RSL coach Mike Petke isn’t a happy guy these days. At least not where soccer’s concerned.
That’s because Sebastian Velasquez and Chandler Hoffman — two Real Monarchs players — can’t be called up for Real Salt Lake’s US Open Cup match against Sacramento Republic, despite the fact that you can call up players from your USL affiliate.
And that’s just because of age.
Hoffman and Velasquez, both 26, run afoul of a rule found in the collective bargaining agreement between MLS Players Union and Major League Soccer (rule 18.8, section iii, if you’re curious) specifying that players who sign a short-term Standard Player Agreement must be 25-years-old or younger.