Portland Timbers coach Giovanni Savarese is officially a United States citizen after he was naturalized in a ceremony on Monday morning.
Savarese is a native of Venezuela who scored 10 goals in 30 matches with La Vinotinto. He first came to the US to play collegiate soccer at Long Island University in 1990. He eventually became a striker in the MLS with the New York/New Jersey MetroStars (now New York Red Bulls), New England Revolution and San Jose Earthquakes.
Savarese coached the NASL's New York Cosmos from 2013-2017 before he was hired to replace departing Timbers coach Caleb Porter.
