Swope Park Rangers midfielder Kevin Oliveira suffered a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in his left knee during training last week and will miss the remainder of the 2016 United Soccer League season, the club announced. Oliveira will undergo surgery next week at the Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Clinic of Kansas City under the care of the team’s orthopedic surgeon Dr. Kirk McCullough.
“Kevin has been one of most promising U-20 players in the league, so it’s always tough to lose a player like that,” head coach Marc Dos Santos said. “He’s a very strong-minded guy, he has a strong attitude, a strong character and I’m sure he’s going to come back even better. The club’s going to be here to support him, and we’re going to give him all the tools he needs to come back healthier than ever.”
Oliveira has made 13 appearances for the Rangers in the team’s inaugural season. The 20-year-old leads the USL with four assists and has also contributed three goals.
Oliveira joined the Swope Park Rangers from Benfica B in Portugal and has experience with the Cape Verde National Team. He has twice been named to the USL Team of the Week and was honored as USL Player of the Week earlier this month.
The Swope Park Rangers continue their debut season on Saturday when they host Saint Louis FC at Swope Soccer Village. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT and the match will be streamed live online at SportingKC.com/Rangers, while tickets are available here.
