“I’d like to thank Phil Rawlins, Paul McDonough, Coach Adrian Heath, and the entire Orlando City organization for picking me first,” said Larin. “I really appreciate it, and I can’t wait to come in and work really hard.”
“Cyle ticks a lot of the boxes that you look for in a modern day striker,” said Heath. “He has good size, he’s very athletic, and he can score a variety of goals. He has a little bit of everything, and ultimately it came down to the fact that goal-scorers are a hot commodity.”
In addition, Orlando selected U-20 U.S. Men’s National Team and Generation adidas Defender Conor Donovan and University of Tulsa Forward Akeil Barrett with the 22nd and 25th picks, respectively, in the second round of the SuperDraft.
Donovan joins the Lions after spending one season at North Carolina State University. During his freshman season, the defender appeared in 15 matches for N.C. State, recording one goal and one assist.
At the international level, Donovan is currently with the U-20 USMNT for the 2015 CONCACAF U-20 Championship underway in Jamaica. Donovan has been a mainstay within the U.S. Youth National Team ranks – earning 33 international caps with the U-17, U-18 and U-20 teams.
Barrett will begin his professional career with Orlando after spending four years at the collegiate level, scoring 22 career goals for the University of Tulsa and the University of Akron.
After playing his freshman season with Akron, Barrett transferred to the University of Tulsa – earning honors such as Conference USA All-Tournament Team (2012), NSCAA All-Midwest Region Third Team (2013), All-Conference USA Second Team (2013) and American Athletic Conference First Team (2014).
Transaction: Orlando City SC Selects Akeil Barrett and Conor Donovan in Second Round of MLS SuperDraft
Name: Conor Donovan
Date of Birth: 01/08/1996
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 176 lbs.
Citizenship: United States of America
Birthplace: Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina
Twitter: @con_don_20
Name: Akeil Barrett
Date of Birth: 07/07/1992
Height: 5’7”
Weight: 130 lbs.
Citizenship: Jamaica
Birthplace: Kingston, Jamaica
Twitter: @akeilmaestro
The 2015 Major League Soccer season kicks off at the Orlando Citrus Bowl as the Lions host New York City FC on March 8, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. To purchase Season Tickets, visit www.OrlandoCitySC.com or call 855-ORL-CITY. Also, follow the latest Orlando City news and updates via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
About Orlando City Soccer Club:
The Lions’ first team set the U.S. record for best start of any professional soccer club in its first 100 league matches (66-12-22). Orlando City has won three USL PRO regular season titles and two postseason championships. Outside of the first squad, OCSC also has a youth club, Orlando City Youth Soccer (OCYS) and a U-23 team that participates in the PDL. For more information on the pro and youth clubs, visit www.OrlandoCitySC.com and www.OrlandoCityYouth.org.