Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Charleston Battery: 10-Man Lions Hold on for First USL Point in 0-0 Draw

Published

9 years ago

April 2, 2016

MELBOURNE — It was another wet and stormy night in Melbourne as Orlando City B drew 0-0 with the Charleston Battery in the second game of the 2016 USL season.

For the third straight week, lightning forced a delay at Eastern Florida State College in Melbourne, causing a nearly hour delay just after the National Anthem. When the teams finally took the field, it was the Lions that took control of the game early, handling much of the possession.

Charleston had a couple of good chances in the first 10 minutes, but OCB worked the ball through the midfield well with Andrew Ribeiro, Tony Rocha, and Lewis Neal, along the left with Mikey Ambrose and Pierre da Silva. The best scoring chance of the first half came in the 43^rd minute, with da Silva taking the ball across the top of the box and firing a shot on target but it went right into the chest of Battery goalkeeper Alex Tambakis.

In the 32^nd minute, captain Lewis Neal made way for Jonathan Mendoza shortly after Neal blocked a shot with his chest. "Lewis pick up a little niggle so we didn't want to take any risks with him," Head Coach Anthony Pulis said following the game. "We'll assess him in the morning and see how he is and go from there."

Charleston got off to a strong start in the second half, forcing OCB goalkeeper Mark Ridgers into an early save. It didn't get any easier for the Lions when Rocha picked up his second yellow just five minutes into the second half, putting the Lions a man down.

Charleston striker Ricky Garbanzo put most of the stress on the Lions’ defense, coming close to the opening goal on three different occasions. In the 54^th minute, after a quick give-and-go between O’Brian Woodbine and Maikel Chang, Garbanzo laid a low shot, forcing Ridgers into a stellar diving, one-handed save to keep the game scoreless.

A man down, the Lions defended for their lives with 10 men behind the ball. The closest the Battery came to breaking through was in the 85^th minute, when Garbanzo struck the inside of the right post from just outside the box.

While the Battery controlled the second half, the man of the match for the Lions was Ridgers who made several fantastic saves to keep his team alive. "Mark just showed tonight why I think so highly of him," Pulis said of his shot stopper. "I think he was outstanding. I think his experience, his professionalism really shone through and he's been excellent since he joined us."

After being forced to the bench in the first game when first team backup Earl Edwards came down to make the start, Ridgers was pleased with his first start. "As a goalkeeper, the first thought in a game is not to concede a goal," Ridgers said following the game. "To contribute to the point is a massive bonus."

Ridgers also feels that this performance will give him confidence going forward. "To make a save that's important to win a point for the team, it's a massive boost," the 25-year-old Scotsman said. "And it gives me plenty of confidence going into the next week."

That next game will be next Saturday night when the Lions take on Louisville City FC, the club's former affiliate, on the road.

Orlando City B

Orlando City B Announces Schedule for 2025 MLS NEXT Pro Season

Find out where, when, and who the Young Lions of OCB will play in 2025.

Published

2 days ago

January 27, 2025

Michael Citro

Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

The 2025 MLS NEXT Pro schedule was r eleased this afternoon, telling us where, when, and who Orlando City B will play in the team’s fourth year in the league. The league will again feature 29 teams in 2025, with three teams set to enter the league next year. There are 27 MLS affiliated clubs in the league and two independents — Carolina Core FC and Chattanooga FC.

The schedule remains at 28 games, with Orlando City B playing 14 at home, 13 away, and one at a neutral site at IMG Academy in Bradenton. OCB home games will take place at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee again this season.

OCB will start the 2024 season with a two-game home stand, opening the season on Sunday, March 9 against Columbus Crew 2 at 7 p.m. A week later, Atlanta United 2 will visit Osceola County Stadium. The Young Lions will then hit the road for the team’s first two away games starting Wednesday, March 26 at Crown Legacy FC and following with a match at Chattanooga FC on Saturday, April 5.

In addition to opening the season at home, OCB will close the regular season by hosting FC Cincinnati 2 at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 5. Last year, the Young Lions opened and closed the season on the road. All Decision Day games in the Eastern Conference will start at 1 p.m. and all Western Conference matches will kick off at 4 p.m. (ET).

OCB will compete in the 15-team Eastern Conference as part of the Southeast Division. The other teams in the division are Atlanta, Carolina Core, Chattanooga, Crown Legacy, Huntsville City, and rival Inter Miami II. The reserve version of the Tropic Thunder rivalry will play out over three meetings in 2025. The Young Lions will travel IMG Academy to face the Baby Herons on April 15, with the home match in Kissimmee coming May 17. The teams will meet again in Fort Lauderdale on Sept. 14.

MLS NEXT Pro teams will again only play opponents from their own conference, limiting travel. The Young Lions will play each team in the Southeast Division three times, including Atlanta United 2, and Chattanooga twice at home and once away, and Carolina Core, Crown Legacy, and Huntsville City once each at home and twice away. OCB will play the teams from the Northeast Division once, except Columbus and New England, which the Young Lions will face both at home and away. Orlando City B will face FC Cincinnati 2, New York City FC II, New York Red Bulls II, and Toronto FC II only at home in the regular season, while facing Chicago Fire II and Philadelphia Union II only on the road.

The busiest months for OCB this season will be June and August, when the Young Lions will play five matches. They’ll play four times in April and July, three times in March, May, and September, and once in October. The most common day the Young Lions will play is on Sunday (13 games). Additionally, they have five games on Saturday, four games each on Wednesday and Friday, and one game each on Monday and Tuesday. The most common kickoff time is 7 p.m.. The Young Lions will play 18 games with that start time, three times each at 3 p.m., 7:30 p.m., and 8 p.m., and once at 1 p.m. (Decision Day).

Once again, the postseason will include 15 games this year, concluding with the MLS NEXT Pro Cup. The higher playoff seeds will again select their opponents for the matchups in the first two rounds.

The majority of regular season games and all playoff games will again air on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. The remaining games will be streamed live on mlsnextpro.com.

As far as viewing conflicts go for Orlando City and Pride fans, there are a few overlaps in 2025. OCB plays at 7 p.m. on April 5 at Chattanooga with the MLS Lions playing at 7:30 p.m. at Philadelphia that night. On May 23, OCB plays at Atlanta United 2 at 7:30 p.m. and the Pride and Royals kick off in Utah at 9:30 p.m. just as that game is concluding. On June 25, OCB plays at home at 7 p.m. against Toronto FC II, with Orlando City at St. Louis City at 8:30 p.m. OCB’s game July 25 at Huntsville City will kick off 30 minutes after the senior side begins playing at Columbus. The Young Lions start at home on Aug. 3 against NYCFCII an hour after the Pride and Utah Royals kick off at Inter&Co Stadium. OCB and the Pride are both home on Aug. 9 as well, with the Young Lions and Chattanooga getting underway at 7 p.m. at Osceola County Stadium, just 30 minutes before the Pride and Racing Louisville battle at Inter&Co Stadium. On Aug. 23, OCB will play at 7 p.m. at home against Atlanta United 2, with the senior Lions and Nashville SC kicking off at 8:30 p.m.

Orlando City B’s 2025 Schedule

Sunday, March 9 — vs. Columbus Crew 2, 7 p.m.
Sunday, March 16 — vs. Atlanta United 2, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, March 26 — at Crown Legacy FC, 7 p.m.
Saturday, April 5 — at Chattanooga FC, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, April 9 — vs. New England Revolution II, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, April 15 — vs. Inter Miami II (at IMG Academy in Bradenton), 7 p.m.
Sunday, April 27 — vs. New York Red Bulls II, 7 p.m.
Friday, May 2 — at Chicago Fire FC II, 8 p.m.
Saturday, May 17 — vs. Inter Miami II, 7 p.m.
Friday, May 23 — at Atlanta United 2, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, June 1 — vs. Chattanooga FC, 7 p.m.
Friday, June 6 — at Huntsville City FC, 8 p.m.
Wednesday, June 11 — at Carolina Core FC, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, June 25 — vs. Toronto FC, 7 p.m.
Monday, June 30 — at Philadelphia Union II, 3 p.m.
Sunday, July 6 — at Crown Legacy FC, 7 p.m.
Sunday, July 13 — vs. Carolina Core FC, 7 p.m.
Sunday, July 20 — at New England Revolution II, 3 p.m.
Friday, July 25 — at Huntsville City FC, 8 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 3 — vs. New York City FC II, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 9 — vs. Chattanooga FC, 7 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 17 — at Columbus Crew 2, 3 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 23 — vs. Atlanta United 2, 7 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 31 — vs. Crown Legacy FC, 7 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 14 — at Inter Miami II, 7 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 21 — vs. Huntsville City FC, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 27 — at Carolina Core FC, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 5 — vs. FC Cincinnati 2, 1 p.m.

Orlando City B

Orlando City B Signs Goalkeeper Tristan Himes

The 24-year-old former academy goalkeeper returns to the club after a four-year collegiate career.

Published

3 weeks ago

January 8, 2025

Sean Rollins

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Orlando City announced this afternoon that the club has signed former academy goalkeeper Tristan Himes to an MLS NEXT Pro contract to play with the club’s reserve side, Orlando City B. The 24-year-old returns to the club following the conclusion of his collegiate career.

“This is an exciting first step for us this year on the path to achieving our goals for 2025 and beyond,” Orlando City Vice President of Soccer Operations and Technical Director Ricardo Moreira said in a club press release. “Tristan is a player that is homegrown, that we’ve seen develop in our academy here in Orlando, and a bright young player. He’s someone whose path took him to play and get more experience in college and now we’re excited to bring him back home to Central Florida.”

The DeBary native attended the University of South Carolina after his time in the Orlando City Academy, making seven appearances in two seasons. He conceded 13 goals in 546 minutes while making 22 saves. He stopped 62.9% of his shots faced for the Gamecocks, recording one shutout and an assist. The goalkeeper played 543 minutes during his freshman season but only three minutes during his sophomore campaign, coming off the bench on Oct. 1, 2022, against West Virginia.

Himes transferred to Coastal Carolina University for his junior season but was forced to sit out all of 2023 due to injury. He returned for his senior campaign, making 10 appearances and playing 855 minutes while conceding 20 goals and making 35 saves. He finished his time with the Chanticleers completing two shutouts while recording a 2.11 goals-against average and stopping 63.6% of his 122 shots faced.

Despite coming through the Orlando City Academy, the goalkeeper was eligible for the 2025 MLS SuperDraft but wasn’t selected. The signing is the first in a string of expected deals as the club looks to rebuild its MLS NEXT Pro roster. Following the 2024 season, the contracts of six of the 10 players on MLS NEXT Pro deals expired.

Himes’ signing could see him replace Carlos Mercado, who started the majority of OCB’s games in 2024. The goalkeeper eventually signed a first-team deal late in the season, but his option was declined by the club. Depending on the recovery of first-team backup goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar, Himes could start for the Young Lions or will play behind Homegrown product Javier Otero.

Orlando City B

Orlando City B Announces Roster Status Following 2024 MLS NEXT Pro Season

Only three OCB players are still under MLS NEXT Pro contracts for the 2025 season.

Published

1 month ago

December 16, 2024

Sean Rollins

Image courtesy or Orlando City B

Orlando City B announced the roster status of its players following the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season. Most of the team was made up of players on first-team and academy contracts, so little of the squad will change. However, the club has updated the status of players on MLS NEXT Pro deals.

Of the 10 players on MLS NEXT Pro contracts in 2024, six saw their deals expire at the end of the year. Those players include forwards Wilfredo Rivera and Yeiler Valencia; midfielders Imanol Almaguer and Diego Pareja; and defenders Manuel Cocca and Nabi Kibunguchy.

“First, I want to start by thanking all of the players who are leaving us at the end of this year. Their hard work and dedication has continued to push this club even further forward, and we are grateful for all they’ve done,” Orlando City SC Vice President of Soccer Operations and Technical Director Ricardo Moreira said in a club press release. “This was another year of progress for Orlando City B with the team qualifying for the playoffs for the second-straight year, and we saw a lot of growth among the players, especially in their own individual development, which is our ultimate goal. Heading into 2025, we have high goals for OCB and are excited to reset and begin the work to reach the next steps in this project.”

While the majority of the players are out of contract, three are still under MLS NEXT Pro deals for 2025. Those players are midfielders Gustavo Caraballo and Jhon Solis and defender Zakaria Taifi.

Additionally, the club announced earlier today that Colin Guske — who was also on an MLS NEXT Pro deal — has signed a Homegrown Player contract with the first team. He’ll likely be a regular with OCB next season.

What It Means for Orlando City B

While the contracts have expired on six players, that doesn’t mean their time in Orlando is over. Rivera was on a first-team Homegrown contract in 2023 and the club didn’t pick up his option. He was subsequently signed to OCB for the 2024 season. He’s only 21 years old and has signed short-term deals with the first team, so he could still return next season.

Rivera is one of the more likely players out of contract to return in 2025. Perhaps the least likely to return is Kibunguchy, who will be 27 when the 2025 season starts. Almaguer took over the captaincy in 2024 after the departure of Juninho, and the club could keep him around for his leadership qualities. However, OCB could also make the same decision it did after 2023 and hand off the armband to someone else, possibly Solis.

Regardless of the decisions made on these players, the 2025 OCB roster will be made up primarily of players on first-team contracts and academy players. The youngest probably won’t be signed to professional contracts, allowing them to maintain their college eligibility. As a result, the majority of the roster will return and we’ll see new up-and-coming talent next season.