The Swope Park Rangers’ Kevin Oliveira wasn’t on the field with his teammates as they claimed the USL Western Conference Championship and a berth in 2016 USL Cup Final, but he was there every step of the way with his teammates as they pursued a championship with him sidelined.

After a training injury saw the Cape Verde standout – who was the No. 2 selection on the USL 20 Under 20 this summer – see his season come to a premature end with a torn ACL, the recovery process is going well enough that the chance he’ll be ready for the start of preseason is within reach.

“Right now I’m four months in [to my recovery], I just started to work on the field and I feel good,” Oliveira told Patrik Bergabo. “I hope I’ll be ready for preseason. I work every day for that. The goal is to be ready for the first game.”