Short-term players showing up strong for Orlando City SC | OneFootball

Defender Zakaria Taifi only recently joined the Orlando City SC roster on a short-term contract. He’s already appeared on the pitch in the second half of the match against CF Montreal. But it wasn’t a low-key situation.

In the second half, an Orlando City player got hit with a second yellow card/red card. The Lions found them working to defend a 0-0 draw. Not only that – something in Taifi’s scouting report showed the defender would be effective for the Lions, but not in his backline position.

City was working in a 4-4-2 double-six go-to formation. Taifi came off the bench and moved up the pitch to a forward formation. From the 86th minute, he worked his side of the pitch to effectively park his bus there. He was effective.

Montreal had one player working toward their greatest chance to shake things up in those final moments. It was defender George Campbell. Within his first minute off the Orlando bench, Taifi won a foul from Campbell.

The Lions didn’t win the match, but they left the pitch with a point and another 2025 clean sheet.

Taifi came to the first team through the Orlando City Academy. He captained the squad that won the U17 MLS NEXT Cup in 2021. He started 21 matches in 42 appearances with Orlando City B. There he scored one goal plus three assists.

Orlando City v D.C. United | Dustin Markland/GettyImages

Orlando City also brought midfielder Gustavo Caraballo to the roster on a short-term contract at the same time as Taifi. Caraballo appeared in his natural position in the next match. That was the 3-0 rout of Atlanta United, in which the Lions continued to favor the 4-4-2 double-six.

Caraballo signed with Orlando City B in Aug. 2023 with options through 2028. He worked his way there from the U-15 squad of the Academy. He has shown talent from the beginning as an attacking midfielder on the right wing.

Within two minutes off the bench, Caraballo won a foul from Atlanta midfielder Bartosz Slisz. Then he picked up a move by Miguel Almiron toward the Orlando net. He blocked the midfielder’s shot, which was one of the final attempts from United.

With short-termers like these, Orlando City SC has a long-term bid for the MLS Cup.