Acquired
RSL: Added to roster on loan from Swiss First Division side FC Sion as an International Player on 3/15/10
Real Salt Lake’s search this offseason for help up top went longer than many expected, but in the end the team’s brass thinks the addition of Costa Rican International Álvaro Sabarío will be well worth the wait. Sabarío was RSL’s target all along, and for good reason, as the 27-year-old proved himself a prolific striker during a six-year stint with Costa Rican powerhouse Deportivo Saprissa at the onset of his career and a two-year run with Swiss side FC Sion that followed.
A loan with English Championship side Bristol City last fall didn’t last for long, and the “Tico” decided to make his return to the Western Hemisphere via another loan through MLS and the Beehive State. Real Salt Lake will lean on Sabarío not only for his scoring punch, but also to help guide RSL’s first voyage into international competition this fall, as he was a part of the Saprissa side that qualified for the CONCACAF Champions Cup finals in 2004 before capturing the title one year later.
International Club Career
2001-06: Club Deportivo Saprissa – Costa Rica (Primera División de Costa Rica): Saborío’s career at CD Saprissa totaled 149 appearances and 95 goals, scoring an average of two goals every three games … Helped Saprissa reach the CONCACAF Champions Cup final in back-to-back years, winning the 2005 title over Mexican side UNAM (Pumas) (3-2 agg.) a year after dropping the series to fellow Costa Rican side Alajuelense … Was Saprissa’s leading scorer in the Costa Rican First Division’s 2003-04 season, when he logged 25 tallies … Twice helped Saprissa to Primera División de Costa Rica titles in 2003-04 and 2005-06 …
2006-09: FC Sion – Switerland (Swiss Super League): Netted 36 goals in 87 appearances during his stay with the Swiss team … The 2007-08 year was Saborío’s strongest statistical year abroad, when he logged 34 appearances and 17 goals … Helped FC Sion achieve the 2008-09 Swiss Cup crown in May of 2009 … Was loaned out to Bristol FC in fall 2009 …
2009-10: Bristol City FC – England (Football Championship League): Made 19 appearances for Bristol City in their 2009-10 campaign after joining the Robins on loan in September 2009 … Made an immediate impact in his debut on 9/12/09 v. Coventry, logging an assist on Nick Maynard’s equalizer (48’) in the 1-1 draw …
Costa Rican National Team
For the better part of the last decade, Saborío has proven to be an important player for the Costa Rican National Team at various levels … Represented the U-23 “Ticos” team at the 2004 Olympics, scoring the Qualifying goal that advanced Costa Rica … In Sydney, Saborío started three of the team’s four games, scoring a goal against Portugal … Parlaying that performance into consistency for Costa Rica’s full National Team, Saborío appeared prominently during 2006 World Cup Qualifying … Better known as “Sabo” or "le Gigì," the striker appeared twice for Costa Rica in Germany at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, totaling 73 minutes in a pair of losses as a substitute Rónald Gómez and Paulo César Wanchope … Saborío has 55 caps for Costa Rica, scoring 22 goals as of Feb. 2010 … His goal just 79 seconds into last summer’s 3-1 CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying win over the U.S. in San Jose, Costa Rica is the second-fastest goal the U.S. has ever allowed during qualifying rounds …
Personal
Álvaro Alberto Saborío Chacón was born March 25, 1982 in Ciudad Quesada, Costa Rica … Can speak five languages: Mekatelyu (Limonese Creole), Spanish, Portuguese, French, and English.
