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Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Toronto FC II: Final Score 3-1 as Lions Get First Win of 2017

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9 years ago

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After tallying only a gifted own-goal through the first two matches of the season, Orlando City B scored three times en route to a 3-1 win over Toronto FC II in front of an announced crowd of 1,098 at Orlando City Stadium. It was the young Lions’ first win of the 2017 USL season and also their first ever in Orlando City Stadium.

Paul Clowes, Hadji Barry, and Lewis Neal provided the offense for OCB, to offset a Malik Johnson tally. Orlando (1-2-0, 3 points) did it the hard way, having to defend with only 10 men for the game’s final 20 minutes to defeat the visiting Reds (1-2-0, 3 points).

Anthony Pulis started a side with relatively few changes from Thursday’s loss against Louisville City, going with the following lineup (4-4-2): Earl Edwards Jr.; PC, Leo Pereira, Zach Carroll, Kevin Alston; Pierre Da Silva, Lewis Neal, Austin Martz, Paul Clowes; Richie Laryea; Hadji Barry. That’s four player changes and a move for Pereira from left back to center back.

Pulis left striker Michael Cox off the team sheet, leaving a bench of Jake Fenlason, Zach Hayden-Ellis, Conor Donovan, Ryley Kraft, Danny Deakin, Joe Gallardo, and Albert Dikwa.

Jason Bent lined up his Toronto II side like this (3-4-3): Angelo Cavalluzzo; , Oyvind Alseth, Mitchell Taintor, Brandon Onkony; Liam Fraser, Brian James, Ryan Telfer, Jordan McRary; Malik Johnson, Shaan Hundal, Ricardo John. His reserves were Brandon Aubrey, Brogan Engbers, Ben Spencer, Luca Uccello, Sergio Camargo, Anthony Osorio, and Tsubasa Endoh.

After a couple of games without many opportunities, it didn’t take long for OCB to generate a good scoring chance. Richie Laryea stung the palms of Toronto goalkeeper Angelo Cavalluzzo to force a save just three minutes in. Pierre Da Silva started the play with a nice midfield tackle. The ensuing corner pinged around in the box but found its way under Cavalluzzo before a Lion could get on it.

In the 11th minute, PC took a nice overlapping run up the left flank and fizzed a cross into the box for Barry but it was deflected just enough by the defense to keep the striker off the ball. A minute later OCB worked a training ground corner, with Clowes taking the kick short to Da Silva, who back-heeled it to an onrushing Martz. His cross found Neal, who flicked it on target but a defender got a piece of it. In the 14th, Laryea missed just high on a try from about 25 yards out.

Toronto finally got its first shot attempt in the 15th minute but it was a weak roller from outside the box that Edwards easily handled.

Four minutes later, the Lions broke through. Off a corner kick, Da Silva’s back post drive went over everyone and was collected by Pereira, who had his shot blocked. It fell for Carroll, who sent it back into the box. As Cavalluzzo was catching it, Clowes got his head on it and sent it in for OCB’s first goal scored by a Lion in 2017. The Reds will no doubt feel hard done by referee Jonathan Weiner for not blowing the whistle but it was a bang-bang play and the Lions took the lead.

It was Clowes’ first ever professional goal.

“It was unbelievable to have gone from marketing the stadium about three years ago, to be able to score the first goal for OCB at the stadium is something I’ll always remember for sure,” said Clowes. “I didn’t think my first goa would be with my head but they all count the same no matter how they go in. I’m very proud to do that but most importantly that was what helped us get a win.” 

After the opening goal, Toronto got on the front foot. In the 23rd minute, Edwards had to quickly scramble off his line to beat a Toronto attacker to the ball. A minute later, Ricardo John shot wide from the top of the box. In the 27th minute, Alseth tried a long-range effort but hit it well high. The Lions were definitely on their heels.

In the 28th minute, Hundal fizzed a dangerous cross into the box but it went through everyone. Two minutes later, Malik Johnson equalized. A ball deflected off a defender right onto Johnson’s foot and he fired home from the top of the box, giving Edwards no chance in the 30th minute.

The game was a bit more back-and-forth after the second goal. In the 34th, Da Silva sent in a tantalizing cross but none of his teammates could get to it. Three minutes later, Brian James sent a dangerous free kick over the bar. Barry nearly got a go-ahead goal in the 39th minute, dancing through several defenders in the box  before having his shot blocked and Neal couldn’t put in the follow.

Two minutes later, Barry did score. Martz started the play in the midfield, finding Laryea, who made a strong run through the defense before laying off on the left for Da Silva. Pierre coolly found Barry near the back post for an easy score, restoring the Orlando lead.

“I’m glad to get the goal to help the team but that’s not the most important thing. We got the three points,” Barry said after the game.

“I was pleased with Hadji tonight,” Pulis said. “I thought he was a threat for their back three all night long and he probably should have had more goals. He got himself in some fantastic positions.” 

The Reds threatened twice more before the halftime whistle, first on a bicycle kick by John that was hit straight at Edwards. The second was a dangerous free kick from the corner that forced an Edwards punch. But OCB held and took its advantage into halftime.

“I thought at times in the first half we played some really, really good football, especially on the counter attack,” Pulis said. “I thought we looked really dangerous. Hadji, Richie, Austin Martz, Pierre Da Silva looked really dangerous tonight. So I was pleased with that. We had to make some adjustments at halftime because I felt like we were a little bit too open on the counter attack. So we had to make a couple of tactical changes. And I thought we started the second half really well.” 

Toronto had a slight edge in possession at the break (51.6%-48.4%) and the teams were even on shots, at 7-7 (3-3 on target).

The hosts wasted little time extending their lead in the second period. Just six minutes after the restart, Da Silva held off Alseth down the left side with a show of strength and got to the end line before squaring a ball back across the box for Neal, who roofed his shot into the top netting to make it 3-1.

Neal nearly earned a brace three minutes later, turning with a ball in the box and firing over the net. 

In the 65th, Barry showed some sweet moves after Kevin Alston made a picture perfect sliding tackle to stop a good scoring chance. Barry nutmegged a defender and forced a two-handed diving save on a play that was deserving of a goal.

The game took a turn in the 69th minute when Da Silva was sent off after Weiner consulted with his assistant and judged reckless play after a hard challenge. He then gave a retaliation push after he was kicked twice by Jordan McCrary. As a result, Da Silva will miss this Saturday’s match against the Charlotte Independence. McCrary wasn’t punished.

“Really, really disappointed with it,” Pulis said of the red card. “That’s something we’re going to have to look at as a club to see if we review that and appeal it because it doesn’t look (like) a sending off to me.”

Danny Deakin replaced Laryea shortly thereafter and the Lions slid into a 4-4-1 to try to ride out the final 20 minutes. Barry was sacrificed for Dikwa in the 79th minute after some cramping issues on what was a good night for the first-team striker.

Toronto nearly pulled one back in the 80th minute when a back-post cross found Onkony’s head and popped over Edwards but was cleared by Pereira.

That was about as close as the visitors got, other than some crosses into the box that Edwards was able to punch away over the final 10 minutes plus stoppage time.

Pulis was delighted with the job his team did after going a man down. Toronto FC II was held to only two shots after halftime and only a half chance after getting a manpower advantage.

“After [Da Silva was sent off], we have no other choice, than to obviously sit in and be really disciplined and really diligent defensively and make it difficult for them to break us down. I thought we did a fantastic job,” he said. “The guys are absolutely shattered in there now. They’ve got nothing left. That’s what we expect. That’s how it should be every game. The discipline and the togetherness they showed in that last 20, 25 minutes, whatever it was – it felt like three hours for me – was excellent. Hopefully we can kick on from here, now.”

OCB will be back in action Saturday night at home against Charlotte at 7:30 p.m.

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Orlando City B

Four Young Lions To Fall For This Valentine’s Day

A look at four players poised to make the leap from OCB to Orlando City, possibly as soon as this season.

Published

4 days ago

on

February 14, 2026

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

In the spirit of Sunday’s Daytona 500, just a short drive down I-4 from my location here in Oviedo, let me also say “start your engines” to the 2026 MLS season, as we are now finally just one week away from Orlando City’s season opener on Feb. 21. The final preseason game is today, and you can expect a lot of coverage on our site and on The Mane Land PawedCast next week in advance of Red Bull New York, a.k.a. the New York Red Bulls, a.k.a. the team that used to be called the MetroStars, coming to Inter&Co Stadium to get the season started.

Orlando City B’s season will start a few weeks later, on March 2. Just like with the senior club, we do not yet have a full and final roster for the Young Lions, but we can celebrate Valentine’s Day today by looking at a few OCB players who deserve some love this year, as they have overperformed their age level and, if they stay with the club, will be pushing for minutes with Orlando City as early as this season.

In early January our Sean Rollins wrote about four OCB players who might make their Orlando City debuts this season, and here in mid-February I still agree with his thought that Tahir Reid-Brown is the OCB player most likely to make his senior debut, as Orlando City has not signed any new outside backs, so the depth chart, even with some experimentation with Iván Angulo moving the to back line, remains thin on both the right and left.

That depth chart is especially thin due to the departure of former OCB standout Alex Freeman, who was transferred to Villarreal in Spain a few weeks ago, so while Óscar Pareja may go with a back line using veterans Adrián Marín on the left and Angulo on the right to start the season, Zakaria Taifi will be battling with Angulo to fill Freeman’s shoes on the right. If Taifi is able to wrest away the starting position from Angulo, then he would be closely following Freeman’s path, as when Freeman moved up to the senior team in 2025 it was Taifi who took over at right back with OCB. Now, with Freeman departing Orlando City to wear Villarreal yellow, Taifi is again in line to replace him, wearing Orlando City’s new yellow gold ‘Sunken Treasure’ kit (at least when away from home).

Freeman and Taifi both played with OCB for three seasons, primarily at right back, and going into this year they had ranked third (Freeman) and 14th (Taifi) in minutes played in that club’s history. Taifi is almost exactly one year younger than Freeman, and while he was solid for OCB and made nine appearances for the senior club in 2025, he did not play as many minutes or perform as well as Freeman did while in MLS NEXT Pro (all data from fotmob.com, because the MLS NEXT Pro website, for some reason, does not have any data for the 2022 season):

SeasonAge on July 1Minutes PlayedAvg. FotMob Rating
Alex Freeman: 202217.91,3926.98
Alex Freeman: 202318.91,9447.02
Alex Freeman: 202419.92,3327.64
Zakaria Taifi: 202317.71,1226.58
Zakaria Taifi: 202418.75136.48
Zakaria Taifi: 202519.71,3266.84

A player’s FotMob rating is not the be-all, end-all of ranking methodology, but to the site’s credit, FotMob tracks thousands of games and uses the same formula to create its rankings, so you can easily compare the ratings of two players at the same position in the same league. In the comparison above, Freeman’s final OCB season outperformed Taifi’s by a wide margin. Freeman finished as the top-ranked fullback that season, while Taifi finished 33rd in 2025, though in fairness to Taifi, he often dressed for Orlando City and probably practiced with the first team a lot as well, so he may not have had been able to develop the same chemistry with the OCB team in 2025 that Freeman did in 2024.

While Taifi may not have the same trajectory as Freeman, he still ranked 33rd among fullbacks, and among the 32 who ranked ahead of him 25 were at least one year older, including more than 10 who were at least three years older. Age and performance level are huge in “minor” leagues like MLS NEXT Pro, the NBA G League, and Minor League Baseball, and during the last four years the top 25 players in FotMob Rating each year have an average age of 21.9 with an average rating of 7.58. Taifi is still two years younger than those players, and while 6.84 is a bit shy of 7.58, he would be expected to improve during each of the next two years. If he were to improve by only 3% each year, for example, he would go from 6.84 to 7.26, which would have put him sixth among MLS NEXT Pro fullbacks.

I do not think he will be in MLS NEXT Pro for two more years, or maybe even that frequently this season, and two other players who also are knocking on the door of a permanent move to the senior Lions are midfielder Colin Guske and attacker Justin Ellis. I wrote about Ellis in July of 2025, and while he cooled off a little bit in the second half of the season, he still ended up as the third-ranked attacking midfielder in MLS NEXT Pro, finishing only behind players who are two and six years older than he is (18, turning 19 in May).

His season-ending FotMob rating of 7.43 was the fourth highest of any Young Lion during OCB’s four-season history, and if we applied that same 3% growth for his next three seasons (taking him to 21 years old), he would see his rating go all the way up to 8.12, which would match Jacen Russell-Rowe (then of Columbus Crew 2, now of Toulouse in France) for the highest rating in league history. Ellis also continues to get called up to play with the U.S. Youth National Teams, so while I think in the beginning of 2025 he will be behind quite a few attacking players on Orlando City’s senior roster — and therefore playing frequently with OCB — by the second half of the season he may well force his way into consideration for minutes at the MLS level, especially if he keeps improving like he has recently.

The other 2025 OCB standout who is worthy of your love and attention is Guske, who, like Taifi, often was on the bench during MLS games last season, especially after Joran Gerbet went down with a season ending injury. The young midfielder did not rack up a lot of minutes during the regular season, but in the playoff game he was the one who got the call to come off the bench for the final 15 minutes with Orlando City desperately trying to make a comeback.

Guske just turned 19 at the end of January, yet he already has two seasons as a starter under his belt with OCB and has already played more than 40 games and 3,500 minutes at the MLS NEXT Pro level. The story is similar for the Jacksonville native as it was for Taifi and Ellis — a young player who performed well (a combined 6.90 FotMob rating during his two seasons) at an age that is a few years younger than the average age of a player in MLS NEXT Pro.

Like Ellis, but not Taifi, however, is that Guske plays at a position that is now quite deep at the senior level, as the Lions acquired Braian Ojeda and Luis Otávio in the off-season, and Wilder Cartagena returned from injury as well. Those three, plus Eduard Atuesta, are all likely ahead of Guske on the depth chart at the moment. Gerbet may be able to return from injury later in the season, adding another player into the mix, so even though Guske also has played well enough to get called up to play for U.S. youth teams recently, he is likely going to be blocked from MLS minutes initially.

The jury is out on Otávio, as he has yet to play, but as an MLS U22 Initiative player, he probably will get a serious look at whether he is ready to play and stay mostly with the senior team. Heine Gikling Bruseth also was signed as an MLS U22 Initiative player and he never saw the field, so it is not guaranteed that Otávio is ahead of Guske on the depth chart, but all the other established players likely are, so Guske will probably mostly be with OCB to start this season with increased responsibility to run the team from the central midfield. I think Guske will see some time this year with Orlando City, especially if there are injuries, but this will be a big year for him with OCB and then he will aggressively compete for minutes next season.

That brings me to the last OCB player who deserves your love and attention, and that is Gustavo Caraballo, one of the biggest wild cards on Orlando City’s roster. Caraballo is only 17 years old (he will turn 18 in August), but last season he played in six games for the Lions and scored two goals, while also playing more than 1,000 minutes for OCB (7.04 FotMob rating) and leading Orlando City’s academy team to a win at the U-18 Generation Adidas Cup. He also scored a goal in the MLS NEXT All-Star Game, played for the Venezuela in the FIFA U-17 World Cup, and was called up to camp with the senior Venezuela team in the fall. Sounds just about like what I had accomplished by the time I turned 18.

Caraballo primarily played out on the right last season, but with Marco Pašalić ahead of him, it is unlikely he has a path into the starting lineup on the right wing. Pašalić rarely played full matches last season, however, so there are minutes to be filled behind him. The Venezuelan may be much younger than everyone else on the roster, but he is preternaturally gifted and is clearly one of the most exciting young players to ever play for the Lions.

I am interested to see if he is permanently with Orlando City this season or if they think he still needs time with OCB, but I expect that he will mostly be with the senior Lions. And, if the rumors are true that Pašalić has teams interested in him in Europe, the Croatian may depart after the World Cup, leaving a spot on the right up for grabs. Not every young player with talent can be called (insert club name here)’s Lamine Yamal, but Caraballo fits that bill on many levels.

Last season’s OCB season did go as well as anyone hoped, but that was not due to a lack of talent on the roster. One year later, many of its top players are back and pushing to move up to Orlando City, and even those who start the season with OCB I am sure will be playing with that metaphorical chip on their shoulder to show that they belong on the field at Inter&Co Stadium.

As you celebrate your Valentine’s Day weekend, make sure to give some love to OCB by taking a look at the Young Lions’ schedule and finding a game or two that you can attend or watch from home. When you see the skill level of some of the young players in the Orlando City pipeline you will be glad you made the time, and who knows…you might find a new favorite Va-lion-tine.

Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City B

Orlando City B Announces Schedule for 2026 MLS NEXT Pro Season

Find out where, when, and who the Young Lions of OCB will play in 2026.

Published

4 weeks ago

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January 21, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B

The 2026 MLS NEXT Pro schedule was released today, telling us where, when, and who Orlando City B will play in the team’s fifth year in the league. The addition of Connecticut United FC sees the league expand to 30 teams, with 27 MLS reserve sides and three independent clubs.

The schedule remains at 28 games, with Orlando City B playing 14 at home and 14 away. OCB’s home games will once again take place at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee.

OCB will start the 2026 season with a pair of home games, facing Huntsville City FC on Monday, March 2, and Chicago Fire FC II on Sunday, March 8. The first away game of the season is slated for Saturday, March 14, when the Young Lions face Carolina Core FC in High Point, NC.

The Young Lions will also end the upcoming season with a two-game homestand. They face Toronto FC II on Sunday, Sept. 13, and Atlanta United 2 on Sunday, Sept. 20. All Decision Day games in the Eastern Conference will start at 2 p.m., and the Western Conference game times have yet to be announced.

The Young Lions will compete in the 16-team Eastern Conference as part of the Southeast Division. Connecticut joins the Northeast Division, and Chicago moves to the Southeast Division. As a result, OCB’s division will consist of Atlanta, Carolina Core FC, Chattanooga FC, Chicago, Crown Legacy FC, Huntsville City FC, and Inter Miami II.

Once again, teams will only face those from their own conference, and OCB will play each team in its division three times. The Young Lions will face Atlanta, Chattanooga, and Chicago once at home and twice away. They’ll play Carolina, Crown Legacy, Huntsville, and Miami twice at home and once away.

The longest homestand this year is only two games, scheduled to happen four times, including the opening and closing matches of the season. OCB will spend the majority of July and August on the road with two three-game road trips, separated by an Aug. 19 home game against Huntsville City. 

Unlike MLS and the NWSL, MLS NEXT Pro will play through the 2026 FIFA World Cup. That spreads the games out a little more evenly than the other leagues. The busiest month is August, when OCB will play six games. The Young Lions are scheduled to play four games in March, May, June, and July, while only playing three times each in April and September.

Unsurprisingly, the most common day of the week the Young Lions will play is Sunday (18 times). They’ll play six times on Friday, twice on Wednesday, and once each on Monday and Friday. The most common kickoff time is 7 p.m. The Young Lions will play 20 games at that time, twice each at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., and once at 3 p.m., 5 p.m., 6 p.m., and 8 p.m.

OCB is scheduled to play six times on the same day as either Orlando City or the Pride. On March 14, the Young Lions travel to Carolina at 3 p.m. while the senior Lions host CF Montreal at 7:30 p.m. They host Miami at 7 p.m. on May 24 — the same time the Pride face San Diego Wave FC in California. On July 18, OCB will face Chattanooga FC at 7 p.m. in Tennessee while the Pride play in Utah at 8:45 p.m. The Young Lions face Connecticut away at 7 p.m. on Aug. 1 while City plays the New York Red Bulls in New Jersey at 7:30 p.m. On Aug. 19, OCB hosts Chattanooga FC at 7 p.m., while Orlando City hosts Chicago at 7:30 p.m. Finally, on Aug. 22, the Young Lions will face Atlanta away at 7 p.m. while City hosts Real Salt Lake at 7:30 p.m.

Orlando City B’s 2026 Schedule

  • Monday, March 2 — vs Huntsville City FC, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, March 8 — vs Chicago Fire FC II, 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, March 14 — at Carolina Core FC, 3 p.m.
  • Sunday, March 22 — vs Inter Miami CF II, 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, April 11 — at Chattanooga FC, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, April 19 — vs Carolina Core FC, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, April 26 — at Chicago Fire FC II, 4 p.m.
  • Sunday, May 3 — vs Crown Legacy FC, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, May 10 — at Atlanta United 2, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, May 17 — at New England Revolution II, 2 p.m.
  • Sunday, May 24 — vs Inter Miami CF II, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, June 7 — vs Carolina Core FC, 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, June 13 — at Huntsville City FC, 8 p.m.
  • Sunday, June 21 — vs Philadelphia Union II, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, June 28 — vs Columbus Crew 2, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, July 5 — at Crown Legacy FC, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, July 12 — at FC Cincinnati 2, 6 p.m.
  • Saturday, July 18 — at Chattanooga FC, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, July 26 — vs Huntsville City FC, 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, Aug. 1 — at Connecticut United FC, 7 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Aug. 12 — at New York City FC II, 5 p.m.
  • Sunday, Aug. 16 — at Chicago Fire FC II, 4 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Aug. 19 — vs Chattanooga FC, 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, Aug. 22 — at Atlanta United 2, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, Aug. 30 — vs Crown Legacy FC, 7 p.m.
  • Friday, Sept. 4 — at Inter Miami CF II, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, Sept. 13 — vs Toronto FC II, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, Sept. 20 — vs Atlanta United 2, 2 p.m.
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Orlando City

Four OCB Players Who Could Make MLS Debuts In 2026

Who are the most likely OCB players to make their first team-debuts during the 2026 season?

Published

1 month ago

on

January 5, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Orlando City has invested significantly in youth development since Luiz Muzzi and Ricardo Moreira arrived prior to the 2019 season. After signing just four players in the first five years after the club’s expansion announcement, Orlando City has signed 14 academy products to first-team deals in the last seven years.

While Muzzi departed the club this off-season, Moreira took over the role, so the emphasis developing homegrown talent is unlikely to change.

This past season alone, the club saw Colin Guske, Gustavo Caraballo, and Zakaria Taifi make their first-team debuts. Additionally, Tahir Reid-Brown, despite not getting on the field, was on the senior side’s bench for four games.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the most likely OCB players to join the first team for the 2026 season.

Tahir Reid-Brown, 19, Defender

The most likely player to make his first team debut in 2026 is 19-year-old fullback Reid-Brown. He’s already on an MLS contract and plays left back, a position currently of need for the Lions. The defender has been with the Young Lions for the last four years, making 56 appearances with 36 starts.

Reid-Brown initially played opposite Alex Freeman on the OCB back line before Freeman made the jump to the MLS squad and was replaced by Taifi, who also ended the 2025 campaign with the first team. 

Adding to the likelihood that Reid-Brown might see playing time is the uncertainty at left back. Adrian Marin is the current projected starting left back, but the Spaniard was less than impressive in his first season with Orlando City. Unless the club signs more depth at that position before the season begins, you can exepct to see Reid-Brown get some MLS playing time before long.

Jackson Platts, 18, Defender

Another player who could see his first team debut in 2026 is center back Jackson Platts. The 18-year-old was a regular OCB starter alongside Thomas Williams in 2024 before being relegated to the bench in 2025. However, the starter alongside Williams last season was Hayden Sargis, who didn’t come from the academy and is currently out of contract.

Like all defensive positions, the Lions have a lack of depth that could provide opportunities for young players. The only center backs are Robin Jansson and David Brekalo, forcing the need for a backup. The club also traded Williams, opening more room.

Platts is also a versatile option. While his natural position is center back, he’s also spent time as an outside back and in the midfield. That versatility could result in him seeing MLS action this year.

Justin Hylton, 18, Forward

The OCB player that took the biggest leap in 2025 was unquestionably Justin Hylton. The teenager was a star for the U-17 team before making his professional debut for the Young Lions. Originally a backup, he soon became a focal point of the attack and created problems for opposing defenses.

Hylton made his OCB debut on June 1 and didn’t start until Aug. 23. But he was in the starting lineup for the final six games of the season and was a crucial part of the team’s late successes. He ended the season with 11 appearances, starting six games, and recording two assists.

The only issue for Hylton is that his position is currently not the most in need. Whether the club sees him up top or in the attacking midfield, there are players in front of him. However, we could see him make his debut in an Open Cup or Leagues Cup game, if not as a late substitute in the regular season.

Dylan Judelson, 17, Midfielder

Judelson is another player who joined OCB from the academy in 2025. He started the season on an academy contract but signed to the club’s second team on Aug. 5. The defensive midfielder was a key part of the team from day one, starting the first four games of the season.

In all, Judelson made 20 appearances in 2025 with nine starts. He was in and out of the lineup with Guske, Riyon Tori, and Jhon Solis also seeing time in the role. But the Canadian youth international was very solid when on the field.

Although the departure of Cesar Araujo works in Judelson’s favor, he’s still behind veterans Eduard Atuesta, Braian Ojeda, and Wilder Cartagena, as well as Guske and MLS U22 Initiative signing Luis Otavio, while Joran Gerbet is also under contract but will miss the first part of the season recovering from a knee injury.

It’s a crowded field in front of Judelson in his position group, meaning he’ll have the biggest uphill climb of the players mentioned in this column to make his first-team debut. However, we could see the teenager with the first team for the first time this year if his development continues and there are injuries and suspensions ahead of him on the depth chart.

After years of the academy failing to produce talent for the first team, Orlando City has become one of the league’s standard bearers. That’s likely to continue this season, and it might be the start of a successful professional career at the senior level for these young players.

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