Álvaro Saborío facts for kids
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Saborío playing for D.C. United in 2015
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Álvaro Alberto Saborío Chacón | ||
| Date of birth | 25 March 1982 | ||
| Place of birth | Ciudad Quesada, Costa Rica | ||
| Height | 1.83 m | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Monterrey B | |||
| Coyotes de Saltillo | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2001–2006 | Saprissa | 149 | (95) |
| 2006–2010 | Sion | 87 | (36) |
| 2009–2010 | → Bristol City (loan) | 19 | (2) |
| 2010 | → Real Salt Lake (loan) | 27 | (12) |
| 2011–2015 | Real Salt Lake | 100 | (51) |
| 2015–2016 | D.C. United | 31 | (10) |
| 2017 | Saprissa | 4 | (1) |
| 2018–2022 | San Carlos | 125 | (62) |
| 2020 | → Alajuelense (loan) | 18 | (6) |
| 2023 | San Carlos | 8 | (2) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2004 | Costa Rica U23 | 15 | (13) |
| 2002–2021 | Costa Rica | 112 | (36) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Álvaro Alberto Saborío Chacón, born on March 25, 1982, is a famous former professional Costa Rican football player. He was known for playing as a forward, which means he was a main goal-scorer for his teams.
Saborío played for the Costa Rica national team from 2002 to 2021. He played in over 110 international games and scored 36 goals. He also represented his country in many big tournaments. These included five CONCACAF Gold Cups, the Olympics, a FIFA World Cup, and the Copa América.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Álvaro Saborío started his football journey in the youth system of C.F. Monterrey in Mexico. He played for their reserve teams before becoming a professional player.
Playing for Deportivo Saprissa
Saborío began his professional career with Saprissa in his home country, Costa Rica. His first game in the Costa Rican Primera División was on August 8, 2001. He quickly became a top player, scoring 25 goals in the 2003–2004 season. This made him the leading goal-scorer that year.
While playing for Saprissa, he helped his team win a league title and a CONCACAF Champions Cup. He was also part of the team that finished third in the 2005 FIFA Club World Championship Toyota Cup. In that tournament, he scored two goals, making him one of the top scorers.
Moving to FC Sion
After playing for Costa Rica in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Saborío moved to FC Sion in Switzerland. He played well there and even caught the attention of other European clubs.
Time with Bristol City
In 2009, Saborío joined Bristol City in England on a loan. He made his debut on September 13 and scored his first goal for the team in a 1–1 draw against Scunthorpe United. He later left Bristol City and ended his contract with FC Sion to return to Costa Rica.
Success with Real Salt Lake
In March 2010, Saborío signed with Major League Soccer club Real Salt Lake in the United States. He made a big impact in his first season, scoring 12 goals and helping RSL have the highest-scoring offense in the league. Because of his great performance, he won the MLS Newcomer of the Year award.
He also played a key role in the CONCACAF Champions League tournament, scoring eight goals as Real Salt Lake reached the championship round. After this success, he signed a four-year contract with the club. Saborío became Real Salt Lake's all-time leading scorer, showing how important he was to the team.
Playing for D.C. United
In July 2015, Saborío was traded to D.C. United. He scored his first goal for the team on July 26. On October 2, 2015, he scored a winning goal in the final minutes of a game against New York City FC. This goal helped D.C. United secure a spot in the 2015 MLS Playoffs. He played for D.C. United for two seasons, scoring 10 goals and making 10 assists in 31 games. He left the club in November 2016.
Return to Deportivo Saprissa and San Carlos
On January 10, 2017, Saborío signed a one-year contract to return to Deportivo Saprissa. However, he announced his retirement just a month later due to disagreements with fans.
Later, Saborío joined San Carlos. He was a very important player for them, helping the team win two championships. They won the second division title and then the Torneo de Clausura in the first division during the 2018-2019 season. He also played on loan for Alajuelense in 2020.
International Career Highlights
Saborío was a crucial player for the Costa Rica national team at different levels. He played for the U-23 team in the 2004 Olympics. He even scored the goal that helped them qualify for the tournament.
He made his first game for the senior Costa Rica team in October 2002. By October 2021, he had played 112 games and scored 36 goals for his country. This places him third on Costa Rica's all-time goal-scorers list.
Saborío, also known as Pipe, was recognized for his achievements with Saprissa and his many goals. He played in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, mostly as a substitute. He also scored the very first goal in the new Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica in its opening match.
He scored eight goals during Costa Rica's successful 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign. This included scoring three goals in one game against Guyana. On May 12, 2014, he was named to Costa Rica's team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Sadly, he broke a bone in his foot during training and had to miss the World Cup.
Saborío was part of Costa Rica's team for the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup. On July 11, he played his 100th game for the national team. He was only the fifth Costa Rican player to reach this amazing milestone.
Personal Life
Álvaro Saborío's father is Álvaro Grant MacDonald, who was also a former Costa Rica international football player. Álvaro Saborío can speak four languages: Portuguese, Spanish, French, and English. He also holds a U.S. green card, which allowed him to play as a local player in Major League Soccer.
Honours
Saprissa
- Liga FPD: 2003–04, Apertura 2005, Clausura 2006
- CONCACAF Champions League: 2005
- Copa Interclubes UNCAF: 2003
Sion
- Swiss Cup: 2009
Real Salt Lake
- Major League Soccer Western Conference Championship: 2013
San Carlos
- Liga FPD: Clausura 2019
- Liga de Ascenso: 2017–18
Alajuelense
- Liga FPD: Apertura 2020
Costa Rica
- Copa Centroamericana: 2013
Individual
- MLS Newcomer of the Year: 2010
- CONCACAF Gold Cup All-Tournament Team: 2009
See Also
In Spanish: Álvaro Saborío para niños
- List of footballers with 100 or more caps
Images for kids
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Saborío playing for D.C. United in 2015
