Ivan Mirkovic departs OC Blues, reunites with Preki at Saint Louis FC

The second Orange County Blues player departure was announced on Thursday, as midfielder Ivan Mirkovic was announced as one of Saint Louis FC’s new signings for the 2017 season.

Mirkovic, who played one season with the Blues after two with Sacramento Republic FC, will reunite at Saint Louis with Preki, who was his head coach in Sacramento and was the man who got him his start in USL back in 2014. So in that light, the move makes a lot of sense, as Preki has a reputation of having considerable player loyalty, a loyalty reciprocated, over the years.

For the Blues, Mirkovic’s departure will likely not be easily overcome. He was the captain of the team in 2016, and provided a pitbull-like presence as a physical defensive midfielder to support the back line. Of course, roster turnover is not uncommon in USL and one figures Oliver Wyss and whoever will become the Blues’ next coach will be on the lookout for new players to take Mirkovic’s place next season.

We’ll keep you posted on Orange County’s coaching situation and player movement as more information drops.

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