Started his professional career with Club Alajuela of the Costa Rican First Division in 1996. He has also played for numerous international clubs such as ’ Real España, ’s The Strongest, ’s Tecos de Guadalajara, and ’s Qhing Dao, among others. In 2004, he played for ’s Olimpia and participated in the prestigious Copa Toyota Libertadores de America. He has represented in the International level as an U-23 and the Senior National Team in the 2002 and 2006 World Cup Qualifiers. He last played in ’s First Division with San Francisco FC in 2006 when he helped his team win the Torneo Clausura. He has won many championships and MVP and Scoring Leader awards all throughout his career. Zapata joined the Islanders in December 2006 for the Concacaf Champions Cup Qualifiers. He returns in 2007 for his first season with the Islanders.