After selecting him as the 21st overall pick in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft back on December 19, Orlando City SC have today announced that midfielder Jeorgio Kocevski has been signed to a first team contract at Inter&Co Stadium.
Part way through Round 1 of the draft, the Lions traded $50,000 in 2024 General Allocation Money and $75,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money to Colorado Rapids in exchange for the 21st overall pick. Clearly hoping to get their hands on Kocevski, it all turned out as planned for the Orlando City SC Front Office. After all, the 21-year-old is now officially a Lion and hoping to emulate the success of former draft picks Cyle Larin, Daryl Dike, and Duncan McGuire before him.
NEWS: We have signed midfielder Jeorgio Kocevski to a First Team contract through 2024, with Club options in 2025, 2026 and 2027. @jeo_kocevski | #VamosOrlando
— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) February 20, 2024
>> CLICK HERE TO VIEW JEORGIO KOCEVSKI’S PLAYER PROFILE <<
Jeorgio Kocevski hails from Liverpool, New York.
He made 71 appearances (65 starts) across 5,599 minutes for Syracuse Orange Men’s Soccer in four seasons.
Syracuse University has certainly been a hotbed for burgeoning young MLS talent in recent years.
This was where Orlando City SC drafted Kamal Miller and Abdi Salim from.
Salim was actually a team-mate of Kocevski back in Syracuse Orange’s NCAA National Championship winning season of 2022.
A box-to-box midfielder, Jeorgio Kocevski started and played all 90+ minutes of the 2-2 national championship game against Indiana.
Unfortunately missing his penalty in the shootout, this didn’t get Kocevski down – far from it.
Now officially a Major League Soccer player, Jeorgio Kocevski won plaudits for his mature performance against Flamengo in City’s 1-1 FC Series 2024 draw back on January 27.
Oscar Pareja raised eyebrows by starting Kocevski alongside Wilder Cartagena in central midfield that day.
A baptism of fire for Kocevski, he didn’t let the occasion faze him.
This was despite facing one of Brazil’s biggest clubs on his unofficial City debut.
Looking calm and assured in possession, Orlando City SC saw enough in him that day to sign the midfielder.
More recently, Jeorgio Kocevski scored a 90th minute game winner to help Orlando City SC defeat Colorado Rapids 3-2.
This was in a closed-door scrimmage at Inter&Co Stadium on January 17.
After César Araújo, Wilder Cartagena, Nicolás Lodeiro, and Felipe Martins, Kocevski now waits in the wings too.
This year, Jeorgio Kocevski will likely see a lot of game time with Orlando City B.
Nevertheless, he will still aim to make his MLS debut as well as seeing the field in the cup competitions.
With 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup and 2024 Leagues Cup action to come, there’s plenty of soccer to be played.
Introductory words
Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi said: “Jeorgio has had a really strong preseason camp with us, demonstrating everything we saw in him when we were scouting him and analysing his game in college.
Orlando City SC supporters’ view
Orlando City UK gathered the best tweets after Jeorgio Kocevski officially joined Orlando City SC‘s first team roster.
👋🏽🚨 𝙉𝙀𝙒 𝙎𝙄𝙂𝙉𝙄𝙉𝙂 🚨👋🏽
Welcome to @OrlandoCitySC’s first team roster, @jeo_kocevski. 🦁
⚽️ CM
🗓 19 August 2002 (21)
🇺🇸 United States
⬆️ 6 ft 1 in
👕 Jersey #️⃣3️⃣3️⃣𝙋𝙇𝘼𝙔𝙀𝙍 𝙋𝙍𝙊𝙁𝙄𝙇𝙀 ⚽️: https://t.co/n89d8q36K9#OCTwitter #OrlandoCity #VamosOrlando #MLSUK pic.twitter.com/Db1uM9J3Xw
— Orlando City UK (@Orlando_CityUK) February 20, 2024
Vamos, Jeo!! @jeo_kocevski https://t.co/o84FKLXB1J
— Ricardo Moreira (@9ricardomoreira) February 20, 2024
Score! Great young player ! https://t.co/0wS7qa8pPX
— PattyValentine💜🦁⚽🏆 (@p_a_valentine) February 20, 2024
NEWS: #OrlandoCity has signed MLS SuperDraft pick Jeorgio Kocevski to a First Team contract through 2024 with Club options in 2025, 2026 and 2027.
— Austin David (@AustinDavid22) February 20, 2024
Welcome to the club Jeorgio! #ForeverALion 🦁 pic.twitter.com/z571vLyK1l
— John Rawlins (@JohnRawlinsOCSC) February 20, 2024
Another massive hit in the draft! You LOVE to see it.
— Hogtown Hooligans (@HogtwnHooligans) February 20, 2024
Well done, he deserves it!!
— Moraima (@Moraima_4) February 20, 2024
Outstanding
— Kelly Davis (@RedFLGoonerLion) February 20, 2024
Good signing 🦁 Welcome Jeo!
— FAM (@FizaM19) February 20, 2024
Happy for the Macedonian Modric!
Kid looked the part in preseason.
Hung in there with Flamengo.
Scored a winner against the Rapids.Let’s get to work! #VamosOrlando #OrlandoCity #HonorThyHistory https://t.co/mxeAc6RCqu
— 🏆 Orlando Lions Den Podcast (@OrlandoLionsDen) February 20, 2024
Great move by the lions. Kid had a monster preseason. 👏🏻#VamosOrlando https://t.co/KhzLOKJWuq
— Luis Carlos Pineda (@pineda_orl) February 20, 2024
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