Saša Zorić
{{Short description|Serbian footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Saša Zorić
| image =
| fullname = Saša Zorić
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1974|09|02|df=y}}
| birth_place = Gornji Milanovac, SFR Yugoslavia
| height = 1.70 m
| position = Midfielder
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = Takovo
| youthyears2 =
| youthclubs2 = Red Star Belgrade
| years1 = 1993–1994
| clubs1 = Jastrebac Niš
| caps1 = 11
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 1994–1996
| clubs2 = Obilić
| caps2 = 53
| goals2 = 9
| years3 = 1996–1998
| clubs3 = Baltimore Spirit (indoor)
| caps3 = 75
| goals3 = 67
| years4 = 1997
| clubs4 = Hershey Wildcats
| caps4 = 11
| goals4 = 6
| years5 = 1998–2000
| clubs5 = Obilić
| caps5 = 49
| goals5 = 14
| years6 = 2000–2001
| clubs6 = Red Star Belgrade
| caps6 = 22
| goals6 = 1
| years7 = 2001–2003
| clubs7 = Obilić
| caps7 = 36
| goals7 = 3
| years8 = 2003–2006
| clubs8 = Smederevo
| caps8 = 63
| goals8 = 7
| years9 = 2006
| clubs9 = Nanjing Yoyo
| caps9 = 14
| goals9 = 1
| years10 = 2007
| clubs10 = Changsha Ginde
| caps10 = 3
| goals10 = 0
| years11 = 2007
| clubs11 = Xiamen Lanshi
| caps11 = 11
| goals11 = 0
| years12 = 2008
| clubs12 = Kolubara
| caps12 = 21
| goals12 = 2
| years13 = 2009
| clubs13 = Srem
| caps13 = 9
| goals13 = 0
| years14 = 2009
| clubs14 = Banat Zrenjanin
| caps14 = 13
| goals14 = 0
| totalcaps = 391
| totalgoals = 110
| nationalyears1 = 2001
| nationalteam1 = FR Yugoslavia
| nationalcaps1 = 2
| nationalgoals1 = 0
}}
Saša Zorić ({{Lang-sr-Cyrl|Саша Зорић}}; born 2 September 1974) is a Serbian former footballer who played as a midfielder.
Club career
Born in Gornji Milanovac,{{Cite web | url=http://arhiva.glas-javnosti.rs/arhiva/2001/06/30/srpski/SR01062902.shtml | title=Kraljevi, generali, predsednik... | language=sr | publisher=glas-javnosti.rs | date=29 June 2001 | access-date=16 October 2021}} Zorić started out at local club Takovo, before joining the youth system of Red Star Belgrade. He would make his senior debut with First League of FR Yugoslavia newcomers Jastrebac Niš during the 1993–94 season. Between 1994 and 1996, Zorić spent two seasons with Obilić.
In late 1996, Zorić moved to the United States to play indoor soccer by signing with the Baltimore Spirit on a two-year contract.{{Cite web | url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1996-10-12-1996286066-story.html | title=Two Croatians get in Spirit, sign 2-year deals | publisher=baltimoresun.com | date=12 October 1996 | access-date=16 October 2021}} He totaled 75 appearances and scored 67 goals over his two seasons in the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL).{{Cite web | url=https://www.statscrew.com/soccer/stats/p-zoricsas001 | title=Sasa Zoric | publisher=statscrew.com | access-date=16 October 2021}} In 1997, Zorić briefly played for the Hershey Wildcats of the A-League.{{Cite web | url=http://soccerstats.us/bios/sasa-zoric/ | title=Sasa Zoric | publisher=soccerstats.us | access-date=16 October 2021}}
In 1998, Zorić returned to his homeland and rejoined Obilić. He spent two seasons with the club, scoring 14 goals in 49 league games over the next two seasons. In July 2000, Zorić was transferred to his parent club Red Star Belgrade.{{Cite web | url=http://arhiva.glas-javnosti.rs/arhiva/2000/07/13/srpski/S00071204.shtm | title=Zorić u Zvezdi! | language=sr | publisher=glas-javnosti.rs | date=12 July 2000 | access-date=16 October 2021}}{{Cite web | url=http://arhiva.glas-javnosti.rs/arhiva/2000/07/22/srpski/S00072108.shtm | title=Crvena zvezda, jednom zauvek | language=sr | publisher=glas-javnosti.rs | date=21 July 2000 | access-date=16 October 2021}} He helped them win the championship title in the 2000–01 season,{{Cite web | url=http://arhiva.glas-javnosti.rs/arhiva/2001/06/21/srpski/S01062007.shtml | title=Krunisanje šampiona | language=sr | publisher=glas-javnosti.rs | date=20 June 2001 | access-date=16 October 2021}} before returning to Obilić. From 2003 to 2006, Zorić played three seasons for Smederevo, formerly known as Sartid.
In 2006, Zorić moved abroad for the second time and joined Chinese club Nanjing Yoyo. He also played for Changsha Ginde and Xiamen Lanshi, before returning to Serbia and joining Kolubara in early 2008. After brief stints with Srem and Banat Zrenjanin, Zorić retired from the game.
International career
At international level, Zorić represented FR Yugoslavia at the 2001 Kirin Cup, appearing in both of his team's matches in the tournament.{{Cite web | url=http://www.reprezentacija.rs/zoric-sasa/ | title=Zorić Saša | language=sr | publisher=reprezentacija.rs | access-date=16 October 2021}}
Honours
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{WorldFootball.net|sasa-zoric}}
- {{NFT player|11073}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zoric, Sasa}}
Category:Sportspeople from Gornji Milanovac
Category:Footballers from Moravica District
Category:Serbia and Montenegro men's footballers
Category:Serbian men's footballers
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Serbia and Montenegro men's international footballers
Category:FK Jastrebac Niš players
Category:Baltimore Spirit players
Category:Hershey Wildcats players
Category:Red Star Belgrade footballers
Category:FK Smederevo 1924 players
Category:Nanjing Yoyo F.C. players
Category:Guangzhou City F.C. players
Category:Xiamen Blue Lions F.C. players
Category:FK Banat Zrenjanin players
Category:First League of Serbia and Montenegro players
Category:National Professional Soccer League (1984–2001) players
Category:A-League (1995–2004) players
Category:China League One players
Category:21st-century Chinese sportsmen
Category:Chinese Super League players
Category:Serbian First League players
Category:Serbia and Montenegro expatriate men's footballers
Category:Serbian expatriate men's footballers
Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in China
Category:Serbia and Montenegro expatriate sportspeople in the United States