Lions invests in revamped youth program
A closed-door match between Orlando City B and North Texas SC on Sept. 3 played out in front of a small audience — scouting director Ricardo Moreira, firstteam coach Oscar Pareja and vice president of soccer operations Luiz Muzzi.
It had been a marathon day for the trio, who arrived in Orlando at 3 a.m. after the MLS team’s match in Nashville the night before.
But with four MLS players on the pitch — Mason Stajduhar, Michael Halliday, Jordan Bender and Joey DeZart — the match offered a valuable chance to watch young players in action.
Pareja brought new expectations to the Lions this year. His plans extend beyond the 2020 season and beyond the MLS team, with a focus on youth development led by OCB coach Marcelo Neveleff.
“We want to be the top academy in the country,” Neveleff said. “We have a club commitment to develop players. We have the training facility, our academy is fully funded. We see that we have a lot of opportunities here.”
Orlando City’s scoring is already led by a pair of young college draft picks — third-year player Chris Mueller with six goals and rookie Daryl with three. But that’s only the start of the club’s vision for growing young talent.
In the future, Neveleff wants Orlando City to become the blueprint for homegrown player development.
“We feel that we are going to be able to attract the talent and develop them,” Neveleff said. “We would like in a few years time that our [MLS] team would be 70 or 80% players out of our academy.”
Youth development has become a major focus, with MLS announcing the MLS NEXT academy system this week. The platform will replace the academy system previously managed by U.S. Soccer. The federation shuttered its old format in April.
Muzzi said the new academy system will include a welcomed shift.
“I think this is going to be at the end of the day, a great opportunity for everybody,” Muzzi said. “To be honest, I think that that development needs to be driven by the professional clubs, just like the way it is in the rest of the world.”
Neveleff will lead the Orlando City’s efforts in the new system. Although his official role is head coach of OCB, Neveleff leads the entire youth development system for the Lions.
Partnering with Muzzi and Pareja, Neveleff works to integrate the tone, standard and style of the MLS team into every level of the Lions’ youth development program.
That translates into long days at the team’s facility in Kissimmee. Neveleff arrives early each morning to debrief with Pareja, followed by hours of supervising OCB and academy training. He watches film of opponents and his own players, updating the progression plan for each young athlete in the system.
“Sometimes we don’t even know what time it is,” Neveleff joked. “When I get home, my wife lets me know.”
Neveleff and Pareja both have roots in Texas youth programs, collaborating when Pareja led the FC Dallas academy system and Neveleff directed a youth club in neighboring Plano, Texas. While he is focused on developing Orlando City’s active roster, Pareja remains deeply invested in youth development.
The pair share a mutual respect after years of working together. Pareja describes Neveleff as the “person who can glue us together” as the club builds for future seasons. They spend hours each week discussing and adjusting the plans for each of the young athletes who represent the future of the club.
“[Pareja] understands the youth, he understands the coaches in the youth and he understands what the needs are from the young players,” Neveleff said. “He has a good eye for talent and always a good word and guidance for the young coaches we have in the club.”
Neveleff divides the Lions’ talent pipeline into three tiers — the academy, OCB and Orlando City.
The academy is focused on development. In the early stages, Neveleff aims to provide young players with the proper guidance and direction on how to improve as athletes and young men, cultivating their talent while retaining their creativity and individualism.
Promotion through the levels is based on the individual performance of players, rather than their age. Academy teams are delineated into four age groups — U-19, U-17, U-15 and U-14 — but Neveleff sees them as suggestions, not hard restrictions.
“When you’re good enough, you’re old enough,” he said.
In the next tier, the focus of OCB is preparation. Players need to become completely fluent in the style and tactics of the MLS team. It means watching film and floating in and out of Orlando City training sessions.
Neveleff aims for OCB to play almost identically to the MLS team so every player is prepared to move up and sub into a match.
It all feeds into the goal of Orlando City at the top tier — making the playoffs and winning championships.
Young talent can benefit a club even if players never compete at the MLS level. In recent years, MLS clubs have begun selling promising players to deep-pocketed teams in Europe and South America.
But Neveleff cultivates young talent in Orlando with the ultimate goal of seeing each player in a Lions jersey. Neveleff and Pareja share a belief homegrown players offer a different edge after rising through the ranks of a club.
“Our players will play for the crest,” Neveleff said. “When you have a pro that is also a fan of the club, you’re gonna have an advantage over somebody who is not a fan of the club. … Being somebody that was brought up in the club, we believe that those players will be defending the colors with more passion.”