Real Salt Lake traded $175,000 GAM to get the 7th draft pick from Atlanta United, and with it picked Ilijah Paul, a very promising forward from Washington and MLS Generation Adidas player. Paul is familiar with RSL having scored 10 goals in 16 appearances for U16/U17 Real Salt Lake Development Academy team in his youth. It is presumed that he will qualify as a homegrown player in addition to being Generation Adidas.
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He was named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the year leading the conference with 11 goals, and is also a semi-finalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy, the top individual honor in college soccer that has been presented annually since 1967.