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Ever since the USMNT’s infamous collapse in qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the #PlayYourKids movement has been rumbling on strongly stateside
With additional conversations surrounding youth development within Major League Soccer, the youth landscape of Orlando City SC has seen two significant milestones this week.
Orlando City B returns
Firstly, Fernando Jose De Argila Irurita was appointed new head coach of Orlando City B on Wednesday with the team set to compete in the newly branded USL Division III, the third tier of United States soccer, in the upcoming 2019 season.
The team has been on a year-long hiatus following two years in USL, the second tier league that will soon be rebranded as the USL Championship.
OCB reached the conference quarter-finals in the first season and finished 18th the following campaign under the leadership of promising head coach Anthony Pulis.
The decision to go on hiatus was seen as a step backwards for the organisation as it became one of only four MLS teams to not have a USL affiliate in 2018 alongside Columbus Crew, Minnesota United and New England Revolution.
Orlando City B had previously been used to giving young players on the fringe of the senior squad playing time without having to ship them out on loan to another city as had previously been the case during Orlando City SC’s inaugural MLS season in 2015 when Louisville City were the Lions’ official USL affiliate.
A similar arrangement has been demonstrated again this year with Pierre da Silva, Cam Lindley and Tony Rocha all spending short amounts of time with Saint Louis FC, currently led by the familiar face of Anthony Pulis.
However, with Orlando City SC already outsourcing the Academy Development sides to the Soccer Institute at Montverde Academy (SIMA) where the latest incarnation of OCB will also play, the new side will now likely act as the intermediary between the Academy and the MLS side, helping prepare the academy players for the step up.
Orlando City B General Manager Mike Potempa spoke of the structure in an upward fashion saying the new third side will not be used to loan down members of the senior squad looking for regular minutes or recovering from injury but instead be a path forward for academy graduates.
22 Under 22
This leads us on nicely to the second event of the past week, the unveiling of the MLS 22 Under 22.
This power ranking of the top young footballers across the league is voted for by 19 experts across four anonymous technical staffers, ten members of the MLS digital team and five North American soccer journalists, and is based on the criteria of technical ability, tactical IQ, physical attributes and future potential.
Previously known as 24 Under 24 before this year’s age eligibility change in response to the increased quota of even younger talent across the league, Orlando City SC had previously featured at least one player in the list every season.
Former Lion Cyle Larin topped the poll in 2016 having finished tenth in his inaugural season and fifth last year before his controversial transfer to Turkish giants Beşiktaş. The same year, Cristian Higuita also featured at 21 with Tommy Redding at 23.
This year however, no Orlando City SC players made the grade despite Pierre da Silva, Josué Colmán and Cam Lindley all being eligible. City’s first round draft pick in March, Chris Mueller, was two months older than the age eligibility cut off.
Time to #PlayYourKids?
Has the hiatus of OCB, lack of USL affiliate and an absence of first team opportunities stunted the growth of the young men in purple and is it time to #PlayYourKids?
Orlando City SC’s 2018 struggles have been well documented. A chaotic start to the season saw six wins in six immediately turn into a run of six defeats in six as Jason Kreis was shown the door.
James O’Connor stepped in to take charge and try and right the ship to no avail. The team has been all but done in the qualification hunt for the 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs for weeks now, although they are remarkably still not mathematically out of the reckoning.
So with nothing but pride to play for in the final five league matches, should James O’Connor be committing himself to the long-term future of this team by finally giving Pierre da Silva, Josué Colmán and Cam Lindley meaningful minutes?
It’s excusable to think that the Irishman came in with a win now mentality passed down from a Front Office that undertook a massive squad overhaul in the winter to challenge for a playoff spot and decided to lean more on proven, experienced talent.
But now languishing at the bottom of the Eastern Conference and struggling for victories, should we be demanding to see more of a Designated Player, a touted first round pick who was traded for Rafael Ramos and Targeted Allocation Money, and a promising youngster who was last year ranked first in the USL’s own 20 Under 20 list?
Jason Kreis vs James O’Connor managerial comparison – 2018 MLS season (Credit: © Andrew Sharp)
A cursory glance at the numbers will tell you that James O’Connor has only mustered one win in his 12-game Orlando City SC managerial career and his points per game, and goals for and against per 90 minutes are all worse than under the leadership of Jason Kreis earlier this year.
But delve deeper into the stats of the Lions’ youth contingent (all three players eligible for 22 Under 22 plus sole 2018 MLS SuperDraft pick Chris Mueller) and the bad reading continues.
Young Orlando City SC players’ minutes comparison, Jason Kreis vs James O’Connor – 2018 MLS season (Credit: © Andrew Sharp)
Pierre da Silva was never used by Jason Kreis and, despite not starting this season, the United States Under-19 international who is also eligible to play for Brazil and Peru has since come off the bench twice for James O’Connor for a total of 49 minutes following three full appearances on loan at Saint Louis FC and scoring once for them.
But he is an anomaly as Josué Colmán, Cam Lindley and Chris Mueller have all seen their involvement in the senior squad decrease under the new regime.
Young Orlando City SC players’ appearances comparison, Jason Kreis vs James O’Connor – 2018 MLS season (Credit: © Andrew Sharp)
Young Designated Player Josué Colmán began the season as a starter but became a perennial substitute, ending with five starts in 15 games and an average of 47.3 minutes per appearance. Under O’Connor however, he has only started three of 12 and his average appearance is 10 minutes less.
A player with a lot of potential and under a DP tag, Colmán has shown flashes of promise but has struggled with end product, something that will likely only improve with game time.
Cam Lindley was a prototype Jason Kreis player, functioning as a holding defensive midfielder in the trademark diamond and starting in three of the Lions’ opening four games of the season.
However, when that diamond was scrapped in favour of a 4-2-3-1 formation, Lindley dropped out of the team and hasn’t featured since.
Chris Mueller started the season well with three goals and three assists but his production dropped following the managerial change and the first round pick has only registered a single assist since.
While the former University of Wisconsin forward appeared in every match under Kreis, O’Connor has given him less starts and left him on the bench twice.