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Real Salt Lake Winger Jefferson Savarino Named to Venezuela Roster

March 16, 2023 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


HERRIMAN, Utah - Real Salt Lake FW Jefferson Savarino was named earlier this week to the Venezuela roster for upcoming Middle East-based friendlies against Saudi Arabia (Friday, March 24) and Uzbekistan (Tuesday, March 28). Due to his international obligations, the talented winger will miss RSL's next home game at America First Field, slated for Sat., March 25 against St. Louis City SC.

Since returning to the Wasatch Front last May for his second career stint with RSL, Savarino has appeared in 23 regular-season and playoff games for the Claret-and-Cobalt, starting in 21. This year, Savarino is one of eight RSL men to have started each of the team's first three matches, and one of five to etch his name on the scoresheet. Playing on both the left and right wings, as well as underneath the point of attack, Savarino has scored seven goals in that span - second only to fellow Venezuelan international and former RSL man Sergio Cordova (11 goals in 2022) - and added seven assists (tied for most in that span on RSL, including his game-winning assist on Feb. 25 at Vancouver).

Savarino is the author of 28 RSL goals from 2017-present, needing just four more goals in the 2023 season to move up to eighth in RSL's all-time scoring ledger, past FW Yura Movsisyan (31 goals) and MF Kyle Beckerman (30). Savarino also ranks sixth in RSL's career assist annals, with 28 (one shy of Andy Williams), a total which lies behind that of past luminaries as Javier Morales (81), Joao Plata (43), Albert Rusnák and Beckerman (39 each).

Last Oct. 1 against the Galaxy, RSL fans saw Savarino become the 23rd player in Club history to notch 100 reg. season MLS appearances in the Claret-and-Cobalt; in the 60th minute of his full-game performance at LAFC on Sept. 10, Savarino became the 18th all-time RSL player to have played 8000+ minutes for the Utah side in MLS action.

During his two-and-a-half-year period in Brazil between his RSL / Major League Soccer stints, Savarino provided numerous critical goals for his Atletico Mineiro club, across various South American competitions - totalling 21 goals & 21 assists in 93 appearances. In League play, Savarino's side earned won the "Campeonato Mineiro" League title in each of his three seasons (2020, 2021, 2022), as well as the 2021 Copa do Brasil and the 2021 Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A. This 2022 season brought Savarino's side additional hardware via the Supercopa do Brasil. Savarino also competed in the highly-prestigious Copa Libertadores for Mineiro in 2020 and 2021.

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