Know the Opposition - Costa Rica - Alvaro Saborio

Like with any league, teams need to find good strikers who can score them goals, and you can go searching to any country to find one. The brain trust at Real Salt Lake lucked out when they signed Alvaro Saborio in March of 2010.

He had been released by his previous team FC Sion in Switzerland, so he could return to Costa Rica. Since coming to the MLS in 2010, he's been a real asset to a club that is usually in the playoffs or the title game. He's played just under one hundred games (97), he's scored 52 goals, and had 11 assists. In 2012, he had five multi-goal games. Making him a real target man for Costa Rica's midfielders. From Pro Soccer Talk, he scores every 120 minutes.

His goal just 79 seconds into a 3-1 CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying win over the U.S. on June 3 2009 in San Jose Costa Rica, is the second-fastest goal the U.S. has ever allowed during qualifying rounds. He's scored only 31 goals for the top team in 72 matches, but is ever present there. He's a crafty finisher, and is one of the best aerial threats in the whole of the CONCACAF.

Last year was a difficult year for many players who played in Major League Soccer, because they had to play league matches, Gold Cup Matches, and World Cup Qualifiers. That's not to mention also having to play a friendly here and there. So any statistic these players had this year, looks horrible. Saborio was injured, and had to miss stretches of the season. He also missed part of the playoffs.

With Saborio's knack for scoring in bunches against slower centre halves, he could pose a very big risk for the Three Lions in their last game of the group. Coming up against Costa Rica at the end of the group, with a lot to play for and having to see Saborio could really hurt the fans, and the players.