When Orlando City signed three Designated Players during ahead of their inaugural MLS season, it would've been reasonable to think the trio would be featuring regularly on the field for the Lions early on.
This is true for Orlando City’s Brazilian midfield star Kaká, who has played more minutes than any other player on the team. However, in the cases of Carlos Rivas and Bryan Rochez – both Young Designated Players – the new signings have had difficulties making an impact on the first team, rarely playing significant minutes in any of the team's matches so far this season.
Rivas, a speedy youngster who played for Deportivo Cali and Once Caldas in his native Colombia, was expected to form a devastating partnership with Brek Shea on the left side. He wasn’t initially expected to be a Designated Player, but after paying Cali a transfer fee for the player, Orlando had no choice but to put the DP tag on the highly-touted midfielder.
Injury and fitness issues have curtailed Rivas' progress in finding a regular spot under head coach Adrian Heath, though he will get another chance to make his mark in Orlando's road game at San Jose this Sunday (7 pm ET, Fox Sports 1, Fox Deportes).
“He has to stay fit for starters,” Heath told MLSsoccer.com of Rivas earlier this week. “I think he has missed over 50 days since we have started with illness, injury, and going back to Colombia. He has to have a solid two or three weeks of training under his belt.”
In the case of Rochez, the young Honduran forward had trouble with fitness in the early part of the season. Those issues, combined with the play of up-and-coming rookie Canadian international Cyle Larin, mean Rochez hasn’t had the opportunity to play more than the role of a late-game substitute.
Now with Honduras for the Under-20 World Cup in New Zealand it will be at least another month before Orlando fans get an opportunity to see Rochez crack the starting XI.
“It gets frustrating, but as I said they are both young,” Heath explained. “One is 19 the other is 20. They have plenty of time and their time will come.”
Orlando City’s general manager Paul McDonough agreed with Heath’s assessment of the young DP’s so far this season.
“We brought them in and aren’t going to evaluate them on the first 11 games,” he explained. “We knew that when we went and signed Young Designated Players, knew they would contribute to us in the first year, but it was more about the long-term benefits of the club.”
