{{short description|Brazilian footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Marcelo Saragosa | image = | fullname = Marcelo Saragosa | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|01|22|df=y}} | birth_place = Campo Grande, Brazil | height = {{height|ft=6|in=0}} | position = Defensive midfielder | currentclub = | clubnumber = | youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2003 | youthclubs1 = São Paulo | years1 = 2003–2005 | clubs1 = São Paulo | caps1 = 3 | goals1 = 0 | years2 = 2004 | clubs2 = → Los Angeles Galaxy (loan) | caps2 = 26 | goals2 = 0 | years3 = 2005–2006 | clubs3 = Los Angeles Galaxy | caps3 = 14 | goals3 = 1 | years4 = 2006–2009 | clubs4 = FC Dallas | caps4 = 54 | goals4 = 1 | years5 = 2009–2010 | clubs5 = Chivas USA | caps5 = 22 | goals5 = 0 | years6 = 2012–2013 | clubs6 = D.C. United | caps6 = 24 | goals6 = 1 | years7 = 2015 | clubs7 = Tampa Bay Rowdies | caps7 = 17 | goals7 = 0 | years8 = 2019 | clubs8 = Austin Bold | caps8 = 0 | goals8 = 0 | nationalyears1 = | nationalteam1 = | nationalcaps1 = | nationalgoals1 = | medaltemplates = | pcupdate = August 3, 2018 | ntupdate = | totalcaps = 160 | totalgoals = 3 }}

'''Marcelo Saragosa''' (born 22 January 1982) is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.

==Career==

===Professional=== Born in Campo Grande, Saragosa began his career with Brazilian team São Paulo, having signed with their youth team at the age of 13. He was sent on loan to the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer in 2004 where he started in 24 of 26 games for the Galaxy. He then returned to São Paulo, before being signed to a permanent deal by the Galaxy in August 2005.

After starting in 10 of the first 15 games of the 2006 season for the Galaxy, Saragosa was traded to FC Dallas on July 19, 2006, in exchange for a fourth round supplemental draft pick in 2007. 2007 was a season riddled with injuries; he suffered a sprained right medial collateral ligament on April 14, 2007, which kept him out four weeks and appeared in only 13 games for FC Dallas before having surgery to repair a torn meniscus on September 25, 2007.

In 2008, Saragosa appeared in 25 games for FC Dallas and scored the second goal of his MLS career on October 18, 2008, in a 3–1 loss versus Real Salt Lake. Shortly before the last game of the regular season, Saragosa had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee on October 21, 2008. Saragosa was traded to Chivas USA in exchange for Atiba Harris on July 17, 2009. While with Chivas Saragosa appeared in 22 league matches.

After the 2010 MLS season Chivas USA declined Saragosa's contract option and Saragosa elected to participate in the 2010 MLS Re-Entry Draft. Saragosa became a free agent in Major League Soccer when he was not selected in the Re-Entry draft. In November 2010, Saragosa's blog announced he was suffering from cancer.<ref>{{cite web|title=Cancer de Seno...Marcelo Saragosa|url=http://www.marcelosaragosa.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/cancer-de-senomarcelo-saragosa.html|website=marcelosaragosa.blogspot.co.uk|publisher=Marcelo Saragosa|accessdate=16 February 2016|language=Spanish|date=28 November 2010}}</ref> On February 16, 2012, it was announced that Saragosa had returned to Major League Soccer signing with D.C. United.<ref>[http://www.dcunited.com/press-release/2012/02/marcelo-saragosa-acquired Saragosa acquired by United] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212035623/http://www.dcunited.com/press-release/2012/02/marcelo-saragosa-acquired |date=2012-02-12 }}</ref> Saragosa's club option declined following the 2013 season.<ref>{{cite web|title=D.C. United declines options on three players|url=http://www.dcunited.com/news/2013/10/dc-united-declines-options-on-three-players|work=D.C. United|accessdate=30 October 2013|archive-date=2 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102015230/http://www.dcunited.com/news/2013/10/dc-united-declines-options-on-three-players|url-status=dead}}</ref>

After taking 2014 off, Saragosa signed with North American Soccer League side Tampa Bay Rowdies on February 3, 2015.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rowdies Bolster Roster With Addition of Midfielder Marcelo Saragosa|url=http://www.rowdiessoccer.com/news/2015/02/03/rowdies-bolster-roster-with-addition-of-midfielder-marcelo-saragosa|work=Tampa Bay Rowdies|accessdate=2 April 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403150220/http://www.rowdiessoccer.com/news/2015/02/03/rowdies-bolster-roster-with-addition-of-midfielder-marcelo-saragosa|archivedate=3 April 2015}}</ref> During an April 1 season kickoff event at the Mahaffey Theater, Saragosa was named captain of the 2015 Rowdies.<ref>{{cite web|title=Marcelo Saragosa Appointed Captain of the Tampa Bay Rowdies|url=http://www.rowdiessoccer.com/news/2015/04/02/marcelo-saragosa-appointed-tampa-bay-rowdies-captain|work=Tampa Bay Rowdies|accessdate=2 April 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403181402/http://www.rowdiessoccer.com/news/2015/04/02/marcelo-saragosa-appointed-tampa-bay-rowdies-captain|archivedate=3 April 2015}}</ref> Saragosa was released by Tampa Bay in November 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rowdiessoccer.com/news/2015/11/05/rowdies-announce-first-wave-of-roster-moves |title=Rowdies Announce First Wave of Roster Moves &#124; Tampa Bay Rowdies |accessdate=2015-11-09 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151109013626/http://www.rowdiessoccer.com/news/2015/11/05/rowdies-announce-first-wave-of-roster-moves |archivedate=2015-11-09 }}</ref>

On April 18, 2019, Austin Bold FC announced that Saragosa would be moving from his role as player to be the club's Director of Soccer Operations.<ref>{{cite web |title=Austin Bold FC Sign Jamaican International Demar Philips and Other Roster Changes |url=https://www.austinboldfc.com/news_article/show/1014032 |website=AustinBoldFC.com |accessdate=19 April 2019 |archive-date=14 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220214234941/https://www.austinboldfc.com/news_article/show/1014032 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Career statistics== {{updated|match played 31 October 2015}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Marcelo Saragosa|url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/marcelo-saragosa/7286/|website=soccerway.com|publisher=Soccerway|accessdate=16 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Marcelo Saragosa|url=http://www.mlssoccer.com/players/marcelo-saragosa|website=mlssoccer.com|publisher=MLS|accessdate=16 February 2016}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National Cup !colspan="2"|Continental !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |valign="center"|LA Galaxy (loan) |2004 |MLS |26||0|| || ||colspan="2"|–||3||0||26||0 |- |rowspan="3" valign="center"|LA Galaxy |2005 |rowspan="2" valign="center"|MLS |4||1|| || ||colspan="2"|–||2||0||6||1 |- |2006 |10||0|| || ||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||10||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !14!!1!! !! !!-!!-!!12!!0!!16!!1 |- |rowspan="5" valign="center"|FC Dallas |2006 |rowspan="4" valign="center"|MLS |7||0|| || ||colspan="2"|–||2||0||9||0 |- |2007 |13||0|| || ||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||13||0 |- |2008 |25||1|| || ||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||25||1 |- |2009 |9||0||0||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||9||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !54!!1!! !! !!-!!-!!2!!0!!56!!1 |- |rowspan="3" valign="center"|Chivas USA |2009 |rowspan="2" valign="center"|MLS |8||0||0||0||colspan="2"|–||1||0||9||0 |- |2010 |14||0||3||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||17||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !22!!0!!3!!0!!-!!-!!1!!0!!26!!0 |- |rowspan="3" valign="center"|D.C. United |2012 |rowspan="2" valign="center"|MLS |16||1||2||1||colspan="2"|–||4||0||22||2 |- |2013 |8||0||0||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||8||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !24!!1!!2!!1!!-!!-!!-!!-!!30!!2 |- |valign="center"|Tampa Bay Rowdies |2015 |NASL |17||0||1||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||18||0 |- !colspan="3"|Career total !157!!3!! !! !!-!!-!!12!!0!!169!!3 |}

==Personal life== Saragosa's best friend is fellow Brazilian legend Kaká. They each served as best man at the other's wedding.

Marcelo Silveira Saragosa, 43, was arrested in Greenbrier County, West Virginia on June 20, 2025. He is charged with one count of sexual abuse first degree, forcible compulsion, and one count of abduction of person for illicit purpose.<ref>https://www.wvva.com/2025/06/23/former-brazilian-soccer-player-facing-felony-charges-related-alleged-sexual-assault/</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://worldcupway.blogspot.com/2007/05/ac-milan-or-liverpool.html |title=FC DALLAS UPDATES: AC Milan or Liverpool? |access-date=2009-07-17 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070911084241/http://worldcupway.blogspot.com/2007/05/ac-milan-or-liverpool.html |archive-date=2007-09-11 }}</ref>

== Honours ==

=== Club === ; LA Galaxy: * Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: 2005 * Major League Soccer MLS Cup: 2005 * Major League Soccer Western Conference Championship: 2005 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: 2013 DC United

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{MLS player|marcelo-saragosa}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saragosa, Marcelo}} Category:1982 births Category:Living people Category:Footballers from Campo Grande Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:Brazilian men's footballers Category:Brazilian expatriate men's footballers Category:São Paulo FC players Category:LA Galaxy players Category:FC Dallas players Category:Chivas USA players Category:Ravan Baku FK players Category:D.C. United players Category:Tampa Bay Rowdies players Category:Major League Soccer players Category:North American Soccer League (2011–2017) players Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States Category:Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in the United States Category:Austin Bold FC players Category:USL Championship executives Category:21st-century Brazilian sportsmen