The MLS Transfer Window for the pre-season starts on 18th of February and ends on the 12th of May. With the pre-season window closing recently, it is time to look back on Orlando City Soccer Club’s three main acquisitions and releases during this time.

Antonio Nocerino (From D.C. United)

The Lions acquired Italian Midfielder Antonio Nocerino from the nation’s capital on February 18th, 2016. Nocerino’s former clubs include Italian Giants, Juventus FC, and A.C. Milan. He has scored a total of 28 goals out of 370* appearances in his senior career. He has 15 caps for the Italian Senior National Team, his last appearance taking place in 2012.

The 31-year-old has made six appearances for the Lions and has played a total of 465 minutes, an average of 78 minutes every game he has taken part of. He hasn’t had a positive effect on matches so far. With a total of one shot on target out of his total of three shots. It is fair to say that Nocerino is far past his peak.

Julio Baptista (Free Agent)

Continuing the trend of Orlando acquiring players older than 30 is Brazilian Forward Julio Baptista. Baptista’s track record is a little more impressive than Nocerino’s. Playing for European Clubs Real Madrid, Arsenal, and Roma. He has scored a total of 94 goals out of 340* appearances in his senior career. Baptista has 47 caps for the Brazilian National Team, his last appearance occurring in 2010, and a total of five goals. One of those five international goals came during the 2007 Copa America Final. Baptista scored the first goal in a 3-0 win over Argentina to win the Copa America.

The 34-year-old made his first appearance for the Lions against the Philadelphia Union on April 8th. He was brought on during the 91st minute while the Lions were down 2-1 after a Union Free Kick. Undoubtedly, Baptista’s greatest moment is winning a penalty in the first minutes of a match against the New England Revolution. His former Brazil teammate, Ricardo Kaka, converted the PK in the second minute to make the scoreline 1-0.

Baptista has played a grand total of 164 minutes, an average of 41 minutes every match. Baptista has one shot on target out of his four total shots. Something else Baptista has in common with Nocerino is that both of them have not made themselves a force to be reckoned with. Clearly, these players are shells of what they used to be.

Aurélien Collin (To New York Red Bulls)

Aurélien Collin was struggling to get a place on Adrian Heath’s Starting XI, as central defenders Seb Hines, Tommy Redding, and David Mateos were more in-form than the Frenchman. On the 29th of April, 2016, Orlando City announced that they were trading Collin to the Red Bulls for a fourth-round draft pick.

Shortly after the transfer, Collin was back in Orlando. This time sporting Red and White instead of Purple. Collin’s first start for the Red Bulls was on May 6th, 2016, against the Lions. The match ended in a 1-1 stalemate.