Both players are at KR Reykjavik. On March 18 they started against a club called HK. Lið KR: Kristján Finnbogason (f.) (Atli Jónasson 46.) - Jökull Elísabetarson, Sölvi Sturluson, Tryggvi Bjarnason (Arnljótur Ástvaldsson 80.), Helmis Matute (Vigfús Arnar Jósepsson 75.) - Mychal Turpin (Gunnar Kristjánsson 62.), Bjarnólfur Lárusson, Sigurvin Ólafsson, Sigmundur Kristjánsson - Rógvi Jacobsen, Bjarki Gunnlaugsson (Kristinn Magnússon 62.). http://www.kr.is/knattspyrna/frettir/?cat_id=16497&ew_0_a_id=122388 What I'm not sure of is whether this is a regular-season match or whether they are actually on the roster or just on trial. I believe Matute, a supplemental draftee of CD Chivas USA, is close to a contract; not sure about Turpin. I hope to be fluent in Icelandic by lunchtime so I can check it out further, but any help is appreciated. Here's the club's site: http://www.kr.is/knattspyrna/ Matute just finished up at Virginia Commonwealth: http://vcurams.vcu.edu/ms/04bios/helmismatute.htm And Mychal Turpin was at Michigan: http://www.mgoblue.com/bio.cfm?bio_id=225§ion_id=295&top=2&level=3&season=235 I don't think he was drafted by an MLS team, though the Richmond Kickers did draft him.
From the I'm Sure You're Fascinated Department, Matute graduated from the same HS I did, though he did so just a wee bit after me.
Matute's agent is DC-based Rob Feigenson (a fine player himself) of the new National Sports Group. Feigenson also represents Carlos Elliott and was responsible for him getting a look at Perugia. www.nationalsportsgroup.com (BTW, before people start asking, Carlos has a serious issue with his hamstring which has kept him from playing, let alone attending trials, since December. Sounds JOB-like.)
I was a little surprised Turpin went undrafted and didn't surface in any preseason MSL camps. Th may explain why (was looking to Europe). Matute was a second round supplemental draft pick of Chivas USA (same as old 6th round of superdraft).
Matute is now signed by KRR and is training with the club in preparation for the ' '05 season. Looks like he's expected to get the start at left back. Here is an interview with KRR's coach, who seems to have a Sigi thing going on. (It's in Icelandic, but one of the questions is nevertheless clearly about Helmis M.): http://www.fotbolti.net/fullStory.php?id=25138 His response, FWIW: Hann er örvfættur leikmaður sem hefur spilað bæði í vinstri bakverði og vinstra megin á miðjunni. Frekar lítill, snöggur, grimmur og er mjög mikill spilari. Hann hefur mjög góðan leikskilning, er með góðar sendingar og er að mörgu leiti Suður-Amerísk týpa. Hann er leikmaður sem ég taldi henta okkar liði. Okkur vantaði svolítið spilandi varnarmann að mínu mati og hann er alveg þess legur. Hann var með okkur í eina viku, spilaði tvo leiki og okkur leist mjög vel á hann. Hann spilaði á móti Skaganum og HK sem voru nú með betri leikjum hjá okkur í vetur, við unnum nokkuð sannfærandi 3-0 og 4-1. En það á eftir að koma í ljós hvernig hann kemur út í vor, ég held að við höfum gert rétt í að semja við hann. Við erum líka með bráðefnilegan strák sem er að spila vinstri bakvörð hjá okkur, Gunnar Kristjánsson, sem er búinn að spila hvern leikinn á eftir öðrum mjög vel þannig að það verður hörku samkeppni hjá þeim tveimur. Þó hann sé að koma frá útlöndum þá er ekkert sjálfgefið en hann er auðvitað líklegur til að spila. Here is some info on the club (also in Icelandic): http://www.fotbolti.net/fullStory.php?id=25135 And some club info in English from the official website: http://www.kr.is/knattspyrna/english/
From what I remember being told about Matute, he's apparently quite technical, good touch, played attacking mid at college but had a bust up of sorts with his coach, and apparently has moved to left back in a bid to make it at the top of the pro game. It'll be interesting to see how this experience pans out for him. Maybe Iceland will toughen him up at the positon. Could be a surprise YA down the road.
I also went to HS with him, I graduated a year before him. Hes a solid player who played with a lot of intensity. He read the game very well and was very skiled technically. I think the only real weakness he had was his speed, but who knows how much hes improved since then. Good luck to him hopefully things pan out.
It is now midseason in Iceland and KR Reykjavik is dead-middle of the table. According to various online sites the head coach has been sacked by the Board as a result. Oddly enough, I have not seen our YA, Helmis Matute, in any match reports recently so I emailed a supporter in Iceland who informed me that Matute has been injured with a badly sprained ankle for about 5-6 weeks but has been training with the club recently with hopes of contributing in real games soon. In the meantime, they sent me a link to this website which apparently rates the league's foreign players at the midseason on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest). Matute's score is seventh best despite having missed 6 games. Not sure what this all means, but foreignword.com shows his score of 6 as translating into "pack of horses swagger well" -- it's not just babelfish that has trouble with accuracy, I see. http://www.visir.is/?PageID=91&NewsID=49372