This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Another Real Salt Lake attacking player is headed to Mexico. But Sebastian Saucedo's move to Liga MX club Veracruz is only on a temporary basis. The club will loan the 18-year-old Park City native, nicknamed 'Bofo,' to Veracruz for the upcoming 2016 Clausura and Apertura seasons.
Terms of the loan deal were not disclosed, per league and club policy.
The transaction comes after former out-of-contract RSL midfielders Luis Gil (Queretaro F.C.) and Luis Silva (UANL Tigres) signed with Mexican clubs this offseason. RSL transferred former Homegrown defender Carlos Salcedo to Chivas de Guadalajara last January.
Saucedo, a product of RSL's Arizona-based academy, signed a Homegrown deal in July 2014, but saw spot minutes in his first year as a professional in 2015. The soon-to-be 19-year-old (Jan. 22) midfielder/forward played in nine RSL matches last season. Saucedo made his first MLS start on the road against the Vancouver Whitecaps on Aug. 8.
He totaled seven starts in all for Real Monarchs last season and saw time in RSL's CONCACAF Champions League group stage as well as the U.S. Open Cup tournament.
Saucedo will join a Veracruz side that finished eighth overall in the 2015 Liga MX Apertura season. Tiburones lost to eventual runner-up UNAM Pumas in the playoff quarterfinals. A former fixture with the U.S. youth men's national team program, Saucedo accepted a call-up to the Mexico U-20 program in November.
The move to loan Saucedo comes on the heels of the likely return of former RSL striker Yura Movsisyan. The Tribune reported Sunday that terms had been agreed upon to bring the 28-year-old Spartak Moscow forward back to RSL after spending the last six seasons playing in Europe.
Moving to Veracruz for the season likely offers Saucedo more playing time. The RSL forward corps, should the Movsisyan addition be completed, will have many seasoned options with the likes of Joao Plata, Sebastian Jaime, Burrito Martinez, Olmes Garcia and Devon Sandoval.
Updated tracker on who's in and who's out on RSL's roster from 2015:
In:
» Defender Danilo Acosta, 18-year-old Homegrown defender/midfielder.
In (pending deal completion):
» Forward Yura Movsisyan, terms agreed upon for possible return of former RSL striker
Out:
» Sebastian Saucedo (loan), Park City native headed to Veracruz on loan for 2016.
» Luis Gil, longtime midfielder signed with Mexican club Queretaro F.C. on a free transfer.
» Luis Silva, signed with Tigres UANL, who RSL faces in the Champions League quarterfinal.
» Elias Vasquez, club declined option on Guatemalan center back.
» Pecka, club declined option on Brazilian midfielder.
» Chris Schuler, talented, but injury-prone center back is out-of-contract at RSL.
Re-signed:
» Javier Morales, club's long-shining midfield creator was re-signed in late November.
» Jamison Olave, center back who turns 35 was retained after an up-and-down year in 2015.
» Demar Phillips, left back re-signed after appearing in just 18 regular-season matches a year ago.
» Phanuel Kavita, Highland High and RSL-Arizona academy product saw time in 18 Monarchs matches in 2015.
-Chris Kamrani
Twitter: @chriskamrani