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So Orlando City SC ran out 3-1 winners over Saint Louis FC in the first unofficial fixture at Orlando City Stadium yesterday with Kaká (who else!) the first goalscorer at our new facility.
The friendly taught us a few things but one eye-catching factor was the new squad numbers worn by the Lions’ off-season arrivals and those players switching things up for 2017.
While there hasn’t been official confirmation from Orlando City SC as yet, we’re 99.9% sure that the new squad numbers spotted in yesterday’s 3-1 friendly win over Saint Louis FC will remain throughout the 2017 MLS campaign.
*DISCLAIMER – Before rushing ahead to get your 2017 Orlando City SC jersey printed with your favourite hero’s name, wait until these squad numbers are 100% confirmed by the club*
While Jonathan Spector was immediately awarded squad number 2 when arriving from Birmingham City in January, the numbers to be worn by our fellow off-season arrivals now seem to have been revealed.
Will Johnson looks like he’ll be taking squad number 8, Donny Toia chooses 25 – the number he wore for Montreal Impact – while Josh Saunders and Danny Deakin take 28 and 30 respectively.
Victor ‘PC’ Giro and Orlando City B graduate Pierre da Silva seem to have favoured numbers that denote their year of birth – both 94 and 98.
As for those players switching things up (and causing fans a nuisance!) for the 2017 Major League Soccer campaign, Antonio Nocerino has switched to his favoured number 23 – formerly worn at Palermo, AC Milan and Parma.
As a result, Conor Donovan reverts to 22, Tony Rocha is now 16, Mason Stajduhar 31 and Matías Pérez García now 32, taking Adrian Winter‘s old squad number.
Arriving from Vancouver Whitecaps in a swap deal for Brek Shea yesterday, Giles Barnes‘ squad number is yet to be confirmed.