Orlando City B vs. New England Revolution II: Preview and How to Watch

Orlando City B (0-1-0, 0 points) continues its season-opening road trip as the Young Lions travel to Foxborough, MA to take on New England Revolution II (0-0-1, 1 point). It will be the first time that these two MLS developmental squads have faced off.

OCB kicked off its 2020 season Saturday night in South Georgia when the Young Lions took on Tormenta FC. While OCB had some chances early in the game, it was a dominant performance by the hosts, holding 61% possession and out-shooting the Young Lions 24-8 in the 2-0 result.

There were some positives in the game with strong performances by goalkeeper Austin Aviza, Orlando City’s 2020 MLS SuperDraft selection, and Homegrown forward Wilfredo Rivera. Defenders Michael Halliday and Nick O’Callaghan also looked good during parts of the game. The purpose of OCB is to provide playing time and development for players whose MLS rights are owned by Orlando City. In that respect, it was a positive that eight of the 11 starters were either Homegrown Players or Orlando City draft picks. Jahlane Forbes, who has since left for Wake Forest University, is another Homegrown Player who came off the bench.

Tonight, OCB will take on a new team in USL League One, New England Revolution II. As you might’ve guessed, this is the MLS side’s developmental team. Similar to OCB, the oldest player on Revolution II is 24 years old and the roster features a pair of the team’s 2020 MLS SuperDraft selections. Where the rosters differ is in Homegrown talent. OCB has several more Homegrown Players than Revolution II, which only has two for the club’s first season.

The difference in Homegrown Players means that Revolution II is a slightly older team than OCB and has more professional experience. Revolution II only has three teenagers on the roster and its youngest player is 18. OCB, on the other hand, has 12 teenagers, with two 17-year-olds, two 16-year-olds, and a 15-year-old. This difference in age and professional experience could show in the game.

While OCB took on one of the better and more experienced teams in the league last weekend, the Young Lions will face a fellow developmental side tonight. They might have less experience and a lower age than their opponent, but the performance should tell a lot about Orlando CIty’s younger players. This should be a better opportunity for OCB to claim its first point of the 2020 USL League One season.

Most Recent Lineups

New England Revolution II

Joe Rice, Simon Lekressner, Ryan Spaulding, Collin Verfurth, Jonathan Bell, Maciel, Connor Presley, Tiago Mendonca, Mayele Malango, Nicolas Firmino, Orlando Sinclair.

Orlando City B

Austin Aviza, Michael Halliday, Nick O’Callaghan, Mateo Rodas, Franklin Carabali, Austin Amer, Jose Quintero, Adam Ozeri, Moises Tablante, Julian Kennedy, Wilfredo Rivera.

How to Watch

The 7 p.m. kickoff from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA can be streamed on ESPN+ domestically or on YouTube internationally. For rapid reaction and live updates, follow @TheManeLand on Twitter.

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