ORLANDO, Fla. – For Orlando City SC’s newest Young Designated Player signing Josue Colman, arriving to play in MLS was an opportunity too good to pass up.
The 19-year-old attacking midfielder decided to leave his Paraguayan boyhood club Cerro Porteño for a five-year contract with Orlando last month, trading in the comforts of home to embark on what he sees as a promising new adventure.
“There was never a doubt to come and play here,” Colman told MLSsoccer.com. “The sport is growing here; the league is bringing many young potential players from South America. Through time, I think this league and country will be a global soccer force.”
Colman is one of several new faces coach Jason Kreis and general manager Niki Budalic were able to acquire in the offseason, and will join a potent attack that features fellow newcomers Sacha Klejstan, Justin Meram and Uri Rosell.
But for Colman, the thought of an MLS move came at a pivotal moment last year when he spoke with former Seattle Sounders forward Nelson Valdez, his Paraguayan compatriot.
“He told me a lot about this league, on how it’s growing, and that gave me the curiosity to come and play here,” Colman said. “So when the opportunity arose, I didn’t have a single doubt, and I’m very happy now to see what I can do with this team.”
Colman did not say whether he also had European offers for his services. But he reiterated his glowing assessment of MLS — and what the league can do for his development.
“I took into account the place I chose to come and play,” Colman said. “This league and country offers opportunity. It’s a big trampoline that helps players reach their ultimate goal of playing in Europe because most young players dream of playing there. But also, this country offers a quality of life many South American players don’t get to have back home, and that plays a major influence in many players coming here.”
Colman's tenure in Orlando did get off to something of an inauspicious start with a bruised quad sustained five days into his first training.
That held him out of practice most of last week. Despite that, Kreis has been impressed by what he’s seen so far.
“He’s extremely technically gifted,” Kreis said. “He does things at a very rapid rate. He’s got tremendous speed, quickness, agility. A good one-on-one player with the ball. We were seeing all of those signs showing up and then he picked up that injury that has kept him out for the last week. But he should be back working into things this week.”
