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Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Inter Miami II: Final Score 6-0 as Jack Lynn Gets OCB’s First Hat Trick

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Orlando City B (2-3-2, 10 points) dominated Inter Miami II (3-5-1, 10 points) on the way to a 6-0 win. It was the most goals that OCB has ever scored in a game, dating back to the team’s inaugural 2016 season. Jack Lynn scored a hat trick of goals and Moises Tablante had a hat trick of assists, while Wilfredo Rivera, Brandon Hackenberg, and Victor Yan added a goal apiece.

OCB Head Coach Martin Perelman made three changes to the team that lost 1-0 to Philadelphia Union II on Monday. Liam Guske and Ian Silva were replaced by Hackenberg and Lynn. Additionally, Neicer Acosta was out with a lower leg injury and was replaced in the starting lineup by Erick Gunera, who returned from suspension.

The Young Lions had the better start to the game. In the third minute, Rivera had Tablante making a run across the field. The Homegrown midfielder tried to play it over but there was too much bend on it and it went out of play for a goal kick.

Two minutes later, Rivera sent a free kick to the far side of the box for Alex Freeman. The right back headed it toward the penalty spot where Yan got his foot to the ball. But he was unable to get his body over it and the ball went well high of the goal.

That was the last play for a while as inclement weather entered the area. A brief alarm halted play. Then, after a brief consultation, referee Anya Voigt signaled for the two teams to return to their locker rooms and the game went into an extended delay of almost an hour.

“We played soccer tennis in the locker room,” Perelman said about how his team passed the time. “I played with them. So it’s funny, I liked that time.”

“I think that’s something everyone does a bit differently,” Lynn added. “You know, some people, like myself, I like to just kind of sit down and conserve energy because you don’t know how long it’s gonna be. You don’t want to burn yourself out. And then other people want to stay active and keep their energy up. So kind of an individual thing, but I think everyone managed themselves correctly. And when we came out, I think our energy levels were still high. So, that was good.”

The Young Lions didn’t let up when the game restarted. In the eighth minute, some slick dribbling by David Boccuzzo provided some space, but the ball was knocked away. However, it went right to Tablante, who found Lynn in front of goal. The first-team player put his first touch past Inter Miami II goalkeeper CJ dos Santos for the early lead.

OCB sent several long balls to the outside, looking to connect with Rivera or Tablante. In the 12th minute, one of those passes nearly put Rivera in on goal, but it was a bit too far and the midfielder was unable to reach it as it went out of play.

A nearly identical attempt occurred in the 20th minute when a long ball was sent for Tablante. But it was the same result, as the ball was too strong and went out of play for a Miami goal kick.

However, just a minute later, Yan found Rivera at the top right corner of the box. Rivera dribbled across the box, looking for Tablante or Lynn near goal. But the Miami players kept giving the young midfielder space, allowing him to create his own shot. His shot went into the bottom right corner of the goal, beyond the outstretched arms of dos Santos, doubling the OCB lead.

While OCB had a commanding 2-0 lead, the team didn’t let up. This effort was shown in the 24th minute when Lynn pressured a Miami goal kick. While the rookie didn’t win the ball, he made it difficult for the visitors to get out of their own box and nearly did win it back for the Young Lions.

In the 25th minute, Lynn received a long ball in the OCB box. He looked to create some space to get a shot off, but took too long and ended up dribbling the ball out of play.

Two minutes later, Boccuzzo found Freeman to the right of goal. The right back was able to get behind the Miami defense and get a shot off, but the defender did well to block it and the ball went into the side netting for a corner kick.

The ensuing corner was taken short by Rivera to Tablante. Playing his third season for OCB, Tablante carried the ball into the box and took a shot, but it hit the side of the net.

OCB finally got its third goal in the 31st minute. After a Lynn shot was blocked out of play, Tablante played the corner kick short to Rivera. His cross was to the back post where Hackenberg — in his first game back in the starting lineup — jumped over the defender and headed it in.

“It was a set piece and, especially this game, head coach was saying the number one priority was to do it on set pieces,” Hackenberg said about his goal. “So they hit one of our players and then Fredo (Rivera) just chipped the ball to the back post and I just saw the ball come in and went on and attacked it.”

Yan attempted to get in on the action by creating space to the right and shooting on goal. However, his low shot was from a difficult angle and dos Santos got down to make the stop.

In the 37th minute, Freeman found Gunera at the top of the box. The midfielder’s first shot was blocked but the ball went right back to him. He immediately fired again but that shot was also blocked and Miami was able to clear.

The OCB onslaught continued in the 38th minute when some nifty footwork by Tablante created a shot, but it was blocked. The rebound went right to Ignacio Galvan, who sent the ball way over the target.

Inter Miami II didn’t get an opportunity on goal until the 41st minute. Noah Allen received the ball on the left and quickly attempted to shoot, but he sent the ball straight instead of towards goal and it went out of play without any trouble for Javier Otero.

It went from bad to worse for Miami a minute into injury time. After getting booked in the 42nd minute, Ethan Hardin committed his second hard challenge. As a result, Voigt gave him his second yellow card, reducing the visitors to 10 men.

The ensuing free kick saw the Young Lions nearly create their final chance of the half. Lynn headed the free kick for Freeman, but he sent the ball right at dos Santos, who made the easy save.

OCB was dominant in the first half, with more possession (54.7%-45.3%), shots (14-1), shots on goal (6-0), and corners (5-0). Additionally, the Young Lions were more accurate with their passes (87%-82.2%) and more aggressive, winning more duels (29-23) and tackles (6-2).

The Young Lions continued their domination into the second half. In the 48th minute, Gunera tried to find a teammate with a long cross, but dos Santos did well to come off his line to collect it. Hackenberg then attempted a cross in the 53rd minute, but again it was too close to dos Santos.

The first shot of the half came in the 58th minute when Nick Taylor set up Lynn. The forward was able to take an accurate shot, but dos Santos was there to make the save. Lynn had another opportunity in the 61st minute when Gunera fed him the ball. This time, Lynn was unable to get his shot on target as it missed to the left.

Two minutes later, OCB made it 4-0. Tablante, who had been dangerous all night on the left, sent a low cross into the box. Lynn received it right in front of goal with no defenders in front of him. It was an easy finish for the striker, scoring his second of the game.

In the 64th minute, Taylor set up Lynn again at the top of the box. He was looking for the hat trick but the ball was blocked and went over the crossbar.

A minute later, Tablante got in behind the Miami defense. The midfielder spent most of the night setting up teammates from the left, but this time took the chance himself. However, his shot was right at dos Santos and the Miami goalkeeper made the stop.

Inter Miami II finally got a shot of its own in the 71st minute through Romeo Beckham. The midfielder attempted to shoot from the right of goal, but Hackenberg was right there. The rebound went back to Beckham, but Hackenberg made a second consecutive block, allowing the Young Lions to clear.

A minute later, Able Caputo got a shot off for Miami. It was Inter Miami II’s second shot of the second half, doubling their output in the first 45 minutes. However, like the other shots, this one was from far out and went well high of the target.

The game was well in hand for OCB but the Young Lions scored a fifth in the 74th minute. Freeman set up Yan at the top of the box and the 21-year-old Brazilian put it into the top corner. Dos Santos made his best attempt to reach the ball, but he couldn’t get anywhere near it as OCB went up 5-0.

The final 15 minutes was more about getting the game in than the result, as lightning was visible in the distance. Inter Miami II was trying to get anything it could on goal as the visitors weren’t getting good looks. Braxton Taghavi-Najib took a shot in the 79th minute from way out, but it was nowhere close, going well above the goal.

In the 81st minute, Tablante set up Hackenberg near the penalty spot but the defender’s attempt was well high. Two minutes later, Tablante set up Freeman just outside the six-yard box and the right back’s shot was just off target.

OCB got its sixth and final goal in the 85th minute. Tablante found Lynn just outside the box and the forward put it in the bottom right corner. It was a hat trick of goals for Lynn and a hat trick of assists for Tablante as the duo combined for three of the six conversions. It’s the first time any player for OCB has had three goals or three assists in a game.

The best chance of the night for Miami came in the 88th minute when Tyler Bagley found David Ruiz and the latter got a shot on goal. It beat Otero, one of only two times when the OCB goalkeeper was challenged, but Quembol Guadelupe was there to clear it off the line, keeping the clean sheet.

Despite bookings and goals, the game was well in hand when 90 minutes were up. So with a storm rushing in, the referee blew the final whistle and OCB ended its dominance over Inter Miami II, 6-0.

“We had a couple tough games. The last few games (were) kind of hard for us to get on the board,” Lynn said after the game. “So it feels great to come out and get six tonight.”

In the end, OCB had more possession (57%-43%), shots (22-5), shots on goal (10-1), corners (6-5), and crosses (13-12). The Young Lions also had a better passing accuracy (88%-81.7%), won more duels (47-37), and won more tackles (11-5).

“I’m really happy about our players,” Perelman said after the game. “They have been doing a great effort all this month. They are growing up, as I usually say, and I think they deserve this. At home, six goals, I think it’s fantastic for them. I’m really happy.”

“Coach talked to us about just continuing to build on our performances,” Lynn added. “We had the majority of the possession in the last few games but had a hard time actually creating chances. And I think that was kind of the focus of this week was how do we execute in the final third.”

While most of the focus will be on the six goals, the team was also proud of its clean sheet. It’s the third shutout of the season for OCB and its first since April 24 against New England Revolution II at Exploria Stadium.

“For us, it’s so important to have a clean sheet. Always,” Perelman said. “We do too much effort for preventions and try to attack and defend with the ball. And today we were able to do it. So great job (by) our players.”

“That was what coach wanted, us to get a clean sheet, so happy about that,” Hackenberg added. “I think it was just a combination of our communication between Boccuzzo, Andrew Forth, and myself. When we were in our low block, the three of us kind of worked together to stop the production and everything. And I also think — just just putting in the work and tracking the runs and pressing to the best of our ability, and I think everyone did a good job of that tonight.”

The team also was able to defeat a rival, something that will matter to the fans. But for the players, it was getting revenge after they felt they should’ve done better in the first meeting, a 2-0 loss in Fort Lauderdale.

“Especially because they beat us earlier in the year, I think we all wanted to come in and show that we’re better,” Lynn said. “I think we all thought we were the better team that game (in Fort Lauderdale) and, again, we wanted to come out tonight and prove it on our home turf.”


The Young Lions will look to follow up their best performance of the season when they host FC Cincinnati 2 next Sunday at Osceola County Stadium.

Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Huntsville City FC: Final Score 1-1 as Young Lions Claim Shootout Point Following Road Draw

The Young Lions are bringing five out of a possible six points home after a shootout win in Huntsville.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B

For the second straight game, OCB fell behind but came back to get a result. The Young Lions watched Joel Sangwa open the scoring on a free header for Huntsville City FC (0-0-2, 2 points) in the first half, but battled back on a Justin Ellis goal, as OCB (1-0-1, 5 points) earned a hard-fought 1-1 draw on a rainy night at Joe W. Davis Stadium in Huntsville, AL. The Young Lions then won a wild penalty shootout to claim another point in the standings.

For the moment, that puts OCB atop the Eastern Conference on the early season, but with one more game played than most teams. The Young Lions earned five out of a possible six points in their two-game, season-opening road trip.

Head Coach Manuel Goldberg’s lineup featured Carlos Mercado in goal behind a back line of Tahir Reid-Brown, Manuel Cocca, Nabi Kibunguchi, and Zakaria Taifi. Imanol Almaguer and Colin Guske made up the double pivot in central midfield behind an attacking midfield line of Yutaro Tsukada, Jhon Solis, and Thomas Bowe with Justin Ellis up top.

The Young Lions started the game as the protagonists, getting a couple of early half chances but wasting them badly with wild, off-target shots. One effort went so far wide in the opening minutes that it seems impossible that it wasn’t blocked. The second came from Cocca off a scramble in the box on a corner kick, but the defender sent a shot high into the night sky in the ninth minute.

After a good first 10 minutes for OCB, Huntsville started settling into the game, but the hosts were helped by poor touches and passes by the Young Lions. Orlando City B repeatedly tried to make quick, intricate passes in tight space in their own half or near midfield and could not make them precisely enough, allowing Huntsville to easily take the ball away time after time. It put the Young Lions on their heels for the middle part of the first half.

Jonathan Bolanos sent a hard, low shot from outside the box just inches of Mercado’s left post in the 24th minute. Bolanos gave Taifi some problems down OCB’s right flank, winning some set pieces and sending some dangerous crosses into the box.

Forster Ajago just mistimed his jump a minute after the Bolanos miss after OCB turned the ball over again. That led to a corner kick and the hosts made the set piece pay off. Sangwa went high over Ellis and put his free header past Mercado to open the scoring in the 26th minute.

Ajago had a chance to double the lead a minute later but committed a foul trying to push his way to a cross.

The Young Lions started to get some rhythm back around the half-hour mark. Solis got into the box and would have had a dangerous scoring chance, but a wayward spoiled the attack in the 31st minute. Seconds later, Tsukada tried an ambitious effort from outside the right corner of the box. The rookie’s shot didn’t bend and stayed well off target.

In the 34th minute, Tsukada sent a good ball through the box that Ellis couldn’t quite turn on target and OCB’s back post runner wasn’t close enough to tap it into the empty net. The Lions pulled level moments later anyway.

Sangwa took an unsteady touch on a back pass and Ellis pounced, knocking it toward the penalty area. The players arrived together and Ellis out-muscled the defender to win the ball, then calmly stepped to his left across the face of goal and slotted the equalizer home in the 36th minute for his first MLS NEXT Pro goal.

Reid-Brown came within inches of giving OCB the lead in the 40th minute. The Homegrown fullback sent in a shot from outside the area that crashed off the crossbar behind goalkeeper Ben Martino. The ball rebounded to Taifi, but the right back’s shot was deflected behind for a corner. A minute later, Almaguer went for goal from long range and hit his shot wildly off target. Guske fired a similarly wild shot in the 44th minute, but in fairness, the rain was falling and the ball was wet.

The last good chance of the half fell to Huntsville. A ball knocked away by the defense made it just outside the area on the right to Maximus Ekk, who smashed a volley toward goal that skipped just wide of the left post.

The stat sheet was indicative of the tie score at the break. OCB finished the half with the advantage in shots (8-4), while Huntsville passed more accurately (85.1%-78.2%) and held more possession (55%-45%). Each team put one shot on target (the two goals), and both sides won four corner kicks.

Orlando won an early corner after the restart but did nothing with it. Huntsville then seized control of the match and the hosts were rarely threatened from that point on. However, the OCB defense did well to handle almost everything Huntsville City threw at it, and when the ball got through, Mercado was there to catch the ball.

Adem Sipic fired the first shot on target in the 49th minute, sending a shot in from the left side that Mercado was able to catch cleanly despite the rain. Three minutes later, Ekk found himself all alone at the back post for a free header, but he couldn’t get any power behind his shot and Mercado fielded it on one hop.

Ekk then blasted a shot from well outside the area off a corner kick played short. Kibunguchy got his head to it to ensure that Mercado didn’t have to make a save on the strike. Solis cleared the ensuing corner but Huntsville won it back and Ekk freed himself for a shot from outside the area that Mercado saved.

The hosts continued their assault on goal with Kibunguchy blocking a shot inside the box, followed by Mercado catching a long-range effort from Bolanos in the 55th and 56th minutes, respectively.

One of OCB’s problems in the second half was wasting attacking opportunities. Both teams fell in love with the long shot attempt and neither side came particularly close to scoring with such efforts. Tsukada wasted an opportunity in the 57th minute with an impatient attempt that came nowhere near threatening the goal.

Ollie Wright sent a shot wide of goal from a good spot near the top of the area in the 59th minute and Huntsville teammate Scott Cheevers was booked for yapping at the referee for giving a goal kick. Two minutes later, Reid-Brown got away with a bad turnover in his own box, hustling to help win the ball back.

Tsukada made a fantastic run through the defense in the 63rd minute and did well to free himself for a shot fromt he left, but Sangwa came in to block it at the last second. OCB could not make the corner kick pay off. Another rare foray up the pitch nearly created something for the Young Lions, but a cross fizzed too quickly through the box for Ellis to get onto it.

Goldberg subbed in Majed Mohammed for Ellis in the 78th minute and OCB struggled to keep possession after the change. Mohammed got position well on long balls forward but could not bring balls down close enough to his body. The few times he did, he was muscled off the ball by the defense and Huntsville continued its attack.

There was a scary moment in the 82nd minute when a ball popped loose in the box. Mercado raced off his line and got to the ball just ahead of Ajago, who tumbled over the prone goalkeeper. Huntsville shouted for a penalty, but Mercado got a touch to the ball just before Ajago arrived, and although the keeper couldn’t maintain possession of the wet ball, the lack of a penalty call seemed the correct one.

OCB seemed content to play for the draw after that and nearly got a counterattack opportunity in the 90th minute, but Wright played a second ball on the pitch down the middle to break up the transition. He was booked for the interference.

The Young Lions wanted a penalty in the second minute of six added minutes. Abdullah did well to make his first decent attacking run and got into the box, going down with contact, but the referee deemed the challenge legal and played on.

Orlando survived a couple of late Huntsville attacks to earn the road draw at full time.

Huntsville sustained its second-half pressure and finished with the advantage in shots (14-12), shots on target (5-1), passing accuracy (85.4%-74.6%), and corners (9-6). But OCB defended well and Mercado didn’t have to make many big stops.

That would soon change.

Because the game ended in a draw, MLS NEXT Pro rules dictate that the game goes to penalties to determine which team earns a second point in the standings. It was Huntsville’s second shootout in as many games and OCB’s first of the season.

The hosts shot first from the spot, with Alexis Cerritos scoring to set the tone for Huntsville City. Cocca fired off the underside of the crossbar and in to level the shootout after one round.

Sangwa fired wide of the left post as Huntsville’s second shooter, giving OCB a chance to seize control. The Young Lions squandered that opportunity when Zakaria Taifi left his shot too close to Martino, who was able to get down in time to stop the shot.

Isaiah Johnston fired a shot just under the bar into the roof of the net to make it 2-1 Huntsville to open the third round. Tsukada used a Bruno Fernandes-like stuttery run-up and hop to force Martino to commit, then calmly slotted home to tie it at 2-2 after three rounds.

Cheevers restored the lead for the hosts with Huntsville’s fourth shot, but Guske answered with an inch-perfect shot inside the left post to make it 3-3.

Sipic sent a shot toward the right post as Huntsville’s fifth shooter, but Mercado had already guessed that way and made a good save near the post to keep the score tied. OCB had a chance to win, but Kibunguchy left his shot too close to the middle and Martino was not fooled by his sprint up to the ball, making a comfortable save and sending the shootout to sudden death.

Mercado came up with another stop on Alejandro Velazquez-Lopez to give OCB another chance to grab the extra point, and this time the Young Lions capitalized. Thomas Bowe coolly slotted home his spot kick past Martino to lift OCB to the 4-3 shootout win and the extra point in the MLS NEXT Pro standings.


The Young Lions will host Inter Miami in their home opener on Tuesday at 6 p.m., but the club has yet to announce the venue for the match.

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Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Atlanta United 2: Final Score 3-2 as Young Lions Take All Three Points On the Road

OCB opened its 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season with a 3-2 win over Atlanta United 2.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B

Orlando City B (1-0-0, 3 points) opened the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season with a 3-2 win over rival Atlanta United 2 (0-1-0, 0 points) at Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw, GA. Javier Armas and Jhon Solis traded first-half penalties before Yutaro Tsukada gave the Young Lions a halftime lead. Colin Guske and Erik Centeno both scored in the second half, but OCB held on for the opening day victory.

While OCB had some new faces in its starting lineup, most were returners from the 2023 season. Newly-signed goalkeeper Carlos Mercado started in goal behind a back line of Manuel Cocca, Thomas Williams, Nabi Kibunguchy, and Alex Freeman. Academy product Guske made his professional debut next to Imanol Almaguer behind an attacking line of Tsukada, Solis, and Wildredo Rivera. Favian Loyola was the lone man up top.

Atlanta dominated most of the game, both in possession and chances. However, the hosts struggled with their finishing, sending most of their shots off target or directly to Mercado. Meanwhile, the Young Lions were lifted by two exceptional goals and a penalty conversion by Solis.

The first chance of the game came in the ninth minute when Derrick Etienne, Jr. carried the ball across the top of the box and aimed a shot towards the top corner. The attempt was curling towards the target, but missed wide.

Two minutes later, the hosts took the lead. Luke Brennan dribbled into the box with Almaguer behind him. The Young Lions’ captain initially pulled up, but took down the attacker and referee Alex Beehler immediately pointed to the spot. Armas stepped up to take the kick and sent Mercado the wrong way, giving Atlanta an early 1-0 lead.

OCB nearly had a chance in the 14th minute when the Young Lions won a free kick near the Atlanta box. Atlanta had trouble clearing the set piece, but nobody in white could get their foot on the ball. Eventually, the hosts cleared the danger.

The first shot for OCB came in the 17th minute when a short set piece resulted in Almaguer sending a cross into the box. It looked like Kibunguchy would get his head on the ball, but it sailed over him and to Rivera. The Orlando City academy product attempted to redirect the ball on goal, sending it into the side of the net.

The Young Lions found their equalizer in the 25th minute and it was also from the spot. Solis played a nice give-and-go with Freeman, getting behind the Atlanta defense to the right of the goal. Morales tripped Solis with a slide tackle attempt and Beehler pointed to the spot again. Solis’ penalty was a hard shot right down the middle while Atlanta goalkeeper John Berner dove to his right.

Five minutes later, OCB got its first lead of the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season. A foul just outside of the Atlanta box set up a free kick, taken by Orlando City 2024 MLS SuperDraft pick Tsakada. The rookie’s attempt was over the wall and into the top corner, beyond the outstretched arms of Berner, giving the Young Lions a 2-1 lead.

Atlanta should’ve had an equalizer of their own in the 34th minute when Etienne sent a free kick into the OCB box and Nick Firmino got behind the back line. The ball landed right on his head just outside of the six-yard box, but his header was right into the arms of a relieved Mercado.

The hosts had another opportunity in the 40th minute when a pass across the box was taken on the first touch by Noble Okello. It was a hard and low shot from outside of the box, but directly at Mercado.

The final chance of the half came in the 44th minute with a dangerous cross into the OCB box. It would’ve been another free attempt on goal for Firmino, but sailed just over his head.

At halftime, Atlanta had more shots (7-4) and shots on target (3-2), and better passing accuracy (88.5%-76.4%) than OCB. However, Tsuakda’s strike in the 30th minute and some attempts into the arms of Mercado allowed the Young Lions to take a 2-1 lead into the break.

It didn’t take long for the Young Lions to build on their halftime lead, scoring their third goal of the game in the 49th minute. Freeman made a long run into the Atlanta box, evading multiple defenders, before losing possession. The clearance only went as far as Guske, who took a long-distance shot. It was a rocket that went inside the far post to give OCB a commanding 3-1 lead.

Atlanta’s 2021 MLS SuperDraft pick, Aiden McFadden, tried to pull the hosts back into the game with some ambitious attempts. In the 55th minute, he drew a free kick and the set piece was blocked out by Mercado for a corner kick. The second set piece ended with McFadden trying a bicycle attempt, but he couldn’t connect.

Three minutes later, Kibunguchy’s clearance landed at the feet of McFadden about 35 yards from goal. The midfielder attempted a very long-distance shot, but sent the attempt well over the target.

In the 63rd minute, an Atlanta ball into the OCB box was blocked out of play by Kibunguchy. The ensuing corner kick found the head of Morales, but he sent the attempt wide of the target.

Second-half substitute Centeno had a chance in the 66th minute when Armas’ cross sailed over everyone else in the box. Centeno attempted a shot from a tight angle, sending the chance over the crossbar.

Atlanta had a decent opportunity in the 77th minute when Cocca fouled Alan Carleton 25 yards out. Daniel Russo sent a curling free kick into the box, but nobody in black could get on the end of it. Instead, it harmlessly bounced wide of the far post and out of play for a goal kick.

While Atlanta had been making substitutions throughout the second half, OCB waited until the 78th minute to make any changes. Zakaria Taifi, Tahir Reid-Brown, and Majed Abdullah made their 2024 MLS NEXT Pro debuts, replacing Loyola, Tsukada, and Cocca. They were defensive moves as the Young Lions looked to see out the game.

The hosts continued their offensive attacks in the 79th minute when Centeno sent a dangerous ball across the face of goal. There were two Atlanta players entering the six-yard box, sticking their feet out to get a final touch on the ball. However, it somehow missed both and OCB avoided conceding a second time.

In the 80th minute, it was Centeno on the end of a cross. A wonderful ball into the six landed on the foot of the 21-year-old, but the volley was over the crossbar for a goal kick.

OCB Head Coach Manuel Goldberg made his fourth change in the 86th minute, bringing on 16-year-old academy player Justin Ellis for Rivera.

In the 87th minute, Russo took a shot from the left of goal, aiming for the far post. However, the ball was blocked out of play for Atlanta’s 10th corner kick. The ensuing set piece didn’t find a teammate and was cleared away.

After dominating possession and chances for over 30 minutes, Atlanta finally broke through during stoppage time. A minute past the 90-minute mark, Centeno sent a cross towards OCB’s back post. Morales got on the end of the pass, heading it past Mercado to cut the deficit in half.

Two minutes after the goal, Goldberg made his final change of the game and it was another defensive substitution as Thomas Bowe came on for Solis.

The final attempt of the game came five minutes into stoppage time as Atlanta looked for a late equalizer. However, the cross was caught by Mercado. OCB cleared the ball downfield, keeping it in the Atlanta half until the final whistle blew, claiming all three points with a 3-2 win.

The hosts dominated the game statistically, with more shots (20-5), shots on target (6-3), corner kicks (10-0), and passing accuracy (88.6%-72%). However, too many of their shots were off target or straight at Mercado, enabling the first-time OCB goalkeeper to make easy stops.

This is the third consecutive year that OCB has begun its season with three points. The Young Lions beat Chicago Fire FC II 2-0 to open the 2022 campaign, Philadelphia Union II 3-1 last year, and topped Atlanta United this afternoon. It’s a strong start to a season in which the Young Lions hope to make the playoffs for the second consecutive year and the third time in their history.


The team will stay on the road and have a short week, traveling to face Huntsville City FC Friday night. Then OCB will return to Central Florida for its home opener on April 2 against another rival, Inter Miami CF II.

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Orlando City B

Orlando City B Announces Roster Ahead of 2024 MLS NEXT Pro Season

Here are the players and assistant coaches who will try to help the Young Lions return to the MLS NEXT Pro playoffs in 2024.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Orlando City B has announced the roster of players who will compete for the Young Lions during the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season, which kicks off tomorrow at Atlanta United 2. First-year Head Coach Manuel Goldberg will have a mixture of academy and MLS NEXT Pro contract players — along with unrostered guys loaned down from the first team — to deploy as the Young Lions look to return to the playoffs in their third season in the league.

Seven players return from last year’s roster that reached the MLS NEXT Pro playoffs for the first time, including defenders Nabi Kibunguchy, midfielders Imanol Almaguer and Jhon Solis, and forward Wilfredo Rivera. Defender Zakaria Taifi, who was on an academy deal in 2023, signed a two-year MLS NEXT Pro contract with OCB on Tuesday after appearing in 23 games with 10 starts a year ago.

The new guys include forward Yutaro Tsukada, one of Orlando City’s first-round picks in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft in December. Tsukada’s signing was announced earlier today. Another new face is forward Yeiler Valencia, who arrives on a one-year loan deal from Once Caldas in Colombia and has made 15 appearances in that country’s top flight, scoring one goal in 2023. Defender Manuel Cocca arrives from SD Tarazona in Spain, where he made 15 appearances and recorded three assists in the third division. Cocca signed a one-year MLS NEXT Pro contract with OCB, with option years in 2025 and 2026.

“The start of a new season is always exciting with the prospect of what lies ahead and what can be accomplished, and this year is no different,” Orlando City Vice President of Soccer Operations and Technical Director Ricardo Moreira said in a club press release. “With what Orlando City B was able to achieve last season, setting new club records and qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in club history, we’re excited to continue building on last season’s success, continuing to develop quality players and prepare the future of the first team.”

Goldberg’s assistant coaching staff is also set for 2024 with the additions of Assistant Coach Julian Vergara and Strength and Conditioning Coach Andres Gonzalez. Both were previously academy coaches who have been promoted from within. They join returning Goalkeepers Coach Marcos Machado and Athletic Trainer Sergio Valverde on Goldberg’s staff.

Players on the first team likely to spend significant time with OCB in 2024 include Homegrown goalkeeper Javier Otero, draft picks Jack Lynn, Shak Mohammed, and Jeorgio Kocevski, defenders Alex Freeman, Tahir Reid-Brown, Thomas Williams, and Abdi Salim, and midfielder Favian Loyola.

2024 OCB Roster

Does not include first-team players who are eligible to be loaned to the MLS NEXT Pro squad.

Jersey No.NamePos.Contract
32Wilfredo RiveraFMLS NEXT Pro
34Yutaro TsukadaFMLS NEXT Pro
48Diego ParejaMFMLS NEXT Pro
49Jhon SolisMFMLS NEXT Pro
53Imanol AlmaguerMFMLS NEXT Pro
54Nabi KibunguchyDMLS NEXT Pro
56Colin GuskeMFAcademy
59Justin EllisFAcademy
61Yeiler ValenciaFMLS NEXT Pro
62Thomas BoweMFAcademy
64Manuel CoccaDMLS NEXT Pro
91TJ JeffreysGKAcademy
96Zakaria TaifiDMLS NEXT Pro
97Majed AbjullahFAcademy
99Carlos MercadoGKMLS NEXT Pro

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