by Datti Jinkiri
The summer signings continue to roll in for Brilla, as Coach Mark McKeever has made two more additions. Forward Lucas Cordeiro and midfielder Oscar Jimenez will be arriving in Clinton next week. These two will bring professional experience, having both last played for the Tulsa Roughnecks of the USL.
Cordeiro played his college soccer at Oklahoma Wesleyan, where he was a teammate of former Brilla standout Lucas Almeida. The Belo Horizonte, Brazil native scored 48 times for the Eagles, and his performance helped him land a professional contract with the newly formed Roughnecks. In his lone season with Tulsa, Cordeiro started in 14 out of the 20 matches in which he played. He accumulated four goals and five assists during the season.
“Lucas is a player who is looking to showcase his talents in the PDL and use it to get back into the USL,” McKeever stated. “I feel confident that Lucas will cause any team in the PDL problems due to his dynamic nature. He ticks all the boxes of being a professional footballer, and it will be a pleasure to see him strive to reach his potential this summer. Lucas provides an option centrally and wide. Wherever he is, there is going to be impact!”
Jimenez played collegiately at Western Washington University, where he finished his career with 17 goals and 22 assists. The Mount Vernon, Washington native was a fixture in the Roughnecks midfield, playing in 20 matches and starting in 10. He racked up one goal and two assists during the season.
“Oscar is coming to us with a great amount of experience from having played at the pro level already,” McKeever said. “I feel very comfortable that Oscar can use this experience to facilitate a move back into the USL. He is very comfortable on the ball, and his creativity is at the highest level. Oscar can play any of the central midfield roles, but it is most likely we will use him in advanced areas of the field to help us win games.”
Mississippi Brilla FC begins 2016 play by hosting the First Round of the U.S. Open Cup on May 11. They open the PDL season with a home contest against Peachtree City on May 14. Home matches will be played at Clinton’s Traceway Park.