in 134 regular-season matches, starting 89 of them; had his best year as a pro in 2013 when he scored five goals and had three assists; Started for RSL in MLS Cup 2013