By orangecountysoccer.com Staff,

Irvine, Calif. (May 5, 2017) Orange County SC is delighted to announce the loan signing of 18-year-old Monday Bassey Etim from MLS affiliate, LAFC. Etim becomes the second player to join Orange County SC on loan from LAFC following the arrival of Carlos Alvarez earlier in the year.

Etim, born Calabar, Nigeria, arrives at the club following a year long spell at the Montverde academy in Florida, where he competed against some of Europe’s finest youth academies such as Feyenoord and AS Roma, in which he scored on both occasions. Prior to his time with Montverde, he played for the famed youth academy Kadji Sports Academy in Cameroon who most notably produced Cameroon’s all-time leading goal scorer, Samuel Eto’o.

LAFC’s General Manager and Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations, John Thorrington is excited by Etim’s potential. “LAFC are excited to announce the signing of Monday Bassey Etim as we believe he is a player of incredible promise, and we know his development is in good hands with the technical staff at Orange County,” said Thorrington.

Etim can operate as either a winger or as a forward, he is known for his explosive pace and power and is a player who will look to run at the opposition defence at every opportunity. General Manager and Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations, Oliver Wyss believes this is an important signing for the club. “We are delighted to announce our second LAFC signing. Monday will give the squad a different dimension and we look forward to aiding his development,” said Wyss.

Etim has been cleared in time to be eligible to make his debut his against LA Galaxy II this Saturday. The signing adds additional intrigue to the fixture as Orange County prepare to debut their brand new 5,000 seater stadium at the Orange County Great Park in their USL 2017 home opener.

About The Orange County Soccer Club

The Orange County Soccer Club is Orange County’s Professional Soccer Team. The club was one of 12 founding members of the new United Soccer League (USL) in its inaugural 2011 season. The predecessor club Orange County Blues were the 2015 Western Conference Regular Season Champions and have reached the Western Conference semifinals of the USL Playoffs in back-to-back seasons. The club’s brand-new owner, James Keston, is the Chief Investment Officer of LARO Properties, and will actively oversee all operations of the USL club in Orange County. Keston is dedicated to transforming the club into a world-class professional soccer organization that focuses on the fans, players, and youth clubs of Orange County.

About Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC):

The Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) is the newest MLS soccer club serving the greater Los Angeles area. Its ownership group is comprised of local leaders and innovators of industry with intellectual capital, financial prowess, operations expertise and success in the fields of entertainment, sports, technology, and media. The LAFC ownership group is dedicated to building a world-class soccer club that represents the diversity of Los Angeles and is committed to delivering an unrivaled experience for fans. The home of the Club will be the Banc of California Stadium, the first open-air stadium built in Los Angeles since 1962 and boasts a 22,000-seat capacity. For more information about LAFC, visit LAFC.com and LAFC.com/presskit.

Contact: Kelly Salmieri: VP, Marketing & Community Relations, [email protected], 805.844.0856