Norwegian midfielder will create post-season chances for Orlando City SC

So tell them. All your friends who said Orlando City SC did nothing in transfers.

It’s time supporters. Tell your friends who threw up their hands because Orlando City SC has been too quiet while other MLS teams have announced transfers. They’ve transferred U-22 midfielder Heine Gikling Bruseth from the league Eliteserien, at the top of the Norwegian football league system.

Besides his 15 starts this year with team Kristiansund BK, long-distance scouts reported his 922 chances created. That provided much of the signal to light the transfer alarm at Orlando City.

In bad matches as well as good, Orlando Head Coach Oscar Pareja has pushed players to find ways to create chances on the pitch.

City has been playing variations of the 4-3-3, which is designed for midfielders to offer passing lanes up front, where they will create chances for the strikers. Pareja has said once those chances are set, it’s time to get the ball in the net.

They expect Heine Gikling Bruseth to be a player who can add to Orlando City's total chances for each match. That adds to the possibility of goals and wins.

Orlando knows Bruseth hasn’t yet played a minute in an MLS match. So when he’ll start creating those chances isn’t yet clear.

Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi spoke to that, explaining that Bruseth is brought in to continue developing. But he’s expected to take the pitch soon enough to add his creativity, vision, and depth to help Orlando City get into the MLS post-season.

Bruseth gets on the roster with a contract as a U22 Initiative Player. The contract runs through 2026 with options for 2027 and 2028. MLS allows each team three or four U22 Initiative slots on their roster. The player may stay in that slot through the year he turns 25.