Orlando City Signs OCB Goalkeeper Javier Otero and Midfielder Juninho to Short-term MLS Contracts

Orlando City announced this afternoon that the club has signed Orlando City B midfielder Juninho and goalkeeper Javier Otero to short-term MLS contracts. Both players will be available to play this weekend when the Lions take on the New England Revolution in Massachusetts.

The Lions are forced to call up the two OCB players due to a lengthy availability list heading into the weekend. Starting goalkeeper Pedro Gallese is on international duty with Peru and third-choice Adam Grinwis is in concussion protocol, leaving Mason Stajduhar as the only first-team goalkeeper available for tomorrow night’s game. Otero was called up by Venezuela but the club needed him for first-team backup duty.

The team is also without multiple midfielders. Wilder Cartagena is on international duty with Peru, Facundo Torres is with Uruguay, and Gaston Gonzalez is questionable with a right thigh injury. Juninho’s addition provides support for those absences.

Juninho joined OCB on loan from Brazilian Serie A side Vasco da Gama on loan with an option to buy prior to the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro season. The 22-year-old Brazilian has been captain of the Young Lions since the season began, starting 11 games and playing 911 minutes. He scored his lone goal this year last weekend in a 4-0 win over FC Cincinnati 2 and has one assist.

Originally from Cumana, Venezuela, Javier Otero started with the Orlando City U-17 academy team and has been the OCB starting goalkeeper during the past two seasons. After making his professional debut during the last game of 2020, Otero started for OC Academy U-23 in the UPSL Premier Division in 2021 and led MLS NEXT Pro with 100 saves last year. This season, the 20-year-old has started 12 games in MLS NEXT Pro, conceding 18 goals with 36 saves and three clean sheets.

This isn’t the first time Otero has been called up to the first team. Last season, he joined the MLS side in June and July when they were short on goalkeepers. He made his lone appearance on the team sheet on July 13, backing up Gallese when Orlando City was in Colorado.

What This Means for Orlando

In all likelihood, neither Otero nor Juninho will see the field tomorrow night in New England. Stajduhar is the primary backup for the club and will get the start in goal with Otero on the bench. However, having the academy product available means that Orlando City doesn’t have to go into the emergency goalkeeper pool and include a player that hasn’t been with the club. Juninho will also provide depth on the bench should the team need his services.

The advantage of calling up these two young players is that they’ve been with the club. Since Orlando City, OCB, and the academy moved to Osceola Heritage Park in 2020, the teams have been training together. As a result, both Otero and Juninho have plenty of experience with the first team, so they’re not being thrown into a group they’ve yet to meet.

The additions also answer why neither player played last night in OCB’s 1-0 loss to Chicago Fire II. Otero was scheduled to be on international duty with Venezuela, but didn’t appear on the team sheet in his country’s 1-0 win over Honduras. Meanwhile, Juninho was expected to play prior to this news, but wasn’t with the team in Illinois.

Because these are short-term agreements (valid for up to four days), both players will have short stays with the first team unless signed to another. Players may be signed to up to four short-term agreements in a season and appear on up to four MLS league season match rosters. However, such players may appear in a maximum of just two first-team league matches.