But the move to deal the tempestuous goal-scorer was the first domino in restructuring the RSL front line. Already with young Ecuadorian forward Joao Plata in tow, RSL general manager Craig Waibel set out to make the striker corps deeper, younger, more versatile and potent after trading Saborio.
"It certainly can look that way, and I'd like to pretend to be that smart," Waibel joked.
A little over a month after trading Saborio, Waibel finalized a deal for former Boca Juniors wide forward Burrito Martinez as a Designated Player last August. This January, RSL brought back Yura Movsisyan on a one-year loan from Russian club Spartak Moscow as the club's third Designated Player.