Nathan Braun, SLCC soccer player gets recruited to play for Utah´s new pro soccer team, Real Salt Lake

SLCC Student Gets Chance at Pros

By: Spencer Leatham

Posted: 1/27/05

One of SLCC's soccer players received an interesting phone call about a week ago. Nathan Braun, a part-time SLCC student, found out that he was one of about forty applicants invited to tryout for Utah's new pro soccer team, Real Salt Lake. Real (pronounced ray-all) held a tryout Saturday at BYU hoping to select a couple more talented local players.

"I was excited when I heard the message," said Braun, a freshman attending classes at the Redwood Road campus. Braun was nominated by his college coach after playing for SLCC last fall. Trying out for a pro sports team can definitely seem intimidating and intense, but Braun, who turns nineteen in February, seemed calm yet excited. "No, I'm not nervous," he said, the day of tryouts. "I'm just going to go have fun. It will be a good experience." Braun just loves to play soccer and fell in love with the game as a little boy.

Braun started playing soccer at the age of three. Early on, he played recreational soccer while his dad coached. When he turned ten, he took it a step further taking on competitive soccer, playing for such local clubs as, Firebirds, Impact, and Sparta Premiere. Later he played for Skyline High School.

With tryouts and other things, Real Salt Lake is continuing to stay busy. They picked up Nicolas Besagno with its first-round draft pick a week ago. The sixteen year old defender is the second youngest player in the history of the Major League Soccer to be drafted. Freddy Adu last year was just fourteen. RSL hopes that Besagno and superstars Clint Mathis and Jason Kreis will help them compete in their first year of existence. Real also chose Luke Kreamalmeyer and Jamie Watson in the draft. "They have some good players," Braun commented. "I think they are going to be pretty good."

As for now, RSL will play its home games in Rice-Eccles stadium where the University of Utah hosts its football games. RSL plans to build a 22,000 seat stadium specifically built for its soccer team. Two sites are up for consideration, one in downtown Salt Lake City and one in Murray, just a few blocks east of the Redwood Road campus. Real hopes to build the stadium downtown but since the Murray property is a lot cheaper, the team might end up there.

"If there is space, I think they should play downtown," Emily Caraballo said. Andrew Dangerfield, an SLCC sophomore, thinks otherwise. "Salt Lake is too crowded. Murray would be cool." Real will only play its first two seasons in Rice-Eccles stadium while the new facility is being built. In their third season, RSL will switch over to its new home, wherever it might be. A final decision on where Real will end up is expected at the end of the month.

While Real Salt Lake discusses its new home site, some just wonder if it will last here in Utah. "I love soccer," Billy Van Drunen said. "I'll go to games but I don't think other people will. They like to go to the Jazz games." With the large soccer interest in Utah, many do believe that the pro soccer team will survive. "Soccer is big in the Salt Lake Valley. It will last," said SLCC freshman Brian Childs. Marc Waters agrees. "I won't be going to any games, but I think it will last," he said

RSL starts its inaugural season this spring. They start with two away games at NY/NJ on April 2 and at L.A. on April 9. Real's first home game isn't scheduled until Aril 16 where they will take on the Colorado Rapids.

As for Braun, "The tryout went pretty good," he said. "We practiced some drills and then we scrimmaged against each other the rest of the time." When asked about the other players trying out and his chances of making the team, he replied, "Nobody really stood out. Everyone there was good." Because of eligibility rules, Braun won't find out if he made the cut until later next week.