ITHACA, N.Y. - Real Salt Lake midfielder Emeka Eneli '22 is the youngest player in the organization's 20-year history to receive captain-ship. During his time on East Hill, he registered 57 points on 20 goals and 17 assists. He finished his Big Red tenure with two consecutive First-Team All-Ivy nods, along with back-to-back All-Region honors.

John Smith, the Dr. Daniel P. Wood Head Coach of Men's Soccer, spoke about the growth that Eneli has shown and the leadership that he brought on and off the pitch during his time at Cornell. "It has been great to see Emeka grow in confidence over the course of the last 18 months since joining RSL, and to see him wearing the armband last night was an unforgettable moment. Above all else, it was Emeka's work ethic, humility and sheer likability that made him a perfect captain here at Cornell. I am sure those qualities are still standing him in great stead today", Smith mentioned.

Following his outstanding Second Team All-American senior campaign, Eneli would become the second player in Cornell history to reach the MLS, with the first Cornellian being David Mahoney '05 who played three games for the Chicago Fire in 2005. Since joining the Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2023, Eneli has competed in 42 contests to date, logging 3,139 minutes of action. He has netted a goal and two assists.

Eneli's second assist of his career came yesterday in RSL's matchup against Sporting KC. As it was stated by RSL News, "Eneli spotted Diego Luna flashing in the midfield and played an accurate ball to his feet. Luna took a good touch and advanced it to the halfway line with his head up. Julio Anderson found himself isolated with the back line of KC, as he displayed his world-class pace by darting behind the defense to receive a perfect through ball from Luna sending him into the box. One-on-one with only Tim Melia to beat, Anderson showed his technique as he calmly chipped the 'keeper to reinstate RSL's advantage".

Real Salt Lake vs Sporting KC Highlights - CLICK HERE