Orlando City SC signs midfielder Oriol Rosell pending receipt of his ITC and P-1 Visa. City acquired the No. 1 position in the Major League Soccer (MLS) Allocation Ranking Order from FC Dallas in exchange for $400,000 in Targeted Allocation Money to bring the returning MLS player to Orlando.
“Uri brings many attributes to our midfield. He is a proven MLS midfielder with great vision and outstanding passing abilities to contribute offensively and defensively to the team,” Orlando City SC General Manager Niki Budalic said. “We’re excited to have him join the team.”
A product of the renowned FC Barcelona academy La Masia, Rosell joins the Lions from Sporting Clube de Portugal of Liga NOS, Portugal’s top flight. After signing with the Leões in July 2014, Rosell, commonly known as ‘Uri,’ made four Taça de Portugal Placard appearances to help Sporting win the 2014/15 Portuguese cup. Overall, Rosell made 22 appearances with Sporting Club de Portugal, including 12 in Liga NOS, one in the UEFA Champions League and one in the Europa League. Rosell spent the following three campaigns on loan with first-tier sides Vitória Guimarães SC, CF Belenenses and most recently with Portimonense SC, making 39 overall appearances and scoring one goal.
The 25-year old midfielder returns to MLS after a successful two-year stint with Sporting Kansas City beginning in August 2012. Rosell played a key role in Kansas City’s 2013 MLS Cup championship, registering 31 appearances, one goal and two assists in the regular season, and featuring in five MLS Cup playoffs games that campaign. Rosell also recorded six appearances in the 2013/14 CONCACAF Champions League. Rosell made 57 overall appearances, scored two goals and two assists for Kansas City.
After joining La Masia in 2006 at age 14, Rosell made his professional debut with FC Barcelona B in January 2012 before appearing in five more games that season in La Liga 2. On the international stage, Rosell has one cap with the Catalonia national team.
The allocation process is the mechanism used to determine which MLS Club has first priority to acquire a player listed on the Allocation Ranking List. The list consists of select U.S. Men’s National Team players, elite youth U.S. National Team players and former MLS players returning to MLS after joining a non-MLS club for a transfer fee greater than $500,000.