Jeorgio Kocevski

Jeorgio Kocevski (born August 19, 2002) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Major League Soccer club Orlando City.

Early life

Kocevski grew up in Liverpool, New York. He played youth soccer in nearby Rochester with the U.S. Soccer Development Academy team Empire United Soccer Academy.

College career

In 2020, Kocevski began attending Syracuse University, where he played four seasons for the men's soccer team. He made his collegiate debut in the season opener on October 6, 2020, recording his first collegiate assist. On February 12, 2021, he scored his first and only goal of the season as an 86th-minute winner in a 2–1 victory over the Hofstra Pride. In total he played 12 matches as a freshman including 10 starts. He made a further 17 appearances as a sophomore, creating one assist. Kocevski had a breakout season as a junior in 2022 as Syracuse won the treble of the 2022 Atlantic Coast Conference regular season, 2022 ACC tournament and 2022 NCAA College Cup, marking the program's first national championship title in history. He was a prominent figure starting in 21 of his 22 appearances, including starting every ACC and NCAA tournament match, and earned All-Tournament team honors for both. He scored a career-high five goals and registered four assists on the year.

Ahead of his senior season, he was named team captain. He started all 20 appearances and made a career-high 12 assists, the third most in a single season in program history, as well as scoring one goal. At the end of the season, he was named the ACC Co-Midfielder of the Year jointly with Mouhameth Thiam, and was named to the All-ACC First Team, the All-South Region First Team, and was a Third Team All-American. He was also invited to participate in the MLS College Showcase.

Club career

In 2019 and 2021, he played with Syracuse FC in the National Premier Soccer League. In 2021, he was named to the Rust Belt Conference Best XI.

In 2022, he played with the Ocean City Nor'easters in USL League Two.

In 2023, he joined USL League Two club Long Island Rough Riders. In his debut on May 27, he scored his first goal in a 3–0 victory over the Hudson Valley Hammers. He scored four goals in 12 matches for the club. He helped them win the Metropolitan Division Championship and was named the club's Player of the Year and was named to the USL League Two Team of the Year.

In December 2023, Kocevski was selected in the first round (21st overall) of the 2024 MLS SuperDraft by Orlando City. Orlando traded $75,000 in General Allocation Money during the draft to acquire the pick from Colorado Rapids. In February 2024, Orlando signed him to a one-year contract with three option years.

Career statistics

College

Club

As of June 28, 2024

Honours

Syracuse Orange

• Atlantic Coast Conference regular season: 2022
• Atlantic Coast Conference tournament: 2022
• NCAA College Cup: 2022

Ocean City Nor'easters

• USL League Two Mid Atlantic Division: 2022

Long Island Rough Riders

• USL League Two Metropolitan Division: 2023

Individual

• ACC Midfielder of the Year: 2023
• All-ACC First Team: 2023
• USL League Two Team of the Year: 2023

References

External links

• Jeorgio Kocevski at Syracuse Orange
• Jeorgio Kocevski at Soccerway.com
• Jeorgio Kocevski at FBref.com