Orlando City B at Forward Madison FC: Final Score 3-1 as OCB Drops Second Straight Game

Orlando City B (1-3-1, 4 points) traveled up to Wisconsin where the Young Lions lost 3-1 to Forward Madison FC (2-2-2, 8 points) this evening. The game saw an own goal by OCB and another lengthy delay as the Young Lions fell for the second consecutive game.

OCB made two changes to the lineup that lost 4-1 to FC Tucson on Tuesday night. Fablo Dos Santos moved from the bench into the starting lineup and Orlando City Development Academy product Mason Lamb made his professional debut. They replaced defender Thomas Williams and forward Julian Kennedy in the team.

The Young Lions got off to a much better start in this game than they did against FC Tucson. Despite conceding the majority of possession, they created more chances than their opponents early on and came close on multiple chances in the opening minutes.

While OCB was more dangerous in the attacking third, it was the hosts that got on the board first. A corner kick by Michael Vang found Eli Lockaby in the box who put it behind Austin Aviza for the opening goal.

OCB nearly got the equalizer in the 25th minute when Michael Halliday surprised everyone with a long attempt. The ball appeared to be heading in so Madison goalkeeper Chris Brady reached up and tipped it wide.

In the 37th minute, OCB did get the equalizer through two academy products. Receiving the ball on the right, Halliday sent a beautiful ball in front of goal. On his professional debut, Mason Lamb ran onto the cross and headed it in for the equalizer.

An odd situation occurred during injury time of the first half. Connor Tobin reached in to tap the ball away from OCB at the top of the box and Madison’s goalkeeper picked it up. The referee determined that it was a pass back by Tobin and awarded an indirect free kick to OCB inside the Madison box. The hosts set up a seven-man wall to block the shot, which was eventually collected by Brady.

Just 10 minutes into the second half, Madison regained the lead. But this time it was largely at the hands of OCB. Vang, who assisted the first goal from a corner kick, sent another corner toward the front post. It was flicked on by Paulo Jr. where it came to Juan Pablo Monticelli. The OCB defender tried to clear but knocked it into his own goal instead.

As was the case against Fort Lauderdale, this game was marred by an extended weather delay. With just 15 minutes left in the contest, lightning struck in the area, causing both teams to vacate the field. There was a delay of about an hour and 45 minutes before the game resumed.

With five minutes remaining in the game, Forward Madison scored its third. The game was wide open following the delay and Don Smart found himself with space on the right. The midfielder sent a ball across the box, which was attacked by Aviza and Noah Fuson. The ball went between the two and found Brandon Eaton, who had just come on, at the back post. The midfielder dove for the ball and put into the back of the net, effectively sealing the game.

This was a game where the team that held possession was not necessarily the most dominant. Forward Madison held 61% of the possession in the first half but OCB out-shot the home team 7-3 and hit the target four times while Madison only did once. It was the opposite in the second half, as OCB held the majority of possession but Madison had most of the chances. The Flamingos out-shot the Young Lions 9-1 in the final 45 minutes nine and hit the target three times, while OCB failed to do so once. In the end, Madison had 53% of the possession and out-shot the Young Lions, 12-8.

OCB will look to bounce back from its second consecutive loss when the Young Lions return home to face South Georgia Tormenta FC Friday night at Osceola County Stadium.