Swope Park Rangers Loan Out Jacob VanCompernolle

When the Swope Park Rangers were being assembled for their inaugural season many people asked what kind of players would make it onto that team. Would it be full of academy players from the SKC Academy? Would it be players loaned from Sporting Kansas City? Perhaps USL veterans would join this new club?

Well Jacob VanCompernolle fell into the last spot. He had previously played for the OKC Energy FC before joining Swope in the offseason. Well now he is set to return to OKC on loan for the rest of the 2016 season.

VanCompernolle started the season as the starting center back alongside former Los Angeles Galaxy player Tommy Meyer. He held that role for a few weeks before the wheels started to fall off the Swope Park Ranger machine and the team hit a bit of a slump. It's arguable that VanCompernolle is now fourth on the depth chart behind Meyer, Oumar Ballo and Amer Didic.

It makes sense based on his position that he returns to OKC. He'll have a better chance of getting onto the field and it may set the stage for him to return there in 2017. I wouldn't be surprised if this is the last we see of VanCompernolle on the Swope Park Rangers. He did get to play some left back for SPR this season, but his skills clearly fit better into his more natural center back role.

VanCompernolle ended his time with the Rangers having played in nine games for a total of 643 minutes. The Swope Park Rangers play the Energy two more times this season with both a home and a road game to come. They next meet on July 12, 2016 in Kansas City and then travel back to OKC for their fourth and final meeting on September 18, 2016. The Energy are 2-0 against SPR already this season.

I'll leave you with this. If VanCompernolle never plays another minute for the Rangers, we'll always have this bizarre mascot unveiling video.