Orlando City B vs. South Georgia Tormenta FC: Final Score 4-1 as Young Lions Fall yet Again

MONTVERDE, FL – Orlando City B (3-12-4, 13 points) was unable to overcome an early onslaught by South Georgia Tormenta FC tonight, falling 4-1 at Montverde Academy. Three goals by the opposition inside 23 minutes was too much to overcome by the Young Lions. It’s their third straight loss and seventh loss in eight games.

OCB made a few changes for this game. The team continued its current trend of switching between goalkeepers, meaning that Juliano Chade returned to the net. There were three suspensions for OCB in this midweek clash. William Bagrou and Randy Mendoza served their one-game suspensions after being sent off in the 83rd minute against the Richmond Kickers over the weekend. Moises Tablante was also suspended after he received his fifth yellow card, resulting in a one-game suspension.

Tormenta FC opened the scoring early. In the seventh minute, a quick one-two down the right allowed Conner Antley to find Marco Micaletto in the box. Matheus Silva came out to close down the midfielder but mistimed the play and Micaletto touched the ball past Chade for the game’s opening goal.

In the 14th minute, the visitors doubled their lead on a play that was almost identical to the first goal. A quick one-two on the right between Antley and Jerry Saint-Vil allowed Antley to once again play it back for Micaletto. This time, there was nobody there for the midfielder and he put his first touch past Chade for his second goal in seven minutes.

In the 23rd minute, Tormenta FC made it three. After Antley lost control, Lucas Countinho gained possession and carried it towards the end line. His low, right-footed cross went right across the mouth of the goal before it was touched home by Alex Morrell.

It was a difficult start for Young Lions, giving up three goals in 23 minutes. All three goals came from the same side of the field and were scored in very similar ways.

“We didn’t correctly read the movement of the ball and they were doing it on our left side,” OCB Head Coach Fernando Jose De Argila Irurita said after the game. “We didn’t know how to provide cover for our fullback and we didn’t place correctly to the ball.”

“We fell asleep and they were able to take advantage of the mistakes,” Silva added.

OCB got a goal back in the 40th minute. Taking the ball down the left, Jordan Bender was taken down by Antley, giving OCB a free kick. Serginho’s low free kick went to the top of the six where Thiago Souza touched it in, cutting the deficit to two, at 3-1.

The Young Lions had to use the halftime break to rebound and find a way to get back into the game.

“We got that goal near the end of the first half and we had a positive mentality coming out,” OCB captain Koby Osei-Wusu said after the game. “We were just thinking to ourselves, ‘If we can get that next goal, we’re right back in this.’ It just didn’t happen to fall that way for us.”

OCB came out the more attacking side early in the second half, clearly the team chasing goals. The Young Lions had several opportunities, including a Serginho free kick that went just over the bar, but nothing that caused too much trouble for Pablo Jara.

In the 61st minute, Tormenta nearly scored a fourth when Charlie Dennis created some space and took a shot on goal. While the shot didn’t appear to be too troubling at first, it took a deflection off the foot of Silva and nearly got over Chade. However, the young goalkeeper was able to tip it over the crossbar.

The visitors did convert for their fourth goal on their ensuing corner kick. Dennis’ corner was a line drive into the box. Despite several Young Lions being near, Antley found himself wide open at the top of the six-yard box and easily headed the ball past an oncoming Chade.

The 4-1 loss matches the highest goals conceded total and the worst loss of the season. While it’s the same result as the May 11 loss at North Texas SC, the team never seemed to be in this one after falling behind by three goals so early.

It was a tough result for the Young Lions and once again it came down to the team’s mentality.

“We have to keep pushing,” said Silva following the game. “It’s not good enough. But the same way they scored the three goals in 20 minutes, we could’ve scored four goals. It’s about mentality.”

“I thought we worked really hard but we had moments of the game,” Osei-Wusu added. “Especially early on, where it was a lapse of concentration.”

OCB had its chances tonight but the Young Lions were unable to take advantage in the way Tormenta did. At halftime, the two teams split possession and each had seven shots. In the end, the teams ended up with the same possession and both had 14 shots. The difference in this game was what the teams did with their chances. Seven of Tormenta’s 14 shots were on target while OCB only hit the target three times.

After suffering its seventh loss in eight games, OCB will head back out on the road as the Young Lions take on Forward Madison FC and Lansing Ignite FC. The first of those two games will take place on Saturday night.