During his junior year at Syracuse, Jeorgio Kocevski won just about everything he could. The Orange won the NCAA National Championship, ACC Championship and the ACC regular season title. He played in all four seasons at Cuse, but he became a key contributor in years three and four. The central midfielder served more as a scorer in 2022, with 5 goals and 4 assists. Last season, Kocevski stepped into more of a playmaker role as the team captain, assisting 12 goals along with one of his own. With the 21st pick in the MLS SuperDraft, Orlando City scooped up Jeorgio Kocevski.
Orlando traded for the pick, exchanging $75K GAM with the Colorado Rapids to acquire No. 21. With the selection, the Lions have picked up a crafty box-to-box midfielder. On such a talented team as Syracuse was, winning the treble just a year ago, it is not easy to stand out among such a gifted group. Kocevski did just that. He is one of seven players from the title-winning team to get drafted. He says that the play of his teammates was just as crucial to him, as his own skillset was to them. Additionally, he feels that much of the team's success was helped by their connection off the pitch.
"As far as Syracuse, I think it was obvious we had the talent on the field to play at the highest level," Kocevski said. "The hardest part of having all that talent together was always going to be the relationship between the players and I think that’s what separated us from everyone. We had so much talent but the people behind the talent was unbelievable, there was no player who thought he was bigger than the team and the chemistry we were able to build due to that was unstoppable. A lot of that has to do with the recruiting coming from the coaches where they recruit the person just as much as they recruit the talent."
For SuperDraft picks, the road to success in MLS is never straightforward. There are loads of people who want the draft to be eliminated completely. Even so, the draft has produced some serious talent over the years. Regardless, there is no guarantees when a player is picked. Kocevski knows this. He aims to stay strong mentally and keep a balanced attitude.
"I think the biggest thing I’ve learned is that attitude always matters," Kocevski said. "Never get too high and never get too low. I think having a positive attitude all the time even if things aren’t going your way, for yourself, and for the others around you to make sure the attitude of the team is in the right place."
Orlando City is a squad of immense talent, but there will be some opportunities in the midfield. The departure of longtime captain Mauricio Pereyra opens up some opportunities. Orlando have Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena, but Jeorgio Kocevski will definitely have a chance to break into a team that has shown a willingness to play their young players.
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