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Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs Pittsburgh Riverhounds: Final Score 2-1 as Lions Win on Ellis-Hayden’s First Career Goal

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9 years ago

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After a disappointing 3-1 home defeat a week ago, Hadji Barry and Zach Ellis-Hayden lifted OCB (4-4-3, 15 points) to a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (4-5-3, 15 points) at Highmark Stadium. Barry recorded a goal and an assist, Ellis-Hayden scored his first career goal, and OCB moved back above the playoff line.

Head Coach Anthony Pulis made six changes from last week. Earl Edwards, Jr. remained in net, but above him only Zach Carroll remained in the defense. Seb Hines started next to Carroll in his return from injury, with Zach Ellis-Hayden and Scott Thomsen the fullbacks. Austin Martz, Jordan Schweitzer, Lewis Neal, and Pierre Da Silva filled in the midfield, with Danny Deakin playing just under Hadji Barry up top.

The game started out slowly, with each team feeling each other out. In the seventh minute, OCB had the first corner of the game and decided to take it short. After a turnover, former Lion Corey Hertzog almost broke free on the counter, but Martz defended it perfectly to win the ball back for the young Lions. 

Pittsburgh’s first big chance came in the 13th minute. A ball was put into the box and a few of the Riverhounds got touches on it. The young Lions eventually cleared the ball for a corner, but on the ensuing corner Pittsburgh could not take advantage and lost the ball. 

Two minutes later, a shaky defensive effort nearly led to an OCB goal. Barry and Deakin played one-two with each other on the top of the 18. Barry’s eventual shot went inches wide of the post, and the game remained scoreless. 

After a brief spell of possession from OCB, the match started to open up some. The game’s first goal nearly came in the 26th minute, when Jamal Jack put a through ball into the box that found Ritchie Duffie. Duffie took a touch, hesitated and then shot, but Carroll came flying across the box to knock the ball out for a corner.

Pittsburgh had another two chances to score on back-to-back corners, but failed to find the back of the net on both occasions. On the first, Edwards made a fingertip save over the crossbar off of Hertzog’s header. The next ball in found the head of Romeo Parkes, but the ball went into the outside netting. 

Three minutes later, OCB had a corner of its own. Martz’s ball fell to Carroll, whose header was on target and deflected out for another corner, but nothing came of that either.

Two minutes after that, in the 30th minute, it was the Riverhounds’ turn for a corner, and they made the most of it. The corner fell to Hertzog on the far side of the box, and OCB was slow to transition over. This slight hesitation was all the time that Hertzog needed and he put it away emphatically to put Pittsburgh up, 1-0. 

The young Lions found the equalizer in the 42nd minute. Some sloppy defending led to OCB having multiple shots inside to box. The ball went from player to player before a deflected shot fell to the feet of former UCF Knight Barry. With just the keeper to beat, Barry flicked the ball into the back of the net, and the game was tied at one, silencing the home crowd. 

The goal sparked some energy into OCB, but with so little time left in the half, the young Lions were unable to capitalize on it. Still, OCB went into the break with all the momentum. OCB held 56% possession, but were outshot 6-4 in the first half (3-1 on target).

To start the second half, Pittsburgh put OCB on its heels, and Pulis’s side was defending with nine men, and then going on the counter. However, this high pressure from the Riverhounds was their undoing, as a clearance attempt led to a Barry one-on-one with a defender. The ball went out for a corner, and Lewis Neal had a shot from distance on the second ball in that nearly found the back of the net. 

OCB continued to go on the counter. In the 53rd minute, Ellis-Hayden took his second shot of the year, which found the back of the net and put the Lions on top. A one-touch flick on from Barry gave Ellis-Hayden the ball on top of the box. The defender then took a left footed crack that found the upper 90 and gave the young Lions the lead, 2-1. 

With the momentum once again on its side, OCB put pressure on Pittsburgh and was in control of the match. The Riverhounds had a few opportunities, but the young Lions were defensively solid and did not allow any Pittsburgh players to possess the ball inside the box. On the offensive side of the ball, OCB played with freedom, passing the ball around a Pittsburgh defense that looked lost at times. 

Deakin had a chance to put OCB up 3-1 in the 75th minute. Marked closely, Deakin found some space, and took a left footed shot. His attempt beat Mitchell, but hit the crossbar.

Man of the Match Hadji Barry’s night ended in the 77th minute. Pulis decided to take out Barry, who finished with a goal and an assist, for Albert Dikwa. 

Pittsburgh made a few substitutions to try and find some life, but the Riverhounds were unable to break into OCB’s box, as the young Lions flooded their box and collapsed on attackers. Pittsburgh tried hitting long balls down the field, but could not break through. 

In the closing seconds, Pittsburgh threw players forward, and finally found some life again. In the 90th minute, Ben Fitzpatrick found himself all alone in the box, but Edwards came flying out for the save.  On the second ball in, the ball bounced around in the-six yard box, but Edwards fell on it before the Riverhounds could get a shot off. In the 94th minute, Parkes made a great move to get open down the left hand side before sending a low cross in, but no one could get on the end of it. 

Possession was split 50/50, but OCB trailed in shots 18-7. However, many of Pittsburgh’s shots were half chances or contested headers and the only statistic that matters is the final score. The young Lions won that stat, 2-1.

The young Lions are 2-0 at Highmark Stadium with a pair of 2-1 wins in two trips. OCB is back in action again on Wednesday June 7, when the Lions host the Rochester Rhinos at 7:30 p.m.

Starting XI: Earl Edwards, Jr.; Zach Ellis-Hayden, Zach Carroll, Seb Hines, Scott Thomsen; Austin Martz (David Loera — 72’), Jordan Schweitzer, Lewis Neal, Pierre Da Silva, Danny Deakin; Hadji Barry (Albert Dikwa — 77’). 

Unused Subs: Jake Fenlason, Conor Donovan, Moussa Sane, Michael Cox, Ryley Kraft. 

Goals: ORL — Barry (42’), Ellis-Hayden (53’); PGH — Hertzog (30’).

Yellow Cards: ORL — Ellis-Hayden (37’); PGH — Hertzog (73’), Washington (79’).

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Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Inter Miami II: Final Score 4-1 as OCB Claims Three Huge Points in South Florida

OCB took a huge step towards qualifying for the playoffs with a road win over Inter Miami II.

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2 days ago

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September 4, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B

Orlando City B (10-9-7, 41 points) controlled in-state rival Inter Miami II (3-18-5, 15 points) tonight, winning 4-1 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. Issah Haruna, Harvey Sarajian, Gustavo Caraballo, and Ignacio Gomez were the OCB goal scorers, while Nash Dearmin scored the lone goal for the South Florida club.

OCB Head Coach Eddie Wilding made one change to the team that beat Crown Legacy FC 3-2 Sunday night. Sarajian entered the starting lineup in place of Matthew Belgodere, who started on the bench.

Goalkeeper Tristan Himes started behind a back line of Clovis Archange, Nolan Miller, Landon Okonski, and Parker Amoo-Mensah. Justin Hylton and Gomez were in the defensive midfield behind Caraballo, Haruna, and Sarajian with Pedro Leao up top.

This was a much bigger game for OCB as the Young Lions fight for a playoff spot and Miami is already eliminated. That difference showed as the visitors were the more aggressive team and looked more determined to come away with three points. Miami created more shots than its opposition, but most of those attempts were from long range and well off target or blocked. Meanwhile, OCB had the better opportunities with a much higher percentage of shots on target.

The hosts created the first shot in the sixth minute when Nicholas Almeida intercepted a Sarajian pass and sent Idoh Zeltzer-Zubida forward. The attacker got behind the back line and it appeared as though he would be in on goal. But Okonski and Amoo-Mensah caught up. Amoo-Mensah deflected Zeltzer-Zubida’s shot from outside the box off target, and the Young Lions cleared the ensuing set piece.

OCB’s first chance came in the 10th minute and resulted in the game’s first goal. It started when Miller lifted the ball long on the right for Haruna. The attacker dribbled inside, used a spin to create space from his defender, and beat Matias Marin to his near post to give the Young Lions the early 1-0 lead.

It was Haruna’s third consecutive game with a goal after finding the net against Atlanta United 2 on Aug. 22 and Crown Legacy FC on Aug. 30.

Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for Miami to respond. In the 12th minute, Marin sent a long ball down the right for Theo Vorenkamp. The right back cut back to create space from Archange and lifted a cross into the box for Mateo Saja. The attacker chested the ball down, but it was too far in front of him and Okonski sent it away.

The ball landed Dearmin’s feet. He took a couple of dribbles toward the center of the field before beating Himes to his right post to even the game at 1-1.

The Herons thought they’d taken the lead in the 15th minute when Zeltzer-Zubida sent a nice ball behind the back line for Saja. The attacker dribbled into the box and chipped Himes. However, the assistant referee correctly ruled Saja offside.

Miami forced Himes into his first quality save in the 19th minute when Matteo De Paula played Diego Rey to the end line. Okonski had a chance to clear the cross, but the center back couldn’t get a piece of the ball. It landed at Dearmin’s feet, but Himes tipped his shot over the crossbar. OCB cleared the ensuing corner, ending the threat.

Okonski headed away a set piece in the 22nd minute and a poor touch by Sloan Morrison gave OCB a two-on-one. Haruna drove down the field with Caraballo to his right. As Vorenkamp closed Haruna down, the midfielder played Caraballo into the box. Unfortunately, Caraballo’s shot was too close to Marin, allowing the goalkeeper to push the ball wide.

Four minutes later, the Young Lions took their second lead of the game. Amoo-Mensah gave the ball away in his own half, but a bad touch by Vorenkamp allowed Archange to retake possession. The left back played a beautiful ball between two defenders for Sarajian, making a run into the Miami third of the field. The attacker placed the ball behind Marin and inside the far post to give OCB a 2-1 lead.

Miami nearly responded right away, just as it did earlier. Vorenkamp laid the ball off for Rey, approaching the top of the OCB box. The attacker’s first touch was a shot past Himes and off the far post. The rebound set Saja up perfectly with a completely empty goal, but he couldn’t get over the ball, sending it over the crossbar.

Amoo-Mensah sent a long ball forward for Sarajian in the 32nd minute, giving the attacker a good opportunity for his second goal. Vorenkamp caught up, forcing Sarajian to use a nifty touch to create space for a shot. However, Marin had his near post covered and blocked the attempt over the end line.

The ensuing set piece by Amoo-Mensah found Gomez at the far post. The midfielder’s initial header was blocked, but it fell right back to him. Marin blocked his second shot to the near post and the goalkeeper fell on the ball, ending the attack.

The hosts looked to even the game again in the 36th minute when Joseph Convers played a give-and-go with De Paula, setting Convers up just outside the OCB box. However, his first touch from the return pass was a shot that went right at Himes. Seconds later, Rey took the ball off of Miller’s foot and dribbled down the end line. He had a teammate trying to find space, but Archange and Okonski filled in that space, forcing Rey to fire a shot wide of the near post.

Leao broke down the middle in the 43rd minute, playing the ball to his right for Caraballo. The midfielder was unable to create a shot, causing him to look for Gomez instead. His pass was deflected, going to Hylton, who immediately found Leao. The striker quickly took a shot that forced Marin to tip it wide.

Less than a minute later, the Young Lions extended their lead. It started with Archange’s throw-in to Sarajian down the left. The attacker’s long cross through the box was controlled nicely by Haruna, laying the ball back for Caraballo. Gomez turned his back in the box as Caraballo fired from distance. In a bit of luck, the ball bounced off Gomez, redirecting past Marin and in to give OCB the 3-1 lead.

In the dying seconds of the first half, Leao played Haruna behind the back line. It looked like the midfielder might have a free shot on goal, but Vorenkamp slid in to deflect the attempt over the crossbar at the last second. The referee called a foul on the ensuing corner kick, ending the attack and the half.

Both teams took 10 shots in the first half, but OCB put more on target (7-3). While the Young Lions won more corner kicks (4-3) in the first 45 minutes, Miami had better passing accuracy (82.4%-75.3%).

OCB started the second half on the attack, just as it had ended the first. The Young Lions created a shot less than a minute after the restart as Sarajian found Caraballo near the penalty spot. But the attacker’s first-touch shot was over the target.

Miami’s first chance of the half came in the 48th minute when Dearmin played a lovely ball behind the back line for Rey. Himes did well to react quickly, coming off his line and blocking Rey’s attempt to chip him.

While both teams scored early in the first half, most of the early second-half shots were from outside the box and blocked. Miami put a chance on frame in the 57th minute when Saja lifted the ball from the left to the back post. Rey got his head to the ball but put his attempt into Himes’s chest.

Wilding made his first change in the 66th minute, replacing Leao with Belgodere. The substitute took his place on the left side and Sarajian moved into the striker role.

Gomez intercepted and cleared a Jerremy Ortela cross in the 74th minute, but Caraballo immediately lost possession to De Paula. Rather than looking for a teammate, De Paula took a long-distance shot from outside the box, sending his attempt into Himes’s arms.

De Paula received a pass on the left in the 76th minute, lifting a cross to the back post. Vorenkamp was there to get his head on the ball, sending his attempt wide of the near post. It was fortunate for OCB, as Vorenkamp had more time than he realized.

Wilding made two more changes in the 77th minute. Caraballo and Archange exited the contest, replaced by Nicholas Lasheras and Titus Sandy, Jr.

Sarajian played the ball to Belgodere on the left in the 81st minute and the midifeilder dribbled inside before finding Hylton near the penalty spot. Hylton spun to beat Morrison, who stuck his leg in, causing Hylton to go to the ground. Referee Jack Joyce pointed to the spot without hesitation, giving the Young Lions a golden opportunity to score a fourth.

With regular penalty takers Leao and Caraballo having departed, Gomez stepped up to take the kick. The young attacker did well with his first penalty of the season, sending Marin the wrong way to give OCB a commanding 4-1 lead.

Wilding made his final two changes in the 84th minute as Brady Kendall and Caleb Trombino came on for Haruna and Hylton.

Shortly after the changes, Miller fouled Judeson Aldeclat just outside the OCB box, giving the hosts a chance to get a goal back. Alejandro Flores took the set piece, sending his attempt just wide of the near post.

With the result no longer in question, the final minutes were more of a formality. A long-distance attempt by Flores that caused Himes little concern was the only shot by either team as the game slowly approached the final whistle.

At full time, Miami had more shots (22-16), but both teams put eight attempts on target. Despite Miami also winning more corner kicks (8-5), attempting more crosses (11-3), and having better passing accuracy (84.8%-73.8%), OCB came away with a relatively stress-free win.

The three points put OCB in a much stronger position to qualify for the playoffs. The Young Lions currently occupy the eighth position, which would host the No. 9 team in a one-game play-in game. They’re one point behind Atlanta United 2 and two ahead of NYCFC II. While both have a game in hand on the Young Lions, OCB and Atlanta will end the season against each other at Osceola County Stadium.

But that’s not all. OCB is only two points behind New England Revolution II and Connecticut United FC for the fifth and sixth spots. As a result, one of several results  — combined with a pair of OCB wins — will see the Young Lions qualify for the postseason.

OCB will likely have to win both of its last two games to make the postseason. That starts on Sept. 13 when the Young Lions host Toronto FC II in their penultimate game of the regular season.

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Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Crown Legacy FC: Final Score 3-2 as OCB Snaps Five-Game Losing Streak

Two early second-half goals made the difference as OCB defeated Crown Legacy FC 3-2.

Published

7 days ago

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August 30, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B

Orlando City B (9-9-7, 38 points) snapped a five-game losing streak by defeating first-place Crown Legacy FC (13-5-7, 51 points) 3-2 tonight at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee. Adrian Mendoza gave the visitors the early lead, and Issah Haruna equalized late in the first half. Goals inside the first three minutes of the second half by Matthew Belgodere and Gustavo Caraballo made it 3-1. Crown Legacy got one back through an Ignacio Gomez own goal in the 54th minute, but the Young Lions held on for the win.

OCB Head Coach Eddie Wilding made two changes to the team that lost 5-1 to Atlanta United 2 on Aug. 22. Clovis Archange and Caraballo entered the lineup, replacing Albright Chikamso and Nicolas Lasheras.

Goalkeeper Tristan Himes started behind a back line of Archange, Nolan Miller, Landon Okonski, and Parker Amoo-Mensah. Justin Hylton and Gomez were the defensive midfielders behind Belgodere, Caraballo, and Haruna, with Pedro Leao up top.

It looked like it would be a long night for OCB when Crown Legacy hit the post and scored inside six minutes. But they settled down and even got an equalizer before halftime. The key period of the game was the first three minutes of the second half, when OCB scored twice to take a 3-1 lead. The hosts were helped by the post two more times, allowing them to hold onto the lead and win their first game since July 12.

An Amoo-Mensah giveaway in the fifth minute gave Crown Legacy the first chance of the night. Andrew Johnson intercepted the pass and played it forward for Magic Smalls. The striker played it forward for Mendoza, who set up Andrej Subtoic for a shot that bounced off the near post. Unfortunately, the ball went right to Mendoza at the top of the box. The attacker dribbled inside to create space from Leao before sending a shot past Himes to give the visitors the early 1-0 lead.

The Young Lions created their first chances in the eighth minute when Haruna played Amoo-Mensah forward, and the right back’s cross was blocked out for a corner kick. The ensuing set piece was to the near post, where Johnson headed it over the end line for another. The second attempt bounced around the box before it landed at Okonski’s feet beyond the back post. The center back got a shot off, but Jahiem Wickham came off his line to make the save.

Crown Legacy was unable to clear, allowing Belgodere to find Archange making a run down the left. His cross glanced off Gomez’s head and fell to Caraballo on the right. Mikah Thomas blocked the midfielder’s first touch, ending the attack.

OCB turned a Crown Legacy corner kick into a counter in the 16th minute, led by Leao. The striker found Caraballo in the box, but he was unable to create enough space for a shot. However, after Crown Legacy headed out Belgodere’s cross, Archange found Leao. The defender wanted Leao to send the ball through for him, but Leao turned and fired wide instead.

Baye Coulibaly intercepted Himes’ poor pass out of the back in the 24th minute. The midfielder played the ball forward for Nathan Richmond before receiving it right back and sending his attempt over the goal.

OCB found the equalizer in the 31st minute. The Young Lions struggled at first to get the ball out of the back, but Belgodere was able to tap it to Leao, leading to a break down the field. The striker played the ball to the right for Haruna, who dribbled inside before firing behind a diving Wickham and into the far corner to even the game at 1-1.

Belgodere carried the ball into the Crown Legacy third of the field in the 45th minute and had space for a left-footed shot. But Willian Sangoquiza stuck his foot in and deflected it over the end line. The Young Lions played the ensuing set piece short to Caraballo and eventually played it wide to Amoo-Mensah. The right back’s cross found Leao’s head, but he put his attempt off the near post, narrowly missing giving OCB the late first-half lead.

At halftime, OCB had the advantage in shots (8-5), shots on target (2-1), corner kicks (5-4), and passing accuracy (82.7%-82.4%), but the teams traded goals and were even at the break.

The Young Lions got the second half off to the best possible start. Just 35 seconds in, Belgodere took the ball off Sangoquiza’s foot, dribbled inside to find some space, then beat Wickham to his near post to give OCB the 2-1 lead.

Three minutes later, Caraballo knocked the ball off of Johnson’s foot. It popped up to Haruna, who played a beautiful ball forward for Caraballo. The Homegrown product beat Johnson into the Crown Legacy box and used a deft chip to beat Wickham, making it 3-1 to the hosts.

In the 54th minute, Sangoquiza fired a ball off Gomez and over the end line for a corner kick. Jack Neeley volleyed the looping set piece, but Gomez cleared it. Coulibaly collected it outside the box and played it through Neeley and Mendoza for Richmond. Smalls and Gomez challenged for the cross, resulting in the ball glancing off Gomez’s head. It deflected over Himes, bounced off the inside of the post, and crept over the goal line to make it 3-2.

A short corner in the 61st minute gave OCB a great chance to extend its lead. Haruna found Amoo-Mensah in the box, and the right back quickly saw Leao nearby. The striker’s first touch was a shot with space, but he sent the ball well over the target.

An Amoo-Mensah giveaway in the 64th minute gave Crown Legacy an opportunity. Brian Romero took possession and laid the ball off for Sebastian Ventura with his back to the goal. Instead of a risky shot, the attacker found Daniel Longo approaching the OCB third of the field. Longo fired from distance, sending his attempt over the crossbar.

Wilding made his first changes of the game in the 75th minute. Hector Aguirre came on to loud cheers from friends and family, joined by Lasheras. The pair replaced Caraballo and Miller.

Aguirre collected a poor pass by Hugo Mbongue in the 78th minute and played it forward to Belgodere. Haruna made a run into the box and called for the ball, but Belgodere fired from distance instead, sending his attempt over the target.

Crown Legacy nearly equalized in the 82nd minute when Coulibaly found Sangoquiza darting down the right. The right back sent a low cross through the box that reached Romero on the left. The substitute cut inside to lose Amoo-Mensah and sent a shot just over the leg of Okonski. He beat Himes, putting his attempt off the far post. Longo followed the shot, putting his attempt off Okonski.

Ventura had a chance to even the game in the 86th minute when an Okonski clearance went to Thomas outside the box. Thomas played the ball square for Coulibaly, who sent Ventura between Okonski and Amoo-Mensah. The attacker used a nice spin move to get in on goal with Himes coming off his line. He tried to lift the ball over the OCB goalkeeper, but Himes got his right arm to it, sending the ball off the crossbar and out of play.

A 90th-minute ball into the OCB box found Ventura’s head between Haruna and Amoo-Mensah. Nobody in purple even jumped for the ball, but Ventura couldn’t get much on it, providing Himes with an easy save.

Wilding made two final changes as the game entered the first minute of second-half stoppage time. Brady Kendall and Titus Sandy, Jr. entered the contest for Haruna and Belgodere.

Crown Legacy created one final chance in the dying seconds of the game. Again, Ventura was unable to get much power behind his header, allowing Himes to fall on the ball and secure the win.

At full time, Crown Legacy had the edge in shots (15-14), but OCB put more on target (4-3). The visitors also finished with more corner kicks (7-6) and better passing accuracy (84.5%-80.8%).

The win snaps OCB’s five-game losing streak and a six-game winless streak. The team’s last previous point was on July 18 in Chattanooga, TN, and the most recent win was on July 12 away to FC Cincinnati 2.

Despite the three points, the Young Lions remain in 11th place in MLS NEXT Pro’s Eastern Conference. However, they’re tied with Huntsville City FC for 10th and just one point behind Chicago Fire FC II and NYCFC II for the final playoff spot with three games remaining.

They’ll look to build on this performance when they face rivals Inter Miami II Friday night in Fort Lauderdale.

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Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Atlanta United 2: Final Score 5-1 as Young Lions Fall for Fifth Straight Time

OCB ended its horrid four-game road trip by getting crushed in the second half after going into the break even at 1-1.

Published

2 weeks ago

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August 22, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B

Orlando City B (8-9-7, 35 points) continued its slide this afternoon, falling 5-1 to Atlanta United 2 (12-8-4, 40 points) at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground in Marietta, GA. Cameron Dunbar and Issah Haruna traded late first-half goals, but the hosts took over in the second 45 minutes. Dunbar scored a second in the 52nd minute and Arif Kovac added a third in the 74th minute. It got out of hand in stoppage time as Patrick Weah and Kovac added two more goals.

OCB Head Coach Eddie Wilding made three changes to the team that lost 2-0 to Chicago Fire II on Aug. 15. Landon Okonski, Nolan Miller, and Haruna replaced Titus Sandy, Jr., Clovis Archange, and Gustavo Caraballo. The most significant change was the inclusion of Miller. The center back was in the first team early in the season, but has been out since April 25 after suffering a knee injury. This game was his return to competitive action.

Goalkeeper Tristan Himes started behind a back line of Albright Chikamso, Miller, Okonski, and Parker Amoo-Mensah. Nicolas Lasheras and Ignacio Gomez were the defensive midfielders behind Matthew Belgodere, Haruna, and Justin Hylton with Pedro Leao up top.

Atlanta was the better team throughout this game, creating more chances and causing constant concern for the OCB back line. The Young Lions were fortunate to go into halftime at 1-1 and let the game get away from them in the second half. Dunbar scored an early second-half goal to give the hosts a deserved lead, while OCB didn’t create a shot after the break until the hour mark. It was only 3-1 heading into stoppage time, but Atlanta scored two late goals to create the lopsided result.

The Young Lions created the first shot of the game in the fifth minute when Lasheras played the ball wide on the left for Belgodere. It initially looked like the attacker would shoot as he dribbled inside, but he laid it off for Lasheras instead. The 17-year-old attempted to curl the ball around Atlanta goalkeeper Jonathan Ransom, sending his attempt wide of the target.

The hosts had their first chance in the ninth minute when Dunbar found Amir Henry on the right. The defender looked to send a cross to the top of the six-yard box, but Chikamso got in front to deflect it out of play for a corner kick. Himes and Kovac attacked the ensuing set piece, resulting in it going to Mohamed Cisset. The center back headed the ball over Hylton and wide of the near post.

Amoo-Mensah lost possession in the 11th minute as Matthew Senanou intercepted his pass forward for Leao. The center back’s first touch got away from him, but his long legs allowed him to beat Lasheras to the ball. He ended up colliding with Chikamso as he shot, sending the ball wide. The collision caused Chikamso to go down and he went down again three minutes later. This time, the left back wasn’t able to continue, forcing Wiliding into an unwanted early substituion. Nicolas Bobea Torres came into the game in a like-for-like change.

Atlanta had a good chance for an opening goal in the 20th minute when Henry made a strong run down the right, using his change of pace to beat Belgodere and Torres. Kovac stopped his run outside the six-yard box to create space between Miller and Okonski, getting his head to the cross. However, his effort sailed just over the crossbar.

Atlanta wanted a penalty in the 36th minute when Dunbar used his speed to get past Okonski and into the OCB box. The attacker went down after some contact, causing the Atlanta players, bench, and fans to appeal for a spot kick. Instead, referee Izlen Peksenar told Dunbar to get up and continue playing.

Dominik Chong Qui dribbled into the OCB third in the 40th minute and attempted a cross that Lasheras blocked out of play for a corner kick. Lasheras beat Senanou to the near-post ball, heading it out of the box. Santiago Pita collected it and shot from distance, sending his attempt well high and wide.

Atlanta put its first shot on target in the 42nd minute when Dunbar collected a weak header by Amoo-Mensah and chipped the ball to the penalty spot. Kovac was making a run and got his head to the cross. But it was a little too low, ensuring the striker couldn’t get much on it and allowing Himes to make the stop.

The fourth official showed eight minutes of first-half stoppage time, largely due to the two OCB injuries and hydration break. The hosts took the lead in the second of those eight minutes.

Torres knocked the ball off of Henry’s foot, sending it to Andrew Jardines. A quick give-and-go with Pita allowed Jardines to find Dunbar near the penalty spot. The attacker placed it past Himes to give the hosts the 1-0 lead.

Following the goal, the Young Lions went on the attack, looking for an equalizer. In the sixth minute of stoppage time, Hylton played a square ball for Leao. The striker dribbled inside to create space from DD Sibrian and unleashed a shot that Ransom blocked wide for a corner kick.

The ensuing set piece was partially cleared to the top of the box where Leao — with a defender on his back — played it back to Amoo-Mensah. The right back sent a long ball to Hylton on the right, who dribbled into the box before Sibrian knocked the ball off his foot, but it went right to Haruna, whose hard shot deflected off Chong Qui and inside the far post to even the game at 1-1 just before the break.

Atlanta had the better of the first half, finishing the opening period with the edge in shots (8-3), shots on target (3-2), and passing accuracy (86.9%-81.8%). OCB had more crosses (4-2) and both teams won two corner kicks. Despite Atlanta being the better side in the first 45 minutes, the teams traded stoppage-time goals to enter the break tied.

Wilding made one change at halftime. Caleb Trombino came into the game for Miller, who was on a minutes restriction as he returns from injury.

Atlanta retook the lead with its first second-half chance in the 52nd minute when Jardines played Dunbar into the OCB third of the field. Nobody stepped up to challenge the attacker, so he fired from distance. Himes clearly wasn’t expecting the shot, allowing Dunbar to beat the goalkeeper to his near post and giving the hosts the 2-1 lead.

Two minutes later, Atlanta won a throw-in and nearly turned it into a third goal. Senanou flicked on the long throw by Chong Qui for Kovac making a run into the six-yard box. He had a step on Amoo-Mensah and got a touch to the ball, tapping it just wide of the far post.

Atlanta nearly scored again in the 60th minute when Daniel Chica played the ball to Henry on the right. Chica backheeled Henry’s low pass into the box to Dunbar. Looking for a hat trick, Dunbar sent a shot toward the far post that deflected off Amoo-Mensah past a diving Himes and just beyond a sliding Lasheras for a corner kick. The Young Lions headed away the ensuing set piece to keep the deficit at one.

OCB created its first chance of the second half in the 62nd minute when Amoo-Mensah played the ball forward for Trombino and continued his run into the box. Trombino played a beautiful ball through multiple defenders back to Amoo-Mensah, whose first-touch shot forced Ransom into a save with his right foot.

Belgodere looked to get OCB back even in the 67th minute when he received the ball on the left. The midfielder didn’t have anyone with him as he challenged Henry one on one. He dribbled inside to find some space, but Henry did well to keep up with him, blocking the shot.

Dunbar was sent long down the left in the 70th minute with Kovac making a run into the OCB box. As the cross came in, Kovac went down with Okonski right behind him. For the second time in the game, the Atlanta players, coaches, and fans appealed for a penalty and Peksenar again allowed play to continue.

The hosts found their third goal in the 74th minute when Gomez won the ball from Chica but quickly gave it away to Ignacio Suarez-Couri. The halftime substitute sent the ball wide for fellow substitute Gonzalo Riveras as they broke on the counterattack. Riveras found Kovac, who held his run to create space from Okonski. The striker handled it well, bringing the ball in and beating Himes to give his team a commanding 3-1 lead.

Wilding made his final change before the restart, bringing Deshnick Nkeh on for Haruna.

Atlanta found a third goal in the second minute of second-half stoppage time when Suarez-Couri dribbled into the OCB third of the field. Torres blocked his through ball for Weah, but Suarez-Couri retook possession and completed his second attempt. Lasheras got into a defensive position on Weah, but the attacker cut inside and sent a hard, low shot past Okonski and Himes to make it 4-1.

The final goal came two minutes later, starting with a long ball by Ransom from the top of his box. Okonski headed the ball down for Amoo-Mensah, who immediately lost possession. Dunbar looked like he was going to shoot from distance, but played it to his left for Kovac instead. The striker sent an excellent shot past a sliding Okonski and a diving Himes to seal the 5-1 victory.

At full time, Atlanta had more shots (17-6), shots on target (7-3), and corner kicks (3-2), and better passing accuracy (87.9%-85%).

The Young Lions have now lost five consecutive games, dating back to their 1-0 loss to Huntsville City FC on July 26. Their last point was a 1-1 draw with Chattanooga FC on July 18 and they haven’t won since July 12 when they earned a 2-1 victory over FC Cincinnati 2.

At the beginning of this losing streak, OCB sat in fourth place and weren’t far behind the league leaders. They’ve now fallen all the way to 10th place and could fall further as Philadelphia Union II and Huntsville City both have games in hand.

This game ends the team’s four-game road trip in which it was outscored 14-3. The Young Lions will return home on Aug. 30 as they welcome league-leading Crown Legacy FC to Osceola County Stadium.

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