Orlando City B
Orlando City to OCB Loans Explained
Last July, news broke that Orlando City was planning on launching its own USL team in 2016 that would serve as a de facto reserve squad. The team, made up mainly of young players and senior team players lacking playing time, began its USL season in late March is now are well underway.
While most Orlando City fans likely have a solid understanding of the purpose of Orlando City B, they may not quite understand how players move between teams. With Major League Soccer being a single entity, there are certain aspects, such as the league owning player contracts and the collective bargaining agreement, that make even the simplest move between teams difficult to understand.
The first thing to understand is that while OCB may have the same colors, name, (basic) crest, and be run as the same club as Orlando City, they're not officially the same club. As MLS sees it, Orlando City and OCB are two completely separate entities that just happen to have the same owner. With that in mind, here are the rules that dictate which OCB players Orlando City has control over and how players move between the teams.
Who Does Orlando City Have Control Over?
There are three types of players that Orlando City has control over that play with OCB — Homegrown Players, players on an MLS contract, and USL priority players. A Homegrown Player is a player that has been with an MLS team's academy for a period of one year and has satisfied all training and retention requirements. Even if one of these players signs a USL contract, they are still Homegrown Players when they move to MLS. The only player this applies to now is midfielder Pierre da Silva, who is on a USL contract with OCB but will be a Homegrown Player once he signs with the MLS side.
Any player on an MLS contract, as you would expect, continues to be controlled by the club. These players are officially loaned to OCB. They can be either loaned for a short period of time, such as a game, or for the whole season. However, the length of their loans doesn't necessarily mean that's how long they'll be at OCB. We'll go over that a little later.
The final players the club has control over are USL priority players. Each MLS team can have up to three USL priority players with their USL affiliate. These are players that the club has control over should they move to MLS without having them take up a discovery spot. For the club to have the rights over any additional players, they would take up a spot on the club's discovery list.
MLS-USL Call-Ups
As previously mentioned, Orlando City can't just call up any player from OCB, as the Lions don't have the rights to most of the team's players. However, the league has put some new agreements in place for 2016 where some players that don't satisfy the above criteria could be called up under special circumstances.
MLS has instituted USL short-term agreements in which players can be called up on four-day contracts for specific matches. But there are restrictions to the short-term agreements. The player brought in must be 25 years old or younger and the games can only be for the CONCACAF Champions League, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, or exhibition matches. One of these situations occurred for Orlando City last year when the team had a friendly against West Bromwich Albion sandwiched between two league matches. The Lions wanted to call in some academy players to give the injury-ridden team some help but were unable to. This year, they could call in some OCB players if that situation occurs again.
Each player from OCB can be called up for four short-term agreements per season. That means that they can spend a total of 16 days on the MLS roster. While these agreements are limited to cup games and exhibitions, the MLS club is allowed to sign short-term agreements for league games only if in "extreme hardship."
Extreme Hardship Call-Ups
This year, MLS has introduced a new situation called "extreme hardship" in which teams can call up players they would typically not be allowed to call up. If Orlando City is going into a game with fewer than 15 players available or no more than one goalkeeper available, the club will be allowed to claim an extreme hardship and call up a player from OCB. In these situations, the rules of the USL short-term agreements apply, so the player would have to be 25 years old or younger. While they're with the team, they will also be eligible to play in cup games or exhibition games.
OCB Loans
Orlando City may loan any player it wants to OCB, with roster relief given but not budget relief. That means that loaning a player from the MLS squad will open up a spot on the roster but that his salary will still count against the team's salary budget. However, one player may be loaned to OCB with roster relief and budget relief (meaning his salary will not count against the MLS team's salary budget), assuming he fits certain criteria. The player must be under the age of 25 and his total compensation must be less than or equal to the MLS Senior Minimum Salary of $62,500. This means the player must be on the team's supplemental roster (spots 21-24) or the reserve roster (spots 25-28). In order for the player to receive full roster and budget relief, the loan must be season-long.
If you've been following the loans from Orlando City to OCB, you may have noticed that some have been for one game and others season-long. But that doesn't mean those loans will actually last that long. If a player is loaned for the season to OCB, they can't be recalled by the MLS team unless the team has a right of recall in the agreement. If the right of recall is in the agreement, there are no restrictions to how many times a player can be loaned or recalled during the season. Every Orlando City loan this year has had the right of recall instituted except for teenage goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar. But the only time Stajduhar would be called up is in the case of extreme hardship. Essentially this means that any player, with the exception of Stajduhar, loaned from Orlando City to OCB can be loaned and recalled at any time and as much as they want.
As usual, MLS has taken a seemingly easy process and managed to make it extremely complicated. Hopefully this guide will give you a better idea of who Orlando City is able to call up from OCB and which players they have control over in the future.
Orlando City B
Orlando City B Off to Strong Start to 2026 Season
The Young Lions are getting results early in the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro campaign.
I think it is important that I open with an apology, because a week ago I wrote about how Orlando City needed to improve its league-worst defense, and then the Lions went to Nashville and somehow were unable to improve upon a 3.00 goals-against average. After the 5-0 shellacking in Tennessee Orlando City’s goals-against average now sits at 3.40, with 17 goals allowed through five games. That is somehow not the worst five-game run during any individual season in club history, as the 2018 Lions matched the year by allowing 18 goals during a five-game stretch during their nine-game losing streak (those were fun times), but allowing 17 goals in a five-game stretch is the kind of start to a season that makes a (drinking-age) fan want to pour themselves a stiff drink.
Or the whole bottle.
Speaking of drinking, if you have not been watching Orlando City B this year, you have been missing out on some epic “drunk OCB” matches, including the most recent game on Sunday (a 4-4 Junior Tropic Thunder match against Inter Miami II) about which our The Mane Land PawedCast host Michael Citro said that “there has never been a drunker OCB game than this (one).” Drunk games, in this context, just means matches where crazy things happen with no rhyme or reason, and you never know what is going to happen next.
The Young Lions are off to a start full of both drunk games and positive results, as unlike the senior team, they have earned more points than games played and have an offense that looks like it is among the best in the league.
| Metric* | MLS NEXT Pro Avg. | OCB | MLS NEXT Pro Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points Earned | 1.5 | 2.0 | T-6 |
| Shots | 13.5 | 19.8 | 1 |
| Shots on Target | 5.2 | 8.8 | 1 |
| Big Chances Created | 2.4 | 4.5 | 1 |
| Goals | 1.7 | 2.5 | 5 |
*All metrics are on a per-game basis
Part of the reason these games might be so “drunk” is that OCB is both scoring and allowing 2.5 goals per game, so the Young Lions and their opponents are taking shots all game long, creating the possibilities for wild comebacks and last-gasp goals. The main reason though is that OCB’s offense is stacked, with five top quality players to fill the attacking spots at the top of its standard 4-2-3-1 lineup.
OCB has generally gone with Gustavo Caraballo, Harvey Sarajian, and Yutaro Tsukada out on the wings, Justin Ellis as the center attacking midfielder and Pedro Leão as striker, though Leão did not play in one game and Logan Tsopanoglou got the start in his absence. Tsukada has been above average when he played, but the standouts have been Caraballo, Ellis, Leão, and Sarajian.
| Metric | Caraballo | Ellis | Leão | Sarajian |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Age | 17 | 18 | 19 | 21 |
| Goal Contributions (G+A) | 4 | 5 | 2 | 5 |
| Key Passes | 8 | 12 | 5 | 11 |
| FotMob Rating (out of 10) | 7.64 | 8.01 | 7.44 | 8.33 |
| Goal Contributions Rank | 8 | 5 | 28 | 5 |
| Key Passes Rank | 14 | 2 | 51 | 3 |
| FotMob Rating Rank | 39 | 14 | 71 | 4 |
The counting numbers in the table are a little misleading for Leão, as he has played one fewer game than the others, and Caraballo, who despite appearing in all four OCB games, has played fewer minutes than the other three. However, even with fewer minutes played, both Caraballo and Leão are already contributing to OCB’s excellent offense, especially Caraballo, whose goal contributions per 90 minutes ranks fifth, while Ellis and Sarajian rank 15th and 16th, respectively.
The current age of each player is also noted in the table above, and Caraballo, Ellis, and Leão are all younger than 20.9, which is the average age of the top 25 players in MLS NEXT Pro FotMob ratings through four games. According to transfermarkt.com, OCB has used the fifth-youngest set of players through the first four games, and with young players always come ups and downs and the propensity for games to bounce around all over the place like a ball on a roulette wheel, like in the comebacks from multiple goals down against Carolina Core and Inter Miami II.
Those backs and forths are what our The Mane Land team refers to as the “drunk OCB” games, and when you combine the crazy types of games with players of precocious skill and potential, the games are definitely worth watching. The senior Lions are inevitably going to start playing better, but for now the best men’s team to watch in Orlando is OCB. Just like Orlando City, OCB is off this weekend, but several current and former Young Lions will be with their youth national teams during the international break — another sign of the solid pipeline of talent that is ready to flow into the first team.
Tahir Reid-Brown and Colin Guske have already played more than 140 minutes for Orlando City this season, and Zakaria Taifi (64), Tsukada (18), and Leão (6) also have all seen the field. The senior team’s bench is generally made up of at least three or four players who primarily play with OCB, and even with the acquisition of Antoine Griezmann crowding the list of attacking players, Caraballo and Ellis will likely play some minutes with the first team this season.
Go ahead and (Makers) mark your calendars for OCB’s next game on April 11 and prepare to settle in for a happy hour and a half of soccer that may not be of the same top shelf quality as an MLS game but never fails to entertain.
Vamos Orlando…City B!
Orlando City B
Orlando City B vs. Inter Miami II: Final Score 4-4 (4-2) as OCB Completes Improbable Comeback
OCB came back from a three-goal deficit to draw Inter Miami II at Inter&Co Stadium, then took the extra point in the shootout.
Orlando City B (2-1-1, 8 points) played to an enthralling draw tonight against Inter Miami II (0-2-2, 2 points) at Inter&Co Stadium. The visitors took a commanding 2-0 lead inside five minutes and had a 4-1 lead shortly after halftime. But OCB came storming back to even the game 4-4 in stoppage time. The Young Lions then won the penalty shootout to claim the extra point.
OCB interim coach Julian Vergara made four changes from the team that defeated Carolina Core 3-2 on March 14. Tristan Himes, Tahir Reid-Brown, Yutaro Tsukada, and Pedro Leao returned from the first team, replacing Juan Rojas, Nicholas Lasheras, Gustavo Caraballo, and Logan Tsopanoglou.
The back line in front of Himes in goal was Bernardo Rhein, Reid-Brown, Titus Sandy, Jr., and Jaylen Yearwood. Dylan Judelson and Dominik Baczewski were in the defensive midfield behind Tsukada, Justin Ellis, and Harvey Sarajian with Leao up top.
This was a game of missed opportunities for OCB. Both teams had several bad giveaways, but Miami was able to turn those into goals. Meanwhile, OCB struggled to find the back of the net. The Young Lions put themselves in a three-goal hole before they came storming back to tie it up, but they’ll wonder what could’ve been if they’d converted some of the golden opportunities in the both halves, including three shots with the goalkeeper out of the net that didn’t go in.
The visitors struck early when a heavy touch by Yearwood on a Miami throw-in allowed Naej Desravins to reach it first. The midfielder played it wide for Preston Plambeck, who guided the ball around Himes and inside the far post to give Miami an early 1-0 lead.
It didn’t take long for the team in pink to double its advantage and it came from an OCB attack. In the fifth minute, Sarajian outran the Miami defense to reach a long Judelson pass. After a brief hesitation, his shot was too close to Max Ponikarovsky, who made the save with his left hand.
Miami immediately broke the other way with Plambeck sending a long ball forward for Idoh Zeltzer-Zubida. Reid-Brown got in front of the attacker, but Zeltzer-Zubida created enough space for a shot. The midfielder sent a curling ball over Himes and inside the far post to make 2-0 just five minutes into the game.
The Young Lions finally got their second shot of the game in the 16th minute when Tsukada made a run down the left and sent a cross to the near post for Leao. The Brazilian beat his defender to it and flicked the ball on target, but Ponikarovsky was there to catch it.
On the other end, the Herons felt they should’ve had a penalty when Theo Vorenkamp found Diego Rey in the OCB box. Himes came out to collect but missed the ball. Rey went down with contact and threw his arms up, appealing for a penalty. However, referee Aleja Calume decided it wasn’t enough to point to the spot.
The Young Lions nearly took advantage of a Miami mistake in the 23rd minute when Leao intercepted a poor pass from Desravins to Samuel Basabe. The striker used his body to shield Basabe and get into the box, but Ponikarovsky came off his line to take the ball off of Leao’s foot, ensuring he couldn’t get a shot off.
In the 34th minute, Tsukada had the ball taken off him but the heavy touch went right to Rhein. The left back quickly played it to Leao at the top of the box and, after controlling it, the forward put a shot on target. Unfortunately, it was a weak attempt that caused no trouble for Ponikarovsky.
As Miami attempted to play the ball out of the back, OCB took possession of a poor pass. Ellis played the ball wide left for Tsukada, who found Leao making a run into the box. The Brazilian tried to guide the ball inside the far post but put it wide.
A minute later, Miami again failed to play the ball out of the back, giving it away to Judelson. The midfielder quickly sent it forward for Ellis, who found Leao entering the box. The Brazilian’s first touch was past Ponikarovsky, cutting the deficit in half.
Unfortunately, it didn’t last long. In the 38th minute, Sandy played an inaccurate long ball by Miami back to Himes. The goalkeeper sent a short pass to Reid-Brown on his left, but the defender misplayed it, allowing Alejandro Flores to take possession. He played the ball across the box where Rey flicked it on for Plambeck. The forward put it in to make it 3-1.
In the 42nd minute, Rhein received a long switch on the left. He sent a beautiful ball to the top of the six that fell to Leao, who was looking for a brace. The Brazilian redirected it on target but sent it right to Ponikarovsky. Two minutes later, Rhein had a similar chance for himself. Ellis backheeled the ball to Sarajian on the left and the midfielder sent a cross to the penalty spot, where Rhein was making a run. The young defender’s first touch was a shot that went right into Ponikarovsky’s arms.
In the 44th minute, Judelson sent a long ball left for Sarajian. Ponikarovsky came off his line to clear the ball, but his defender got to it first. Trying to play it out for a throw-in, he knocked the ball off Sarajian. The ball went to Leao with the goalkeeper getting there first. But he couldn’t control it and Ellis took possession. With the goalkeeper out of the play, Ellis shot. Unfortunately, Tyler Hall got in front of the goal to block it. Ellis then beat his defender for another chance, but he again sent it right at Hall, who kept it out of the net.
OCB created more chances than Miami in the first 45 minutes, ending the half with more shots (9-6), shots on target (7-3), and corner kicks (3-1). But Miami had better passing accuracy (82.2%-74.9%). The difference between the teams was that Miami made the Young Lions pay for their mistakes in the back and OCB struggled to do so.
Miami was forced into an unusual substitution at halftime. Ponikarovsky was taken off in a concussion change, replaced in goal by Alex Padilla.
OCB started the second half the way it ended the first half, giving the ball away in its own end. A weak pass by Reid-Brown was taken by Rey, who fired on target. Himes was there to make the stop.
In the 49th minute, Miami scored a fourth when Zeltzer-Zubida took possession of the ball near midfield. The attacker made a long run down the right, getting behind the OCB back line and playing the ball past Himes to make it 4-1.
Judelson took a strong shot in the 53rd minute that forced Padilla to tip it over the crossbar. The ensuing corner was headed out, but Sarajian was there to take possession. The midfielder made a nice move to the end line and played a good ball in front of goal, where Ellis was behind the back line to tap it in and make it a 4-2 game.
Tsukada tried to get another one back in the 53rd minute when he dribbled across the top of the Miami box and fired an off-balance shot after some contact. It wasn’t clear if the attempt was on target, but Padilla dove to collect it anyway. That was Tsukada’s final touch as Vergara made his first two changes in the 57th minute, replacing Tsukada and Yearwood with Parker Amoo-Mensah and Caraballo.
Play restarted with a free kick for OCB that Caraballo played short to Ellis. After taking a couple of touches forward, Ellis fired a shot that was caught by Padilla.
In the 60th minute, Caraballo put a strong shot towards goal that Padilla palmed away. A poor clearance allowed OCB to keep possession in the Miami half, which ended up with Sarajian on the left. He played it to Rhein, who made an overlapping run before sending Ellis into the six-yard box. There was a collision before the ball went wide and a foul was called on Ellis.
OCB got back into the game in the 68th minute with some quick passing at the top of the Miami box. Rhein, Leao, and Ellis combined to get the ball to Carabllo who did well to finish past Padilla, cutting the deficit to 4-3.
In the 79th minute, OCB failed to clear the ball, enabling Miami to take possession in the box. It ended up with Alejo Ristano, who looked like he would give Miami another two-goal lead, but Himes did well to come off his line and block the attempt.
On the other end, Caraballo was fouled by Mario Stoka, giving OCB a free kick in the opposing third. The teenager went for goal on his own, sending his shot just wide of the near post.
The Young Lions won the ball back on the goal kick, allowing Rhein to send Sarajian behind the Miami back line. He dribbled around Padilla and fired on the empty net, but his shot hit the near post.
In the 84th minute, Rey was sent through and it looked like he would have a free shot on goal. However, Sandy got in front of the shot to deflect it wide. OCB cleared the ensuing corner kick, keeping the deficit at one.
The game turned even more in the 87th minute when Padilla went off injured. Having already replaced their starting goalkeeper at halftime, the Herons put the gloves on defender Ristano. Additionally, since they had already used all three substitutions windows, the visitors would end the game with 10 men.
Vergara used his second window and third substitution in the 90th minute as OCB searched for an equalizer. Caleb Trombino, who scored the late equalizer against Carolina, replaced Judelson.
Giving the Young Lions even more motivation, the fourth official showed 13 minutes of stoppage time.
In the first minute, Ellis dribbled across the top of the Miami box before firing on goal. However, a defender got in front before it reached Ristano, deflecting it wide.
The ensuing corner went to the far side of the box where Rhein took possession. The left back fired at the near post, but Ristano blocked it wide for his first save.
Caraballo took the second corner kick and it was one to remember. The midfielder curled his set piece delivery over the outstretched arms of Ristano and inside the far post for an Olimpico, completing the comeback and tying the game at 4-4.
Playing against 10 men and an outfield player in goal, OCB continued to push for a late winner. The Young Lions thought they might have taken the lead in the sixth minute of stoppage time when Rhein sent Belgodere down the left. Caraballo was wide open to tap the ball in, but Belgodere was judged to be offside on the initial ball forward.
Ristano was forced into his second save in the seventh minute when Rhein found Ellis in the box. The attacker sent the ball wide for Belgodere, who gave it right back. Ellis spun and fired, but Ristano blocked it wide with his leg, keeping the game tied. Caraballo took the ensuing corner kick and attempted another Olimpico, but this one hit the outside netting behind the near post.
Despite being down a man, Miami had a chance for a winner in the 10th minute of stoppage time when Zeltzer-Zubida sent a long pass to Plambeck on the left side. Creating space for a shot and looking for a hat trick, Plambeck fired for the near post, forcing Himes to block it away.
A minute later, OCB had a chance when Ellis dipped his shoulder to turn on his defender before sending Sarajian into the Miami box. As the defense closed in on him, the attacker found Belgodere open to his left. The teenager’s first touch was a shot, but Rondell White got in front just in time to block the attempt.
Vergara made his final substitution in the 12th minute of stoppage time, replacing Sandy with Lasheras.
Shortly after, the final whistle blew. At full time, OCB had more shots (27-14), shots on target (17-7), and corner kicks (9-7). Miami had slightly better passing accuracy (79%-78.7%) and both teams recorded seven crosses.
Per MLS NEXT Pro rules, each team earned a point and the game went to penalties to see who would get a second.
Rey and Caraballo began the penalties with excellent finishes. After Basabe sent Himes the wrong way, Ristano nearly saved Ellis’ attempt. He got in front of the shot, but the ball slipped under him and in.
That was what OCB needed, because Himes saved Zeltzer-Zubida’s panenka and, after Sarajian made it 3-2, Joseph Convers sent his attempt over the crossbar.
Amoo-Mensah stepped up and placed his penalty well to secure the second point for the Young Lions.
This game can be considered a point lost or two points gained. OCB created more chances than Miami and could’ve come away with all three points had it converted one more. However, being down 4-1 early in the second half, the Young Lions came all the way back to pull out the draw.
In the end, while both teams will probably feel as though they should’ve come away with all three points, they’ll both be pleased to get something from the contest.
The two points moves OCB into sixth in MLS NEXT Pro’s Eastern Conference with eight points from four games. They’re tied on points with New York Red Bulls II for third, two points behind New England Revolution II for second, and four points behind the league-leading Crown Legacy FC.
The Young Lions now have an extended break as they return to the field on April 11 against Chattanooga FC in Tennessee.
Orlando City B
Orlando City B vs. Chicago Fire FC II: Final Score 2-1 as Young Lions Pick Up First Win of the Season
OCB claims its first points of the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro campaign with a 2-1 win over Chicago Fire FC II.
Orlando City B (1-1-0, 3 points) secured its first win of the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro season tonight, defeating Chicago Fire FC II (0-1-1, 2 points) 2-1 at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee. Pedro Leao gave the Young Lions the lead in the 39th minute before a failed clearance allowed Jack Sandmeyer to equalize just before halftime. Justin Ellis’ rocket in the 72nd minute restored OCB’s lead and proved to be the winner.
There were four changes to the OCB team that lost 3-1 to Huntsville City FC Monday night. Javier Otero had to play Saturday for the first team after Maxime Creapeau was sent off. As a result, Tristan Himes got his first start of the season in goal. Additionally, Dylan Judelson, Jaylen Yearwood, and Yutaro Tsukada got their first starts in place of Caleb Trombino, Issah Haruna, and Gustavo Caraballo.
The back line in front of Himes was Bernardo Rhein, Titus Sandy, Jr., Zakaria Taifi, and Yearwood. Judelson and Nicolas Lasheras were the defensive midfielders behind Tsukada, Ellis, and Harvey Sarajian with Leao up top.
This was a game of missed chances for both teams. Each could have had a goal in the first half but was able to convert before halftime. However, they’ll feel they should’ve come away with more as both squads missed some big chances. Add in some quality saves by Himes and Owen Pratt and the 2-1 scoreline doesn’t tell the story of the game.
The Young Lions created the first attempt in the fifth minute when Leao was sent behind the back line. Pratt came out to cut down the striker’s angle, but he got a shot off with the keeper out of position and the net wide open. Unfortunately, it was too weak and the Fire were able to clear.
A minute later, OCB nearly got a second attempt at goal when Ellis used some nifty footwork to create space and send Leao through. However, this one was a little too far in front of the striker and Pratt was able to cover.
The first attempt for the visitors came in the eighth minute when Vitaly Hlyut took a shot from just outside the box. Taifi got in front of the attempt, deflecting it over the crossbar. Chicago couldn’t do anything on the ensuing corner kick, allowing OCB to end the threat.
Damian Nigg attempted a similar play in the 11th minute when he took a shot from just outside the box. Taifi got in front again, but this one was blocked out instead of deflected over the goal.
The Young Lions might have gotten a little lucky in the 18th minute when Trip Fleming was sent though before being taken down by Sandy. He was definitely behind Sandy and probably behind the rest of the back line, but referee Gerald Flores only gave a yellow card despite protests by the Chicago players and staff.
Himes made an easy catch on the ensuing set piece and OCB escaped with nothing more than a caution.
Chicago nearly took the lead in the 24th minute when Nigg made a run into the box and Yearwood blocked his cross out of play. Nigg’s ensuing corner kick was headed on goal by Sandmeyer. Lasheras mishit the clearance and nearly scored an own goal, but Himes was able to knock it off the line.
On the other end, OCB nearly scored when a Yearwood cross was mishit by Josue Pfrommer, forcing Pratt into a save. The block went right to Leao, who put it back on target, but Pratt blocked it out of play. The Young Lions couldn’t create anything from the corner kick and the game remained scoreless.
Chicago had achance to open the scoring in the 34th minute when Hlyut found Nigg with space on the left side of the OCB box. The attacker’s second touch was a shot that hit the outside of the net.
The Young Lions finally broke the deadlock in the 39th minute when Sarajian did well to shield his defender and make a long run down the right. The rookie found Leao near the top of the six-yard box, and the Brazilian guided the ball past Pratt to give his team a 1-0 lead.
In the 45th minute, Nagle used a dummy move to beat Tsukada before finding Robert Turdean. The midfielder’s first touch was to Fleming, whose shot was deflected out of play by Taifi.
Lasheras headed the ensuing corner kick over the end line, giving Chicago a second set piece. This one was chested towards goal by David Poreba. Lasheras and Himes were there and it appeared to be an easy clearance, but they were unable to do so, allowing Sandmeyer to knock in the equalizing goal in first-half stoppage time.
OCB nearly retook the lead in the fourth minute of stoppage time when Taifi played Leao forward and the striker’s first touch sent Yearwood down the right. The right back sent the ball back centrally for Leao, making a trailing run. He couldn’t get much on it, but the ball rolled to Tsukada right behind. The midfielder attempted to guide the ball inside the far post, and it appeared to be on target, but Pfrommer got there just in time to clear it away.
The final chance of the first half came in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Taifi fouled Charles Nagle, earning a yellow card and giving Chicago a free kick near the top of the OCB box. The set piece by Nigg was headed out, but only to Hlyut, who fired on goal. While Judelson got in front to block it, Chicago kept possession. It was sent down the right side of the box to Turdean, who found Hugo Berg. Fortunately, his first-touch shot was wide of the far post.
The halftime whistle blew immediately after the miss and the game went into the break at 1-1. After 45 minutes, Chicago had the edge in shots (12-6) and shots on target (2-1). While both teams had four corner kicks and two crosses, OCB had better passing accuracy (85.4%-81.9%).
OCB had the first chance of the second half and it came inside the first minute. Sarajian took possession near the top right corner of the Chicago box, laying it off for Judelson. The Canadian youth international’s first touch was a shot that forced Pratt into a good save.
In the 55th minute, Poreba sent the ball forward and continued his run, allowing him to receive it back. The attacker had space to shoot, but Taifi got in front to block it out of play. OCB cleared the ensuing corner kick and the game remained tied. Two minutes later, Poreba had another chance, this time from outside the box. It was well struck, forcing Himes to tip the ball over the crossbar. The corner kick was too close to the OCB shot stopper, who collected it.
Tsukada created a good chance in the 60th minute, finding space from Oscar Pineda and sending a hard shot toward the far post. It was on target, but Pratt did well to dive to his right and make the one-handed stop.
Just a minute later, Tsukada went down and required attention from the OCB training staff. Head Coach Manuel Goldberg took the opportunity to make his first two changes. Caraballo and Dominik Baczewski came into the game for Tsukada and Lasheras.
Shortly after the substitutions, OCB nearly retook the lead when Yearwood’s low cross was blocked to the top of the box. Baczewski took possession and played it square for Caraballo. The teenager’s shot was on target but caught by Pratt.
The visitors had a great chance in the 65th minute when a long ball was taken down well, and Dean Boltz was sent behind the back line. Himes came off his line to cut down the angle as Boltz sent his shot under the right arm and toward the far post. Fortunately, it hit the woodwork and stayed out. Boltz was sent over the top in the 69th minute as the ball glanced off Sandy’s head and in behind the back line. The attacker was in on goal as Himes came off his line and the goalkeeper did well to block the shot.
Goldberg made his third change of the game in the 71st minute, replacing Yearwood with Parker Amoo-Mensah.
A minute later, the Young Lions retook the lead. Rhein sent Ellis into the box on the left, and the attacker did well to create enough space for a shot. There wasn’t much Pratt could do about it as Ellis sent a rocket inside the far post to give his team a 2-1 lead with less than 20 minutes to play.
OCB’s high press forced a turnover in the 75th minute and it nearly turned into a third goal. Leao took possession and backheeled the ball to Baczewski, who found Ellis in the box. It looked like Ellis had enough space for a shot, but he backheeled it to Judelson instead, and the midfielder’s shot was blocked by Fleming. The Young Lions had another chance six minutes later when Tidiane Diawara fouled Amoo-Mensah in the Chicago third of the field. Caraballo took the set piece, playing it short to Ellis. The attacker shot from distance, looking for his second goal, but he sent the low shot right to Pratt.
On the other end, Chicago created a chance when Poreba played a pass to Boltz between two defenders. The substitute fired from the top of the box, but he sent the attempt wide.
In the 84th minute, Ellis found Leao with space in the box. The striker’s second touch was a shot that rolled wide of the far post. That was the last attack for both goal scorers as they were replaced in the 86th minute by Landon Okonski and Logan Tsopanoglou.
OCB had a good opportunity in the first minute of stoppage time when Sandmeyer took Sarajian down near the top corner of the Chicago box. Caraballo took the set piece, sending it right to Pratt.
Despite chasing the game, Chicago was unable to create anything in the OCB third of the field. The only chance for either team in the dying minutes was a free kick that Caraballo sent straight to Pratt from distance.
At full time, Chicago had the advantage in shots (19-16), corner kicks (7-6), and crosses (6-4). But OCB put more attempts on target (7-6) and had better passing accuracy (82.5%-80.8%).
The win gives OCB its first three points of the season as the club’s reserve side split the two-game homestand to open the year.
The Young Lions will now head out on the road as they face Carolina Core FC Saturday afternoon.
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