Introduction
Luis Saúl Silva López (born December 10, 1988) is an American professional soccer player who plays for Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer.
Playing career
Youth and college
Silva spent two years playing with local youth club Pateadores, helping them win the Premier Division in 2006, as well as spending two years with C.D. Chivas USA's U-19 team. Silva attended Bishop Mora Salesian High School in Los Angeles where he was a two-time All-CIF selection as a midfielder and forward. He was named Offensive Player of the Year in the 2007 season when he helped the Mustangs win the CIF Southern Section Championship and scored a goal in the Mustangs' 6–1 romp over Pasadena Marshall as the team set a finals scoring record. He went on to play collegiately with the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos. He was named to the All-Big West First Team three times. In his senior year, Silva scored 17 goals and added 10 assists, garnering recognition as a MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalist.
Club
During his college years, Silva also played in the USL Premier Development League for Orange County Blue Star in 2011. He joined UCSB teammates Charley Pettys and Christian Ramirez on the squad and finished with 5 goals and 2 assists in 10 matches played.
Luis Silva was selected 4th overall by Toronto FC in the first round of the 2012 MLS SuperDraft. Silva made his debut for Toronto FC on March 7, 2012, scoring a goal against the Los Angeles Galaxy in the 2011–12 CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals. Silva scored his first league goal against Vancouver Whitecaps on July 11, the game ended in a 3–2 home victory. Three days after his first league goal, he scored the lone goal in an away victory over New England Revolution.
On July 9, 2013, it was announced that Silva had been traded to fellow MLS side D.C. United in exchange for allocation money. On his regular season debut on July 20, Silva scored from 30 yards (27 m) as his team lost 4–1 to the Chicago Fire. Silva scored a first half hat-trick against the Montreal Impact at Saputo Stadium on June 11, 2014, leading D.C. United to a 4–2 win.
On July 16, 2015, it was announced that Silva had been traded to MLS team Real Salt Lake for Álvaro Saborío. Silva ended his D.C. United career with totals of 15 goals and six assists in 54 appearances, including a career-best 11 goals in 2014. In 2016, he moved to Liga MX side Tigres UANL.
Career statistics
- As of matches played on February 1, 2017.
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| Toronto FC | 2012 | MLS | 30 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 39 | 7 | ||
| 2013 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 16 | 0 | |||||
| Totals | 44 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 55 | 7 | ||||
| D.C. United | 2013 | MLS | 13 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | 15 | 3 | |||
| 2014 | 27 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 11 | ||||
| 2015 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 16 | 1 | |||||
| Totals | 54 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 59 | 15 | ||||
| Real Salt Lake | 2015 | MLS | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | ||
| Tigres | 2016–17 | Liga MX | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Real Salt Lake | 2017 | MLS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Career totals | 108 | 20 | 8 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 127 | 22 | ||||
| References: | ||||||||||||
Honors
Toronto FC
- Canadian Championship (1): 2012
D.C. United
- Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (1): 2013
Tigres UANL
- Liga MX (1): Apertura 2016