By Datti Jinkiri
Louisville City FC of the USL recently announced the signing of former Brilla midfielder Oscar Jimenez. Jimenez, who was a fan favorite, is the latest player to parlay his time at Brilla into a pro contract.
He had been a member of fellow USL club Tulsa Roughnecks, making 18 appearances in the process. However, his time with the club expired, and he needed a fresh start elsewhere. He signed with Brilla in the spring of 2016, hoping to use his Mississippi tenure to spring him back into the professional scene.
Jimenez was already expected to play a large role in the Brilla attack, and he responded by living up to the hype. In his only Brilla season, the Mount Vernon, Washington product tied for the team lead in goals with four. He also added two assists.
He was invited to a tryout in Louisville recently, and he impressed the Louisville City staff enough to ink another professional contract. “I felt like I was very composed, positive and encouraging to everyone that was there,” Jimenez said. “I pretty much like putting the team first instead of trying to do too much myself to impress the coaches. I think a team-first mentality stood out to James (O'Connor, the Louisville City manager). Now I’m just excited to get out there and to figure out where James sees me fitting in the best and how I can contribute to the team.”
Jimenez will be expected to add depth to an already stout midfield. Louisville City made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, and they will be looking to improve on that finish this season.