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Orlando City B

Orlando City B’s 2020 Season Should Be Considered a Success

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4 years ago

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Orlando City B finished its final season in USL League One Saturday afternoon, falling 4-1 to Greenville Triumph SC. It was a tough season for the Young Lions, who only won once and drew three times in a 15-game season. With the lack of success on the field, some might question if there were any positives. In fact, it was a successful season and there are several things that can be taken away from it.

When judging OCB, it’s important to remember that it shouldn’t be judged the same way as the first team or as the independent teams in the same league. The sole purpose of OCB is to develop young talent for the MLS side. A big part of that is learning how to be a professional.

OCB was located at Montverde Academy last season, pretty far away from the first team. The Young Lions weren’t dressing, eating, lifting, or training with players that had been at the level they are striving to reach. That changed this year when Orlando City’s new training facility opened. This year, OCB players were around the first team and could see how they should act as professionals. Being around someone like Nani has a tremendous impact on the young players learning how they should live on and off the field.

Another reason why it’s important to have young academy products on OCB is that they can experience playing at a higher level. These players have been successful through the academy and are ready for the next step. It doesn’t mean that they’ll be successful right away, but they’ll develop better and faster by playing better competition.

This season, 17 different academy products saw playing time with OCB. Nine of those 17 players were on the field for at least 500 minutes of a possible 1,350 minutes this season. Moises Tablante, Thomas Williams, and Wilfredo Rivera are all teenagers out of the club’s academy and were regular starters throughout most of the season.

Tablante had a successful 2019 season with OCB and carried that over into 2020. However, 16-year-olds Williams and Rivera were playing in their first professional season. Both of those players exceeded expectations this year, showing that they might have a future on the first team in a few years.

Whether it’s learning how to play on the field or how to live as a professional off the field, the club’s young academy products are better for having spent this season with OCB. The team’s head coach and Orlando City’s academy director, Marcelo Neveleff, spoke about what the young players have learned this year, what OCB achieved, and how they can make a bigger impact for the club in the coming years.

“Some of the lessons are, again, work to be a little more professional on and off the field from the guys,” Neveleff said after Saturday’s final game. “I think they did a great job on taking care of themselves and everything. If you want to be a professional player, you really need to be committed and commitment is more than coming to practice. It’s about breathing and living soccer 24 hours. That’s number one.

“Number two is that we need to do a better job on our final decisions. Scouting, when we bring players from outside our program, because this year everybody that we brought are great players, good character and everything, but maybe some of them didn’t fit in the way that we wanted them to play.

“The third one is very positive. It’s the minutes that we gave to the young players. Once again, any other way, they would never have this [opportunity]. Players like Thomas [Williams], Wilfredo [Rivera], Tablante, those are just examples. Michael Halliday who is now with the first team. Hopefully we keep producing three or four players a year for the first team and once again create a program for Oscar [Pareja] to make decisions on the first team.”

While a lot of fans might look at OCB’s results and consider this season a failure, one must think about what the objectives are for this team. Fans shouldn’t necessarily expect a lot of success when a group of teenagers are playing against seasoned professionals.

“The experience of (Greenville’s) players,” Neveleff pointed to as a key to Saturday’s loss. “Some of them are 10 years older than Thomas Williams for example, or Wilfredo Rivera. It comes into play. That’s when they take advantage.” 

Next season, OCB is expected to join a new reserve league set up by MLS. That will provide even greater opportunity for more academy products to develop at the professional level. Playing teams closer in age to those playing for OCB might result in a better record. But the important thing is that the young players continue to gain experience for when the time comes for them to be called into the first team. That experience is why this season should be considered a success and how future OCB seasons should be judged.

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Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Inter Miami II: Final Score 3-2 as OCB Falls To In-State Rivals

OCB fell to Inter Miami II for the third time in the last four meetings.

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1 week ago

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April 15, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Orlando City B (3-2-1, 11 points) fell 3-2 to Inter Miami II (2-3-1, 7 points) tonight at IMG Academy in Bradenton. Tyler Hall gave Miami the early lead before Tahir Reid-Brown equalized midway through the first half. Mateo Saja gave Miami back the lead just before halftime, and Idoh Zeltzer-Zubida put the game out of reach in the second half. Shak Mohammed converted a penalty in the dying moments, but it wasn’t enough as the Young Lions fell to their in-state rivals.

OCB and Inter Miami II played at IMG Academy for the second consecutive year as part of the Generation Adidas Cup. While it was a neutral site game, Miami was the designated home team.

Several OCB regulars didn’t play in this game because they’re representing the club’s U-18 team in the Generation Adidas Cup. As a result, OCB Head Coach Manuel Goldberg made six changes to the team that won 1-0 over New England Revolution II on April 9.  Carlos Mercado, Noham Abdellaoui, Riyon Tori, Hayden Sargis, Juan Quevedo, and Dyson Clapier entered the starting lineup for Javier Otero, Jackson Platts, Colin Guske, Gustavo Caraballo, Justin Ellis, and Thalles.

The back line in front of Mercado in goal was Reid-Brown, Abdellaoui, Thomas Williams, and Zakaria Taifi. Sargis and Tori were the defensive midfielders behind Clapier, Quevedo, and Jhon Solis with Mohammed up top.

Neither team was able to create anything in the first 10 minutes. The first chance of the game came in the 12th minute when Mohammed was sent over the top and behind the Miami back line. However, a heavy first touch allowed Miami goalkeeper Ivan Schmid to come off his line and collect the ball.

Three minutes later, it was the opposition that struck first. A Sargis foul in the OCB third gave Miami a set piece. Zeltzer-Zubida took the free kick, sending the ball into the box. Sargis and Bailey Sparks tried to get a touch, but it went through to the back post. Hall beat Williams to the ball, tapping it in to give Miami a 1-0 lead.

Miami nearly doubled their advantage in the 20th minute when a chip over the back line for Saja nearly fell perfectly for the attacker. However, Saja was unable to get his foot on it and Mercado collected the ball.

The Young Lions found their equalizer in the 23rd minute from an unlikely source. Solis made a long run to the end line and sent the ball in front of goal. Unfortunately, Mohammed couldn’t turn it on target. But the ball went directly to Tori. The rookie played it left to Clapier on the far side of the box, and he laid it off for Reid-Brown rather than shooting himself. The left back sent a hard, low shot through traffic and just inside the far post to even the game at 1-1.

A defensive mistake nearly gave the lead right back to Miami in the 26th minute. Williams received a pass back by Reid-Brown and immediately gave it up to Saja. The attacker was in on goal and took a shot, but Mercado did well to make the save with his left hand, pushing it wide. Miami was unable to create anything from the ensuing corner kick and the Young Lions escaped.

In the 30th minute, Taifi sent a dangerous low cross into the box. The ball went through several players before landing at the feet of Clapier. The midfielder attempted a first-touch shot, but he was falling backward and sent the attempt well over the top.

OCB had a good chance to take the lead in the 40th minute when Reid-Brown was sent down the left. The left back caught up to the ball and sent a low cross to Mohammed making a run to the near post. The forward met the ball but sent it wide.

The Young Lions felt they should’ve had a penalty in the 41st minute when Hall and Quevedo raced for a ball over the top. As they entered the box, Hall threw his arm up and into Quevedo. The OCB midfielder went down and Schmid collected the ball. But the referee determined it wasn’t a penalty.

OCB paid for its missed chances in the 44th minute when Miami retook the lead. Sparks made a run down the left and sent a hard, low cross into the box. Saja got his heel to the ball, redirecting it past Mercado and in to give Miami a 2-1 lead.

After 45 minutes, Miami had more shots (5-4), shots on target (3-1), crosses (4-2), and corner kicks (2-0). OCB had better passing accuracy (83.9%-82.3%).

The first chance of the second half came in the 50th minute when Preston Plambeck dribbled across the top of the box before shooting from distance. It looked like the shot might’ve taken a deflection off a defender, but Mercado handled the attempt.

Miami doubled its advantage in the 55th minute with a great goal by Zeltzer-Zubida. The midfielder received a pass on the left and dribbled across the top of the box, passing Taifi and Solis before unleashing a rocket. Mercado dove to his left, but he didn’t really have a chance as the ball rippled the net to give Miami a commanding 3-1 lead.

The Young Lions tried to respond, creating a chance in the 56th minute. The low cross into the box found Quevedo, who tried to guide it inside the far post. Unfortunately, he didn’t get much on the ball, sending it wide.

In the 64th minute, a Solis pass found Taifi and Mohammed, who appeared to run into each other. Fortunately, Mohammed left it for Taifi and the defender took a touch before firing from very long distance. He was trying to catch Schmid off his line but sent the attempt wide.

Solis sent Mohammed down the right in the 66th minute. The forward had to decide between shooting and sending the ball across the box. He chose the latter, but nobody was making a run and the ball went harmlessly through.

Goldberg made his first and only change of the game in the 68th minute. Zinedine Rodriguez came into for Clapier.

The Young Lions nearly found an equalizer in the 85th minute. Taifi’s corner kick was cleared away, but Solis took possession and played Taifi back down the right. The defender sent a cross into the box that found the head of Williams. The center back’s header was traveling just inside the post, but Schmid dove to his left, knocking the ball wide.

Taifi drew a foul 25 yards away from goal as the game reached second-half stoppage time. Solis stood over the ball by himself, taking the set piece. The midfielder went directly for goal, sending a strong shot towards the near post. However, Schmid dove to his left, catching the attempt.

In the third minute of stoppage time, OCB got another chance from a corner kick. The set piece was sent to the back post, where Mohammed was waiting. Unfortunately, the forward wasn’t able to get over the ball, sending it over the crossbar.

In the ninth minute of stoppage time, Taifi beat his defender and dribbled into the box. Cristian Ortiz came in from behind, taking the defender down. The referee immediately pointed to the spot, awarding OCB a penalty.

As OCB’s leading scorer, Mohammed stepped up to the spot to take the kick. The striker sent the Miami goalkeeper the wrong way, cutting the deficit to 3-2.

Two minutes later, the Young Lions felt they should’ve had a chance to equalize. Taifi’s cross resulted in contact in the box. Mohammed came flying in with a high foot and was called for the foul. OCB’s team and bench appealed for a penalty on the initial pass, but the referee disagreed.

That was the last chance as the Young Lions fell to Inter Miami II for the third time in their last four meetings. OCB is now winless in five straight against Miami, not having beaten the Herons since a 1-0 win on May 25, 2023.

OCB ended the game with more shots (13-9) and corner kicks (5-2). Miami finished with the advantage in shots on target (6-5), crosses (5-4), and passing accuracy (84.2%-83.6%).

Three points would’ve seen OCB match Chattanooga FC on top of the Eastern Conference, albeit having played one more game. Instead, the Young Lions sit in second, three points off the top. They’re only one point ahead of New York Red Bulls II, having played two more games.

The Young Lions have a 12-day break before they take the field again. It’ll be a crucial game against Red Bulls II on April 27 at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee.

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Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. New England Revolution II: Final Score 1-0 as Young Lions Stay Unbeaten at Home

OCB took down previously undefeated New England Revolution II to move into a tie for first place in the Eastern Conference.

Published

2 weeks ago

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April 9, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Orlando City B (3-0-1, 11 points) took down New England Revolution II (4-2-1, 8 points) 1-0 tonight at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee. Shak Mohammed’s 81st-minute goal was the difference as the Young Lions took all three points and remained unbeaten at home in 2025 (2-0-1).

The midweek game saw five players return to OCB from the first team after being on the bench in Philadelphia over the weekend. Javier Otero, Thomas Williams, Colin Guske, Gustavo Caraballo, and Mohammed entered the lineup for Carlos Mercado, Noham Abdellaoui, Hayden Sargis, Dylan Judelson, and Dyson Clapier.

The back line in front of Otero in goal was Tahir Reid-Brown, Jackson Platts, Williams, and Zakaria Taifi. Guske and Jhon Solis were the defensive midfielders behind Mohammed, Justin Ellis, and Caraballo with Thalles up top.

New England was the better team for much of the game, creating more chances than the hosts. However, few of those opportunities were on frame. OCB only had one or two threatening chances in the first 80 minutes, mostly coming right at the end of the first half. But Mohammed came through when his team needed him, striking with less than 10 minutes remaining.

The first shot of the game came in the fifth minute when Marcos Dias carried the ball near the top of the OCB box and fired. But Williams stepped up and blocked the attempt with his back.

A minute later, Gevork Diarbian received a long ball on the left and took Taifi one-on-one. The attacker made a move before trying to curl the ball around the defender and Otero, but sent the shot wide of the far post.

In the eighth minute, OCB was slow to react to a header, allowing Alex Monis to take possession. He carried the ball to the end line before sending the ball toward the penalty spot. Liam Butts and Diarbian tried to get a touch on it with their backs to goal. Instead, it went to Eric Klein, whose shot was right at Otero.

OCB had its first chance in the 11th minute when Solis intercepted a pass from Hesron Barry. The midfielder sprinted down field, finding Caraballo making a run behind the New England back line. The teenager opened up to shoot with his first touch, sending the shot right into the hands of New England goalkeeper Donovan Parisian.

Revs II had a great chance in the 14th minute when Dias played Diarbian down the left. The midfielder was charging towards the end line and sent a low ball across the box. Monis was making a run into the six and slid in between Williams and Reid-Brown, but he couldn’t get on the end of the ball.

Darbian sent another ball into the box in the 24th minute. It looked like Platts was going to clear it, but the center back didn’t get much on it. The attempted clearance went directly to Dias, whose first touch was an awkward shot from his heels. The attacker wasn’t able to get much on it, sending the ball harmlessly wide.

OCB got its second chance in the 27th minute when Caraballo sent a low ball to the top of the box where Mohammed was making a run. The Young Lions’ leading scorer met the pass and tried to put his first touch on goal. However, the defender got a touch to the ball, making the block.

OCB Head Coach Manuel Goldberg was forced to make an early change in the 30th minute when Thalles went down away from the play. The forward received treatment for a few minutes before being replaced by Clapier.

Solis drew a foul in the 32nd minute in the New England third, creating a rare first-half chance for the Young Lions. He quickly played the set piece short to Mohammed who spotted Caraballo making a run into the box. New England was unprepared as Caraballo touched the ball by a sliding Barry. However, his shot was over the crossbar.

Diarbian continued to cause problems for OCB on the left, finding Dias at the top of the box in the 42nd minute. The attacker took a shot, but Guske did well to get in front of the attempt.

After defending for much of the first half, OCB finally created a few chances in the dying minutes.

A give-and-go between Taifi and Solis in the 44th minute saw the former send a cross in that was headed out for a corner kick .Caraballo took the corner kick, sending it towards the back post where Platts was waiting. He had space to put the ball on target, but failed to get a clean touch on the ball and it went out of play.

In the first minute of stoppage time, Clapier’s shot was deflected out for a corner kick. The ensuing set piece was towards Platts in the box. A defender got to it first, but the ball popped up instead of out. Platts got a foot to the ball but couldn’t get any power behind it, sending it directly to Parisian.

A minute later, Caraballo had a shot blocked out for a corner kick. The Young Lions couldn’t create anything from this set piece and the half ended scoreless.

At halftime, New England had more shots (9-5), but OCB had the edge in crosses (4-3), corner kicks (3-1), and passing accuracy (88%-86.4%). Meanwhile, both teams put one chance on target.

“We talked in halftime that the game was very even,” Goldberg said about his halftime speech. “So, we said it’s about wanting it just a little bit more than them. And that’s what we tried to do.”

The second half got off to a much slower start. Both teams tried to create attacks but were unable to get anything from them.

Goldberg made his second change in the 55th minute. Riyon Tori came into the game for Ellis.

Shortly after the substitution, Butts created a chance with little space. The attacker looked to be covered, but he found enough space for a shot. It forced Otero to make a block with one hand, sending the ball out of play.

Butts had another chance in the 59th minute when Dias carried the ball to the end line. Dias played it back for Butts near the top of the six-yard box, and Butts’ first touch was a shot, but it went wide of the near post.

Solis gave the ball away to Olger Escobar in the 71st minute, creating another chance for New England. Damorney Hutchinson took possession on the right, trying to beat Otero to his near post. But his shot was blocked into the outside of the net.

Guske found Taifi on the right side of the box in the 74th minute. The defender was able to find enough space for a shot, but couldn’t get over it, sending his shot over the crossbar.

Goldberg made his final change in the 78th minute. It was a defensive change as Sargis came into the game for Caraballo. Taifi moved from right back to right midfield to make room.

OCB didn’t have many quality chances in this game, but the Young Lions took the lead in the 81st minute. Platts received the ball on the right in a seemingly innocuous position. He sent Mohammed between Gabriel Dahlin and Victor Souza. Dahlin’s hand went up, but the assistant referee determined the forward was onside. Mohammed slipped the ball through Parisian — who got a touch on it but couldn’t keep it out — to give OCB the lead.

“I tried the pass before. I had the space to beat the left winger, so it was a big touch. Then Shak obviously made the run,” Platts said about his assist. “First pass, he told me to play it earlier. So, next time I saw him I just played it earlier. And it was a goal.”

It was the first goal conceded by New England in nearly four full games to start the 2025 season.

It looked like the visitors might find an equalizer in the 84th minute when Escobar kept possession under pressure and laid it off for Allan Oyirworth. The midfielder had space for a shot, but Sargis got in the way to block it.

In the third minute of stoppage time, Judah Siqueira lifted the ball into the box for Hutchinson. Platts was against his back and Hutchinson went down. However, there was minimal if any contact. While New England appealed for a penalty, the referee correctly didn’t award one.

New England ended the game with more shots (15-9), shots on target (4-3), and crosses (8-4). OCB had better passing accuracy (87.9%-84.2%) and the all-important goal. Both teams ended up with five corner kicks.

“We knew it was going to be tough. That’s why they were undefeated,” Goldberg said about the game. “That’s why they haven’t received goals. So, we knew it was going to be tough.”

The win moves the Young Lions into a tie for first place with Chattanooga FC atop the Eastern Conference on points. However, the Tennessee-based independent club has a game in hand and the all-important tiebreaker in goal differential.

OCB will take the field again on Tuesday against rival Inter Miami CF II. The game will  be at IMG Academy in Bradenton, but OCB is the designated away team.

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Orlando City B

Orlando City B’s Loss to Chattanooga Shows Impact Of Shak Mohammed

Shak Mohammed’s importance to OCB was on display in Saturday night’s loss in Chattanooga.

Published

3 weeks ago

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April 7, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B

Orlando City B faced an independent team Saturday night, putting the Young Lions in a unique position. When they face fellow reserve sides, the games are usually the day after the first team plays. But Saturday night’s game was at the same time, and it showed issues in the OCB attack.

Chattanooga FC is one of two independent teams currently playing in MLS NEXT Pro. As you would expect, the Tennessee-based side plays most of its home games on Saturday nights, when they can draw bigger crowds.  Unfortunately, that means the Young Lions took the field the same night as the senior side, kicking off just 30 minutes prior to the MLS squad’s match in Philadelphia.

A lack of bodies for the first team meant multiple OCB regulars had to join the senior Lions for their trip to Philadelphia. The biggest loss for the game in Chattanooga was undoubtedly Shak Mohammed, who started on the bench for Orlando City.

While Mohammed has yet to claim his place with the first team, he’s made a major impact on the second team. His 11 goals last season led the Young Lions, and he has the team lead in goals this season with two in the first three games, including a goal in each of the two previous contests.

The 21-year-old’s absence was apparent Saturday night in Tennessee. Justin Ellis started in the position Mohammed usuallly occupies with Thalles starting up top. Meanwhile, Zakaria Taifi moved from his usual defensive position into the attacking midfield.

All three players had chances early in the game. While Ellis played the distributor, Thalles and Taifi had clear chances in the first 45 minutes. However, neither player was able to put the ball past Chattanooga goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic, who had seven saves on the night.

The missed opportunities showed an issue that OCB might face in the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro season. The better Mohammed plays, the more likely he is to be with the first team. This usually won’t be a problem, as the two teams rarely play on the same days. But you can’t depend on that for the team’s success this season.

If OCB wants to improve on the 2024 campaign and win a postseason game for the first time in team history, the Young Lions will need others in the attack to step up. Otherwise, it could be frustrating nights when Mohammed is unavailable.

The lack of offensive efficiency Saturday night also showed how good Mohammed has been with the second team. Obviously, the third-division league is a much lower quality than the first-division MLS, but it leads to a question about Mohammed’s future in Orlando.

The forward was a first-round selection out of Duke in 2023. The Lions gave up Ruan in a trade with D.C. United to move up in the MLS SuperDraft, taking Mohammed with the second overall pick. Now in his third professional season, he hasn’t made the impression you’d expect from someone taken so high.

To be fair, we were seeing this with Jack Lynn as well. The 2022 first-round MLS SuperDraft pick was tearing it up in MLS NEXT Pro without seeing much time with the first team. However, he was clearly taking positive steps and was beginning to play a bigger role before retiring this past off-season.

Lynn’s departure left a spot Mohammed could fill for both teams, and he’s done a good job with OCB. His 11 goals showed a significant increase from his six goals for the Young Lions in 2023, despite only playing in two more games. Now, he just needs to show improvement with the first team.

Saturday night’s disappointing offensive performance by OCB showed Mohammed’s impact in the attack. While the Young Lions are a dangerous team with the Ghanaian in the lineup, nobody stepped up to fill his production in Chattanooga, resulting in the team’s first loss of the season. It showed the impact the attacker has had on the team this year and the improvements of his game.

Watching Moahmmed the remainder of the season will be interesting. Will he finally make the jump to appearing regularly with the first team? Will Ellis or Thalles fill Moahmmed’s production when he’s away? We should find out these answers in the near future.

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