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Orlando City B vs. Columbus Crew 2: Final Score 6-1 as OCB is Hammered in Columbus

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3 years ago

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Orlando City B (2-6-3, 11 points) was dominated by Columbus Crew 2 (10-2-0, 30 points) at Historic Crew Stadium in a 6-1 result. MLS NEXT Pro’s leading scorer, Jacen Russell-Rowe, led Crew 2 with two first-half goals. Nick Taylor provided OCB with a consolation goal.

OCB Head Coach Martin Perelman displayed an unexpected lineup for this one. After being on the bench last night in Orlando City’s 2-1 win over the Houston Dynamo, Alex Freeman and Thomas Williams both started in Columbus. However, the lineup was missing two common names as Victor Yan was on the bench and team captain David Boccuzzo was left off the team sheet. It’s the second time this season Boccuzzo hasn’t started and the first time he wasn’t in the team. For Yan, it was the first time he hasn’t started since April 10 against Inter Miami II.

The game started evenly with both teams looking to gain control of the middle of the field. OCB got the first chance of the game in the fifth minute when the Young Lions won a pair of corners. The second corner found the head of Freeman in the box, but it was right at Crew 2 goalkeeper Patrick Schulte.

A minute later, Ethan Subachan found Jack Lynn in the box. The OCB striker took the ball outside instead of inside, eliminating his angle. Lynn was able to get a shot off, but Schulte was right there to make the stop.

Crew 2’s first good chance of the game came in the 16th minute and resulted in the first goal. A cross into the box landed at the feet of Alexandru Matan. The midfielder used some slick skill to avoid the surrounding defenders, creating enough space to find Noah Fuson. OCB goalkeeper Javier Otero got a piece of Fuson’s shot, but the ball got underneath him and into the net for the opening goal.

Just three minutes later, Crew 2 doubled the lead. A cross into the box bounced off the arm of Diego Pareja in the box. Referee Ricardo Fierro didn’t hesitate to point to the spot, awarding the hosts a penalty.

After some protesting by Moises Tablante and Ignacio Galvan, Crew 2 captain Marco Micaletto stepped up to take the kick. He sent Otero the wrong way, sliding the ball into the low left corner of the goal for a 2-0 Columbus lead.

Crew 2 scored their third goal of the first half and third in nine minutes in the 25th minute. A long ball down the right for Mo Farsi saw Crew 2 dive into an attack. The defenders were worried about the forward-most run, which allowed Russell-Rowe to trail behind unmarked. Farsi played it in for the striker, who put it away to make it 3-0.

Russell-Rowe and Lynn entered the game with nine goals apiece — joint leaders atop MLS NEXT Pro. The goal by Russell-Rowe saw the Columbus goal scorer take the league lead back after Lynn caught him with his goal in New England last weekend.

It appeared as though OCB had a chance in the 29th minute when Mauro Bravo sent Lynn through from near midfield. The Young Lions’ top goal scorer was through on goal with Schulte coming out but the assistant referee’s flag was up for offside.

Fuson nearly scored his second of the half in the 32nd minute. The midfielder found some space in the box and got a shot off towards the far post. The ball beat a diving Otero but not the post as it bounced off.

Unfortunately, the Young Lions were unable to clear and Columbus continued its attack. After receiving a pass back to him, Williams lost the ball as Russell-Rowe applied pressure, tapping the ball to Fuson. The midfielder sent it right back to Russell-Rowe who made a run behind Williams and into the OCB box. Otero came out to cut down his angle, but Russell-Rowe put it past him for his second goal of the game.

Another bad giveaway in the back by OCB in the 38th minute created an opportunity for Crew 2 to make it five. However, nobody in yellow was there to get on the end of the cross as it rolled harmlessly across the six-yard box.

OCB nearly got a goal back two minutes into injury time when Moises Tablante received the ball in the center of the box. The OCB attacker quickly fired on goal and it appeared to be headed in, but Schulte made a great save to keep his clean sheet.

As the 4-0 scoreline would indicate, the hosts led most statistical categories. Crew 2 finished the half with more possession (52.4%-47.6%), shots (11-8), shots on goal (5-3), crosses (3-2), and passing accuracy (85.1%-80%). However, the teams had the same number of corners (2-2) and split the duels (23-23).

After dominating the first half, Crew 2 got off to the better second-half start. In the 47th minute, Matan took a shot from outside the box that was blocked and Fuson missed a shot wide in the 50th minute.

Columbus scored its fifth goal in the 51st minute. It started when a shot wide of the target was stopped by Otero. However, the referee said that Otero took the ball over the line and awarded a corner kick. Had Otero let the ball roll out of play, it would’ve been a goal kick.

The ensuing corner was sent toward the near post, where it was flicked on for Ryan Telfer further back. Nobody was marking Telfer, who easily got his head to the ball and put it in for Crew 2’s fifth goal.

OCB has called on Otero to make some big saves this year and he made another great one in this game. In the 63rd minute, Matan got in on goal and took a shot from point-blank range. Otero came off his line and blocked the shot. The rebound went right to Fuson, who shot on goal, but Andrew Forth was there to block it.

Columbus was close to a sixth goal again in the 70th minute. Jake Morris’ cross found a head in the middle of the six-yard box, but the ball was just a bit high, glancing off the head of the attacker and going out on the other side.

OCB got a consolation goal in the 72nd minute. It was a combination of second-half substitutes, as Taylor received the ball on the left from Alejandro Granados. Taylor carried the ball toward the middle of the box and beat Schulte to the far post to make it 5-1.

In the 76th minute, Favian Loyola found Lynn in the box near goal. The striker had a chance to get the Young Lions back to within three but Schulte was there to make an outstanding save.

Tablante attempted to get a second goal for OCB in the 78th minute when he spotted Schulte off his line. Despite being on the right sideline and far from goal, Tablante took a chance but the ball went just over the crossbar.

Crew 2 got its sixth goal in the 84th minute. Colman Gannon’s cross found Isaiah Parente in the box, but his shot was blocked. The ball popped up where Issac Angking attacked it, heading it in for Crew 2’s sixth conversion.

With the Crew fans chanting “We want a touchdown,” it appeared as though Crew 2 scored a seventh in the 90th minute. Parente had the ball on the right and sent a low cross that was redirected in by Abdirizak Mohamed. However, Parente was offside on the initial ball and OCB escaped.

The Young Lions had one last chance to get a second goal two minutes into injury time when Lynn was sent through by Granados. Lynn turned the defender and created the space to get a shot on goal. But his shot was too close to Schulte, who made a nice save.

It was a dominant performance by Crew 2 as the hosts played OCB completely off the field. They had more possession (57.5%-42.5%), shots (26-15), and shots on goal (9-7). The only statistical categories led by OCB were duels won (49-44) and clearances (16-14).

The six goals conceded was the most by Otero this year. Additionally, he only had three saves, making it the second time in 11 games that he conceded more goals than he recorded saves. The other game was the 5-3 loss to FC Cincinnati 2 on May 29, when he had three saves and conceded five goals.

The six goals conceded equals the most in OCB history. The Young Lions previously conceded six goals on Oct. 7, 2017 against New York Red Bulls II, when they lost 6-5 at home. The five-goal loss sets a new team record for its largest defeat.

The Young Lions have now lost the first two matches of their four-game road trip. It continues next Saturday afternoon when OCB faces FC Cincinnati 2.

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Orlando City Signs Goalkeeper Carlos Mercado to a New Contract

Carlos Mercado signs a new contract to remain Orlando City’s third-choice goalkeeper.

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2 hours ago

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January 30, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City announced this morning that the club has signed goalkeeper Carlos Mercado to a new contract. The deal is through the 2025 season with club options for 2026 and 2027.

“Carlos did a great job for us last year with Orlando City B and continued to provide a positive work ethic and atmosphere every day in training up with the first team and showed his skill and ability to compete every chance he got,” Orlando City Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi said in a club press release. “He’s part of a strong goalkeeping unit here at the club and we feel confident in the future of that entire position group moving forward.”

Mercado originally joined Orlando City prior to the 2024 season to back up Javier Otero. However, when Mason Stajduhar broke his tibia and fibula in a June 28 game against New York City FC, Otero became the primary backup to Pedro Gallese and Mercado was the starter for the Young Lions.

In his debut season in purple, Mercado started 20 games — including a playoff game in Chicago — playing 1,830 minutes. He conceded 30 goals for a goals-against average of 1.48 and saved 81 of 111 shots faced for a save percentage of 73%. He kept three clean sheets and compiled a record of 9-5-6 (W-L-D) while saving two of the four penalties he faced in regular play.

The 25-year-old signed a short-term deal following Stajduhar’s injury with his lone game on the team sheet being on the bench for a July 3 game against Toronto FC. He went on to sign a first-team contract on Sept. 20 through the 2024 season with options for 2025, 2026, and 2027. However, his 2025 option was declined following the season.

Mercado played for the FC Dallas academy in his youth, earning call-ups to the United States U-16 National Team and Mexico U-18 National Team. He played collegiately at the University of Incarnate Word in San Antonio, TX, before joining San Antonio FC of the USL Championship.

The goalkeeper made his professional debut in 2021, coming on for the final 29 minutes in a 3-0 win over Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC. He stayed with San Antonio FC through the 2023 season before joining OCB.

What It Means for Orlando City

As previously mentioned, Mercado’s option for 2025 was declined following the 2024 MLS season since the club already had three other goalkeepers. However, signing another goalkeeper became necessary when Orlando City traded Stajduhar to Real Salt Lake on Jan. 15, leaving the club with two under contract.

Mercado will likely continue to be the club’s third goalkeeper and is the presumed starter for Orlando City B when the MLS NEXT Pro season starts in March. He’ll have to join the first team if Gallese goes away on international duty with Peru and Otero enters the starting lineup. Barring unavailability of Gallese and Otero, it’s unlikely he’ll see any MLS action.

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Orlando City B Announces Schedule for 2025 MLS NEXT Pro Season

Find out where, when, and who the Young Lions of OCB will play in 2025.

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3 days ago

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January 27, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

The 2025 MLS NEXT Pro schedule was released this afternoon, telling us where, when, and who Orlando City B will play in the team’s fourth year in the league. The league will again feature 29 teams in 2025, with three teams set to enter the league next year. There are 27 MLS affiliated clubs in the league and two independents — Carolina Core FC and Chattanooga FC.

The schedule remains at 28 games, with Orlando City B playing 14 at home, 13 away, and one at a neutral site at IMG Academy in Bradenton. OCB home games will take place at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee again this season.

OCB will start the 2024 season with a two-game home stand, opening the season on Sunday, March 9 against Columbus Crew 2 at 7 p.m. A week later, Atlanta United 2 will visit Osceola County Stadium. The Young Lions will then hit the road for the team’s first two away games starting Wednesday, March 26 at Crown Legacy FC and following with a match at Chattanooga FC on Saturday, April 5.

In addition to opening the season at home, OCB will close the regular season by hosting FC Cincinnati 2 at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 5. Last year, the Young Lions opened and closed the season on the road. All Decision Day games in the Eastern Conference will start at 1 p.m. and all Western Conference matches will kick off at 4 p.m. (ET).

OCB will compete in the 15-team Eastern Conference as part of the Southeast Division. The other teams in the division are Atlanta, Carolina Core, Chattanooga, Crown Legacy, Huntsville City, and rival Inter Miami II. The reserve version of the Tropic Thunder rivalry will play out over three meetings in 2025. The Young Lions will travel IMG Academy to face the Baby Herons on April 15, with the home match in Kissimmee coming May 17. The teams will meet again in Fort Lauderdale on Sept. 14.

MLS NEXT Pro teams will again only play opponents from their own conference, limiting travel. The Young Lions will play each team in the Southeast Division three times, including Atlanta United 2, and Chattanooga twice at home and once away, and Carolina Core, Crown Legacy, and Huntsville City once each at home and twice away. OCB will play the teams from the Northeast Division once, except Columbus and New England, which the Young Lions will face both at home and away. Orlando City B will face FC Cincinnati 2, New York City FC II, New York Red Bulls II, and Toronto FC II only at home in the regular season, while facing Chicago Fire II and Philadelphia Union II only on the road.

The busiest months for OCB this season will be June and August, when the Young Lions will play five matches. They’ll play four times in April and July, three times in March, May, and September, and once in October. The most common day the Young Lions will play is on Sunday (13 games). Additionally, they have five games on Saturday, four games each on Wednesday and Friday, and one game each on Monday and Tuesday. The most common kickoff time is 7 p.m.. The Young Lions will play 18 games with that start time, three times each at 3 p.m., 7:30 p.m., and 8 p.m., and once at 1 p.m. (Decision Day).

Once again, the postseason will include 15 games this year, concluding with the MLS NEXT Pro Cup. The higher playoff seeds will again select their opponents for the matchups in the first two rounds.

The majority of regular season games and all playoff games will again air on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. The remaining games will be streamed live on mlsnextpro.com.

As far as viewing conflicts go for Orlando City and Pride fans, there are a few overlaps in 2025. OCB plays at 7 p.m. on April 5 at Chattanooga with the MLS Lions playing at 7:30 p.m. at Philadelphia that night. On May 23, OCB plays at Atlanta United 2 at 7:30 p.m. and the Pride and Royals kick off in Utah at 9:30 p.m. just as that game is concluding. On June 25, OCB plays at home at 7 p.m. against Toronto FC II, with Orlando City at St. Louis City at 8:30 p.m. OCB’s game July 25 at Huntsville City will kick off 30 minutes after the senior side begins playing at Columbus. The Young Lions start at home on Aug. 3 against NYCFCII an hour after the Pride and Utah Royals kick off at Inter&Co Stadium. OCB and the Pride are both home on Aug. 9 as well, with the Young Lions and Chattanooga getting underway at 7 p.m. at Osceola County Stadium, just 30 minutes before the Pride and Racing Louisville battle at Inter&Co Stadium. On Aug. 23, OCB will play at 7 p.m. at home against Atlanta United 2, with the senior Lions and Nashville SC kicking off at 8:30 p.m.

Orlando City B’s 2025 Schedule

  • Sunday, March 9 — vs. Columbus Crew 2, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, March 16 — vs. Atlanta United 2, 7 p.m.
  • Wednesday, March 26 — at Crown Legacy FC, 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, April 5 — at Chattanooga FC, 7 p.m.
  • Wednesday, April 9 — vs. New England Revolution II, 7 p.m.
  • Tuesday, April 15 — vs. Inter Miami II (at IMG Academy in Bradenton), 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, April 27 — vs. New York Red Bulls II, 7 p.m.
  • Friday, May 2 — at Chicago Fire FC II, 8 p.m.
  • Saturday, May 17 — vs. Inter Miami II, 7 p.m.
  • Friday, May 23 — at Atlanta United 2, 7:30 p.m.
  • Sunday, June 1 — vs. Chattanooga FC, 7 p.m.
  • Friday, June 6 — at Huntsville City FC, 8 p.m.
  • Wednesday, June 11 — at Carolina Core FC, 7:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday, June 25 — vs. Toronto FC, 7 p.m.
  • Monday, June 30 — at Philadelphia Union II, 3 p.m.
  • Sunday, July 6 — at Crown Legacy FC, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, July 13 — vs. Carolina Core FC, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, July 20 — at New England Revolution II, 3 p.m.
  • Friday, July 25 — at Huntsville City FC, 8 p.m.
  • Sunday, Aug. 3 — vs. New York City FC II, 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, Aug. 9 — vs. Chattanooga FC, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, Aug. 17 — at Columbus Crew 2, 3 p.m.
  • Saturday, Aug. 23 — vs. Atlanta United 2, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, Aug. 31 — vs. Crown Legacy FC, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, Sept. 14 — at Inter Miami II, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, Sept. 21 — vs. Huntsville City FC, 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, Sept. 27 — at Carolina Core FC, 7:30 p.m.
  • Sunday, Oct. 5 — vs. FC Cincinnati 2, 1 p.m.
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Orlando City B Signs Goalkeeper Tristan Himes

The 24-year-old former academy goalkeeper returns to the club after a four-year collegiate career.

Published

3 weeks ago

on

January 8, 2025

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Orlando City announced this afternoon that the club has signed former academy goalkeeper Tristan Himes to an MLS NEXT Pro contract to play with the club’s reserve side, Orlando City B. The 24-year-old returns to the club following the conclusion of his collegiate career.

“This is an exciting first step for us this year on the path to achieving our goals for 2025 and beyond,” Orlando City Vice President of Soccer Operations and Technical Director Ricardo Moreira said in a club press release. “Tristan is a player that is homegrown, that we’ve seen develop in our academy here in Orlando, and a bright young player. He’s someone whose path took him to play and get more experience in college and now we’re excited to bring him back home to Central Florida.”

The DeBary native attended the University of South Carolina after his time in the Orlando City Academy, making seven appearances in two seasons. He conceded 13 goals in 546 minutes while making 22 saves. He stopped 62.9% of his shots faced for the Gamecocks, recording one shutout and an assist. The goalkeeper played 543 minutes during his freshman season but only three minutes during his sophomore campaign, coming off the bench on Oct. 1, 2022, against West Virginia.

Himes transferred to Coastal Carolina University for his junior season but was forced to sit out all of 2023 due to injury. He returned for his senior campaign, making 10 appearances and playing 855 minutes while conceding 20 goals and making 35 saves. He finished his time with the Chanticleers completing two shutouts while recording a 2.11 goals-against average and stopping 63.6% of his 122 shots faced.

Despite coming through the Orlando City Academy, the goalkeeper was eligible for the 2025 MLS SuperDraft but wasn’t selected. The signing is the first in a string of expected deals as the club looks to rebuild its MLS NEXT Pro roster. Following the 2024 season, the contracts of six of the 10 players on MLS NEXT Pro deals expired.

Himes’ signing could see him replace Carlos Mercado, who started the majority of OCB’s games in 2024. The goalkeeper eventually signed a first-team deal late in the season, but his option was declined by the club. Depending on the recovery of first-team backup goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar, Himes could start for the Young Lions or will play behind Homegrown product Javier Otero.

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