Announced earlier today, the club will see Academy products from the Glasgow side feature on loan for Orange County. Additionally, the clubs’ “commercial and media teams” will coordinate on projects benefiting both sides over the next few years.
Aaron Cervantes was one of a few of Orange County’s younger players who recently flew out to visit Glasgow and train with Rangers during the off season.
For Orange County, it’s a partnership that makes great sense. Unlike most USL affiliations (and the partnership with LAFC), geographic limits mean Rangers is unlikely to send out a player for just a game, meaning that squad cohesion and match preparations shouldn’t be challenged by a loanee’s presence. The partnership also fulfills OCSC’s youth development tenet.
For Rangers, it provides an opportunity to send players out on loan, offering competitive experience and a challenge for younger players to adapt to a truly professional lifestyle. While OC and Glasgow vary quite greatly, the large contingent of British ex-pats in the area and working with the club should provide a level of homeliness for the loanees.
More than that, OC offers a warm, spacious, and beautiful place to do preseason for the Scottish side… for the fans it means that Rangers and Orange County will likely square off in the summer.
To read the specifics of the announcement, click here.