Swope Park Rangers midfielder Kevin Oliveira has been selected at number two of the United Soccer League’s 20-Under-20 list, the league announced today. The list, which highlights the best young talent in the league, was constructed through input from coaches and technical staff around the USL.
Oliveira, who turned 20 in June, has made 13 appearances for the Rangers this season, notching three goals and a team-best four assists. He was named USL Player of the Week for Week 12 after becoming the first player this year in MLS, NASL or USL to record three assists in one game when he scored once and assisted on the other three goals in a 4-0 win over Rio Grande Valley FC on his birthday, June 8.
Heading into a game against Seattle Sounders FC 2 on June 26, Oliveira suffered a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in his left knee during training and was ruled out for the remainder of the 2016 season.
A native of Sao Vicente, Cape Verde, Oliveira moved to Portugal as a teenager to join Benfica’s Academy. Over the next few years, Oliveira advanced Benfica’s B team in the Portuguese Segunda Liga – where he also played on loan at SC Covilha. On the international stage, Oliveira spent time in camp with the Cape Verde National Team in early 2015.
