Since the transfer window opened on July 8, Real Salt Lake Technical Director Craig Waibel has been a busy man. So when he addressed media on Thursday following the announcement that RSL sent the club’s all-time leading scorer, Alvaro Saborio, to D.C. United in exchange for midfielder Luis Silva, it was with a bit more than a five-o’clock shadow.
“There’s a reason I haven’t shaved,” Waibel quipped. “I haven’t had time.”
One reason for those long hours in the office has been the prospect of trading a player who has come to mean so much for Real Salt Lake. It wasn’t a decision he took lightly and he did so while keeping the focus on building a team that can continue to fight for a playoff spot in 2015 and build for the future. While the team’s 5-7-8 record played a part in making the trade, so did the desire to improve in the long-term. In the end, trading a player who is 33 years old and nearing the end of his contract made sense for the future of the organization as well as for Saborio.
“It’s been a little bit frustrating this year for a lot of reasons – lack of selection, injuries, things like that. It just came a time where, as I look down the road for this organization, it was the right time to start considering moving Sabo,” Waibel said. “In the last weeks things started to make sense. I would have had no problem having him here throughout the end of the year. This made the most sense not only to the club moving forward in planning but with regards to Sabo’s individual career. It gives him a great opportunity to go to another club and get a few more years.”
The team had undeniable success with Saborio in the point of the attack.
He came to Real Salt Lake on loan from FC Sion prior to the 2010 season and made a fast impact. In his first home game with the Claret-and-Cobalt, he scored a goal against Seattle Sounders FC to help fight back for a draw.
He would go on to score 63 regular season goals in an RSL uniform, 10 in CONCACAF Champions League and four in the MLS Cup playoffs. All three totals are club records for a team that has been the only one in MLS to reach the playoffs in each of the last seven seasons. His goal total since 2010 is surpassed only by Chris Wondolowski.
“When these decisions are made, they’re never easy – and especially with a person that’s meant so much to our club and to our fanbase,” Head Coach Jeff Cassar said. “He’s been very instrumental in what RSL’s about and it’s not easy making these decisions. He’s scored many important goals for us and it’s not easy to make this move.”
In sending Saborio to D.C. United, it gives the Costa Rican forward a chance to extend his stay in Major League Soccer when he wasn’t seen as part of the plans beyond this season with RSL.
“Part of our club’s philosophy is to make sure that we’re also taking care of players as they get toward the tail end of their career. This club has a philosophy that we do what’s right for the player at all times,” Waibel said. “When we made a conscious decision that we wouldn’t look to extend Alvaro’s contract past the end of this season, there became another element in that in trying to get him somewhere where he can pursue a few more years contractually. Hopefully that happens for him at D.C.”
While Waibel may have a chance to exhale now, the midseason moves are far from over for RSL, who gained some room under the salary cap with the maneuver on Thursday. Now, he continues to vie for further additions to the club to help rally toward the playoffs, continue the run in the U.S. Open Cup that is now in the semifinal round and with an eye toward CONCACAF Champions League group play which starts in August.
Cassar wouldn’t say specifically where the club is looking to make those improvements and additions, but made it clear that the team has work still to be done.
“There’s a few different areas. We’ll see what the best fit is for our team. At the end of the day, it’s improving our team. Making your team deeper. Making your team more dynamic,” Cassar said. “We have options out there. We are pursuing them hard and fast. We’re ready to make some moves, but we want to make sure it’s the right one for our team.”
