The Orlando City U23s held open tryouts this past Saturday at the Seminole Soccer Complex (SSC), featuring over 70 trialists looking to break into the pro soccer world. Through a series of scrimmages, players from the local area and universities across the United States spent two days hoping to impress U23 Head Coach Paul Shaw and his staff.

“It was a very good standard of play,” said Shaw. “Everybody was really committed and worked hard throughout the two days, and we were pleased with the level of play.”

Throughout the two-day trial period, four teams formed and competed against each other multiple times in an 11v11 setting. Shaw’s staff was responsible for the lineups and substitutions, as well as assisting in the evaluation process.

Shaw is entering his first year as Head Coach and plans to build on the U23’s success from a year ago. The Lions marked their first appearance in the Final Four since the 2004 season and finished the season as Southern Conference Champions. The U23s will play seven games at home this year, and kick off their season on May 19th at SSC against the Bradenton Athletics.

“I’m excited to lead the U23s and build on their success in recent years,” said Shaw. “My aim is to develop players and play an attractive style, maintaining the club’s philosophy.”

Click here for the full U23 schedule!