Orlando City Giving the Kids A Look

Orlando City finished its 2025 preseason campaign with a 2-2 draw against Inter Miami CF Friday night at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. It capped off the first winless preseason campaign in club history. However, there were some positives to take away from the past three weeks.

Since Luiz Muzzi joined the club in Dec. 2018 and subsequently brought Ricardo Moreira on, there’s been a much greater focus on bringing players through the club’s youth setup. No fewer than nine players have come out of the academy; played for the club’s second team, Orlando City B; and signed Homegrown contracts with the first team since the pair took over. It’s something that’s continued this year.

The two most notable additions have been 18-year-old defensive midfielder Colin Guske and 16-year-old midfielder Gustavo Caraballo. Guske is the third member of his family to come through the academy and join OCB. He follows his older brothers Owen and Liam. However, the youngest Guske is the only one to sign a first-team deal.

It’s not a surprise that the young defensive midfielder has seen time on the field this preseason. He played the most minutes of anyone his age in MLS NEXT Pro last year and just signed a first-team deal on Dec. 16.

The bigger surprise has been Caraballo. The 16-year-old signed with the Young Lions on Aug. 14, 2023, and has only made two short appearances. But Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja clearly thought enough of the young player to throw him into the deep end, starting him in the team’s preseason opener against Atletico Mineiro on Jan. 25.

Fortunately, he swam well this preseason, showing his ability from the opening game. The teenager has shown no fear, even when going up against older, experienced opposition. His fearlessness with the ball has been impressive, especially for someone of his age.

A player you might see more of this year for the first team is right back Alex Freeman. The 20-year-old defender has been arguably the most impressive of the young players and played extensively this preseason. The Homegrown Player scored against Atlanta United in a closed-door friendly and was crucial in several attacks this preseason.

A fourth player is one some probably thought wouldn’t be back with the team this year. Center back Thomas Williams initially signed a Homegrown deal on June 15, 2021. After a strong start with the first team, he’s played exclusively with OCB the last couple of years and has had his struggles. He’s been regularly outplayed by Nabi Kibunguchy and often found himself on the bench for the reserve side.

Despite his inconsistency, Orlando City signed him to a new two-year deal on Jan. 22, keeping him in Orlando through 2026. Since he’s only 20 years old, it’s not a surprise the club thinks he can develop into a productive first-team player. However, the club didn’t pick up the option on Wilfredo Rivera at the same age, signing him to OCB instead.

The playing time awarded to Guske, Caraballo, and Williams show the club’s continuing commitment to developing Homegrown talent. Even Rivera was kept at the club after the Lions decided not to exercise his option and signed multiple short-term MLS deals last year.

In all likelihood, none of these players will see significant time with the first team in 2025. However, they showed their abilities this preseason and could be future starters for the club. They’ll make watching OCB a must for Orlando City fans this season to see how they do.

There are some other players to pay attention to this year for OCB. 19-year-old academy product Zakaria Taifi has shown improvement on the back line and played during the club’s preseason game against CF Montreal. Jhon Solis, a 20-year-old midfielder, didn‘t come through the academy, but has been a leader for the second team and saw some minutes for the first team this preseason. Additionally, Pareja found minutes for Bernardo Rhein in the Montreal match and he looked solid playing against much more experienced competition.

As the 2025 season begins, we’ll probably find out more about who the club covets. Orlando City is playing in three competitions this season and will likely use some OCB players in less important games. It’s another thing to look forward to this year.