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.”

Oliveira had three goals and four assists in his 13 appearances for the Rangers, and was coming into form just as his injury occurred. A one goal, three assist performance against Rio Grande Valley FC put the 19-year-old firmly in the spotlight as it looked to work its way up the standings.

“It hurts, because I was in a good moment and the team was starting to play really well in June,” Oliveira told Bergabo. “After that, it hurts for me to just sit there watching the games, seeing my teammates play.”

As his recovery grew, Oliviera also did everything he could to support his teammates as they made a remarkable run first to fourth place in the Western Conference standings, and then to the club’s first piece of silverware in the postseason.

“Almost every day I was with my team and they did a good job,” Oliveira told Bergabo. “I’m so proud because my team did beautiful work while I was out. We were the Conference champions and we went to the USL Cup Final and I’m so proud of my team this year.”

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Will Oliveira set to return to action, his hope is the side can build on the success it found in its inaugural season and remain a title threat in the Western Conference.

“Next year we’re going to be putting in the same work, we won’t change anything,” Oliveira told Bergabo. “We’ll work every day and work as a family and try to do as well as we did this year.”