(Photo by Victor Tan / New Day Review)
The first offseason moves for Orlando City SC have begun. In addition to re-signing midfielder Dillon Powers, City have also added two new players: defender R.J. Allen and forward Stéfano Pinho.
“We’ve began adding pieces to the roster ahead of the 2018 campaign,” general manager Niki Budalic said, per the team’s press release. “Allen and Powers bring strong [Major League Soccer] experience to the group while Pinho is a good striker that can play in multiple positions and has excelled in three [North American Soccer League] seasons.”
Allen arrives in Central Florida via a trade with New York City FC that sent the Lions’ 2018 third-round pick north. He played under City head coach Jason Kreis in his first season with NYCFC in 2015. Since then, he has started 42 of his 53 regular-season appearances, scoring a goal and recording 11 assists. He tallied three assists in 10 starts and 15 appearances in 2017. The 27-year-old also has playoff experience, starting both of NYCFC’s playoff games in 2016.
As for Pinho, he joins the Lions after adding additional NASL Golden Ball and NASL Golden Boot awards to his trophy case. He scored 17 goals in 27 appearances this past season, adding four more goals in the U.S. Open Cup and a hat-trick in a 3-1 win over Orlando City.
Powers joined City in late July 2017 in a trade with the Colorado Rapids. He started four of his six appearances for the Lions, totaling 345 minutes and 1 on-target shot. In four and a half previous seasons with Colorado, he started 116 of his 136 appearances, scoring 14 times, tallying 26 assists and shooting 141 times (46 on-target) in 10,106 minutes.
For more on Orlando City, as the Lions prepare for the 2018 season, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.
