Dema Kovalenko is now an LA Galaxy player. The veteran midfielder was traded by Real Salt Lake before the Super Draft for allocation money and a 2011 draft pick whose position depends on how much Kovalenko plays for the Galaxy.
Kovalenko had been integral in helping change the culture on the long-suffering team -- he started 19 games, and scored a crucial playoff goal -- but coaches by the end of last season "determined we weren't certain that Dema was going to be a starter for us," RSL boss Jason Kreis said. "At end of season, he made it pretty clear he wanted to go somewhere else."