Orlando City B
Orlando City B vs. Rochester New York FC: Final Score 3-2 as OCB Drops Fourth in Six Games
Orlando City B (3-7-3, 14 points) tried to fight back from a three-goal, second-half deficit, but lost 3-2 on the road to Rochester New York FC (5-4-4, 23 points). Jack Lynn and Neicer Acosta scored for the Young Lions but a Gibran Rayo brace lifted the hosts to the win.
OCB Head Coach Martin Perelman displayed a lineup featuring nine of the 11 starters from the team’s 3-1 win over FC Cincinnati 2 last weekend. After being unavailable last weekend due to playing with the first team, Thomas Williams re-entered the starting lineup for this game. Additionally, Victor Yan also re-entered the lineup after coming off the bench in the last two games. They replaced Nick Taylor and Erick Gunera, who started on the bench.
Your Lions for tonight 💪 #RNYvORL | #VamosOrlando pic.twitter.com/3LfbRE9ACu
— Orlando City B (@OrlandoCityB) July 1, 2022
It was an impressive performance by Rochester, which dominated most of the game. If not for some excellent goalkeeping by Adam Grinwis and some near misses, the game could’ve been out of hand well before the final whistle.
Rochester had its first chance in the third minute when Edward Williams was sent through into the box. Thomas Williams put his body on the forward and both players went to the ground. The Rochester players were calling for a penalty, but referee Kaitlyn Trowbridge didn’t agree and awarded a corner kick to the hosts.
OCB’s best first-half chance came in the eighth minute when Ignacio Galvan found Mauro Bravo on the right. Bravo attempted to curl his shot from the corner of the box inside the upper far corner of the goal, but the ball just missed the target.
Rochester nearly opened the scoring in the 17th minute when Pedro Dolabella sent a low shot from outside of the box. Grinwis had trouble with the bouncing ball as it went off his chest and in front of goal. Fortunately, it was cleared wide and the Young Lions were able to escape the danger.
Two minutes later, the hosts converted. A Rochester corner kick found the foot of Dolabella, whose shot was blocked. However, as happened frequently in this game, OCB was unable to clear. As a result, Lamar Batista got the last touch on the ball and put it past Grinwis for the opening goal.
.@rnyfcofficial's Lamar Bastia gets a touch on a loose ball for the lead! 💥 1-0 pic.twitter.com/MsDtDYefPb
— MLS NEXT Pro (@MLSNEXTPRO) July 1, 2022
Despite having a 1-0 lead, Rochester didn’t sit back and continued to pressure the Young Lions. In the 24th minute, Ian Garrett sent a dangerous cross into the box, but it was cleared away. A minute later, Rochester’s forward Williams got in free on goal, but Grinwis did well to come out strong and take it off his foot.
Grinwis’ heroics nearly paid off as OCB had another great chance in the 26th minute. Moises Tablante sent Lynn through on goal and the team’s leading scorer had a breakaway. Caique read the play perfectly and came out to block it away. The ball went straight to Tablante at the top of the box, but the midfielder was caught flat footed and the ball rolled away from him.
Rochester should’ve scored a second in the 32nd minute after a good buildup. OCB’s failure to clear the ball allowed a Rochester attacker to direct it on goal. The ball appeared to be going in but Grinwis somehow was able to stop it on the line, keeping the deficit at one.
In the 33rd minute, Rayo carried the ball into the box from the left and found enough space for a shot. Grinwis blocked the attempt, but it went right back to Rayo, who fired again. This time Grinwis caught the shot and OCB was able to clear.
Rayo had another chance three minutes later when he took a hard, low shot from a difficult angle. Grinwis did well to get low and block it with his leg, making arguably his best save of the game.
Rochester finally scored its second a minute into first-half injury time. Garrett sent a hard, direct cross into the box that went right across the six. Rayo was able to get between two OCB defenders and meet the cross with his head, giving the hosts a 2-0 lead.
Rayo doubles @rnyfcofficial's advantage with the header! 🤯 2-0 pic.twitter.com/YK18GOEHuY
— MLS NEXT Pro (@MLSNEXTPRO) July 1, 2022
The Young Lions had more possession in the first half (53.1%-46.9%) but were dominated. Rochester had far more shots (11-3), shots on goal (7-1), corners (5-0), and crosses (9-3) in the first 45 minutes.
After being completely outplayed in the first half, Perelman made two changes to start the second half. Taylor came on for Williams in the back and Wilfredo Rivera returned to the team, replacing Bravo. It was Rivera’s first appearance since May 29 as he had been away with the Puerto Rico national team.
OCB got off to a much better start in the second half, creating a pair of corners and sending a free kick into the box that was just beyond the reach of Lynn. However, the Young Lions weren’t able to put any of those chances on goal.
Rochester probably should’ve had its third goal in the 59th minute when Dolabella got off a pair of shots but both were blocked. The second shot by Dolabella went to Gerardo Lopez, who sent it back towards goal but that too was blocked.
Three minutes later, the hosts did make it a three-goal lead. It came from a counter attack started by Williams, the Rochester captain. He played it wide for Dolabella, who sent a low cross into the box. Rayo found space between defenders for the second time in the game, netting his second goal of the night.
Rayo hits the brace for 3️⃣!@rnyfcofficial 3-0 pic.twitter.com/TILMaMJKLK
— MLS NEXT Pro (@MLSNEXTPRO) July 2, 2022
OCB responded well after conceding the third goal. In the 65th minute, Taylor was fouled by Jacob Akanyirige, providing the Young Lions with a free kick. Rivera sent the ball toward the far post, where Brandon Hanckenberg headed it back in front of goal. The defenders inexplicably left Lynn right in front of the goal, where he easily headed in the first goal for the visitors.
JACK LYNN 🗣️🗣️🗣️ pic.twitter.com/wUMiFC9x8v
— MLS NEXT Pro (@MLSNEXTPRO) July 2, 2022
It was Lynn’s 11th goal of the season, pulling him even with Columbus Crew 2’s Jacen Russell-Rowe atop MLS NEXT Pro. Additionally, the goal tied Michael Cox’s OCB single-season record of 11 goals from 2016. Lynn has now scored in six of the OCB’s last seven games and has nine goals in that time.
Rochester thought it should’ve had a penalty again in the 68th minute when Dolabella appeared to get tripped up in the box. However, the referee once again didn’t see anything wrong with the challenge and motioned for the midfielder to get up.
Shortly after, the game started to get rough. It began when Garrett was booked for a hard foul on Tablante. Batista stood over Tablante on the ground and was unwilling to move, so Rivera pushed him away as he prepared to take the kick. Garrett, Batista, and Rivera were all booked for the incident. Rivera’s booking means he will be unavailable for next weekend’s game against Inter MiamI II.
Dolabella thought he had his first goal of the night in the 79th minute, when he sent a screaming shot toward the right post. Grinwis was caught flat footed and had no chance. Fortunately, the ball missed just wide of his left post.
Lynn should’ve had his second of the game in the 81st minute. Taylor found Lynn right in front of goal and the striker put it on target from the top of the six-yard box. However, Caique got his hands to the ball, tipping it over the crossbar.
🧱CAIQUE 🧱 pic.twitter.com/vTVUR08cls
— MLS NEXT Pro (@MLSNEXTPRO) July 2, 2022
Rochester had its final chance at a fourth goal a minute into second-half injury time. A free kick from beyond the right corner of the box found the head of Dolabella inside the six-yard box. He got his head to the ball and aimed for the near post, but the header went just wide.
As the clock surpassed the five added minutes, it appeared the game was over but OCB had one more attack in store. Acosta, a second-half substitute, picked up the ball near midfield and sprinted toward the Rochester box. Nobody picked him up so Acosta continued his run. It looked like he was going to cross, but slid the ball underneath Caique instead, cutting the deficit to 3-2. It was Acosta’s first goal for the Young Lions.
Niecer Acosta pulls one back in stoppage time! 😱 pic.twitter.com/geKaX1J0XU
— MLS NEXT Pro (@MLSNEXTPRO) July 2, 2022
OCB quickly grabbed the ball and sprinted to the center circle, hoping for one more attack. However, there was little time left and the referee blew the final whistle shortly after the restart.
Despite the close score, it was a dominant performance by Rochester. OCB ended the game with more possession (53.1%-46.9%) but Rochester had most of the chances. The hosts had more shots (17-8), shots on goal (8-4), corners (6-4), and crosses (14-12).
The loss is OCB’s fourth in the last six games (1-4-1). It sees the Young Lions sit in eighth in the 10-team Eastern Conference and third in the five-team Central Division. This game also ended a tough four-game road trip in which the Young Lions went 1-3-0.
With the four-game trip now behind them, the Young Lions will head home to Osceola County Stadium next Sunday night to host Inter Miami II for the third time this season.
Orlando City B
Orlando City B vs. Huntsville City FC: Final Score 1-0 as Young Lions Listless In Home Loss
The Young Lions were embarrassed at home by Huntsville City FC.
Orlando City B (8-5-7, 35 points) was completely shut down tonight, falling 1-0 to Huntsville City FC (7-7-5, 28 points) at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee. The lone goal came from Zidane Yanez in the 64th minute, one of the game’s few decent chances.
OCB Head Coach Eddie Wilding made three changes to the team that drew 1-1 with Chattanooga FC on July 18. Parker Amoo-Mensah, Albright Chikamso, and Landon Okonski replaced Titus Sandy, Jr., Clovis Archange, and Dylan Judelson.
The back line in front of goalkeeper Juan Rojas was made up of Tahir Reid-Brown, Chikamso, Okonski, and Amoo-Mensah. Ignacio Gomez and Caleb Trombino were the defensive midfielders behind Gustavo Caraballo, Issah Haruna, and Matthew Belgodere with Pedro Leao up top.
Despite the narrow scoreline, this was probably OCB’s worst performance of the season. The Young Lions weren’t able to get anything going offensively, taking just three shots and failing to put any on target. A 47th-minute blocked shot from Leao was OCB’s last chance of the game. The goal by Yanez was all that Huntsville needed to claim all three points.
The visitors had the first chance of the game when former Lion Thomas Williams took the ball off Leao’s foot and charged into the OCB third of the field. The OCB striker stuck his leg out in an attempt to win the ball back, tripping Williams and earning a yellow card.
Charles Brunet stepped up to take the set piece and went for goal. However, he sent his attempt high and wide of the target.
Amoo-Mensah tried to play the ball forward down the right in the ninth minute, but Reed Baker-Whiting blocked the ball, allowing Jordan Knight to take possession. The attacker tried to split Okonski and Amoo-Mensah, but Okonski knocked the ball out of play for a corner kick.
Amoo-Mensah cleared the ensuing set piece, but only to Aiden Jarvis at the top of the box. The forward volleyed the ball without getting much on it, allowing Rojas to make the easy save.
In the 12th minute, Belgodere split his defenders, attempting to enter the box from the right before Knight tripped him. Amoo-Mensah took the free kick, sending a hard shot towards the far post that went wide.
Huntsville nearly opened the scoring in the 22nd minute when Baker-Whiting sent Maximus Ekk past midfield on the right side. Baker-Whiting continued his run and Ekk found him as he neared the six-yard box. Fortunately, his shot with the outside of his right foot hit the outside of the net.
OCB had trouble keeping possession in its own third and turned it over again in the 39th minute. Brunet touched the ball off of Amoo-Mensah’s foot to Williams before receiving it back. The midfielder carried the ball to the top of the box before unleashing a shot that Rojas handled with ease.
Nigel Prince played a long diagonal ball for Knight on the left in the 41st minute. The attacker controlled the pass before laying it off for Baker-Whiting, who appeared to have enough space for a shot. However, he curled the ball so much that it went out of play for a throw-in.
After 45 minutes, Huntsville had the advantage in shots (6-2), shots on target (2-0), corner kicks (2-1), and passing accuracy (90.9%-88.8%). While the visitors had more chances and were closer to scoring, it was even at the break.
Haruna pushed Brunet off the ball in the 47th minute and darted into the Huntsville third of the field. He played it to his right for Leao before making a run between Prince and Williams. However, Leao continued with the ball to the top of the box before taking a shot that Prince blocked.
The ensuing short corner to Amoo-Mensah was crossed into the box. But the right back put too much on it, sending the ball beyond everyone and out of play.
Prince lifted the ball from midfield into the OCB box in the 53rd minute. Ekk headed it down for halftime substitute Malachi Molina, who volleyed it to the near post. Rojas did well to dive to his right, tipping it wide. The short corner ended up with Jarvis, but Trombino got in front of the attempt, allowing the Young Lions to clear.
Brunet received a pass entering the OCB third in the 62nd minute. He briefly lost possession, but got it right back and fired off a shot that sailed off target.
Wilding made his first change in the 63rd minute, replacing Gomez with Nicolas Lasheras. At the same time, Huntsville replaced Ekk with Yanez.
It was an inspired substitution by the visitors, as Yanez scored less than a minute after coming on. Quick passing saw Molina send Misei Yohizawa behind the back line. The attacker was able to cross the ball before it crossed the end line, finding Yanez right in front of goal. The 18-year-old attacker tapped it past Rojas to give Huntsville the 1-0 lead.
Now chasing the game, Wilding made three more changes in the 70th minute. Justin Hylton, Nicolas Bobea Torres, and Sandy entered the contest, replacing Caraballo, Trombino, and Chikamso.
With the Young Lions still unable to create anything in the attack, Wilding made his final change in the 81st minute, replacing Okonski with Brady Kendall.
Huntsville did well to keep control of the game while OCB searched for a goal. During one of the team’s few trips into the opposing third, Belgodere went down near the edge of the box, but referee Carlos Rodriguez saw it as a clean challenge.
The only shot for either team in the final 25 minutes was a Xavier Aguilar attempt from the top of the box in the first minute of stoppage time. However, Amoo-Mensah got in front, ensuring it didn’t go anywhere near Rojas’ goal.
The Young Lions had a final chance on a corner in the dying seconds, sending everyone — including Rojas — into the box. But Huntsville headed it away, securing the win away from home.
At full time, Huntsville had the edge in shots (13-3), shots on target (4-0), corner kicks (4-3), and passing accuracy (89.2%-87.7%). It was a deserved loss for OCB, which was lucky to lose by such a narrow margin.
OCB settles into fifth place in MLS NEXT Pro’s Eastern Conference after 20 games. The Young Lions are two points ahead of Atlanta United 2 and three points ahead of Red Bull New York II. However, they sit one point behind New England Revolution II, two behind Chattanooga FC, four behind Columbus Crew 2, and five behind league-leading Crown Legacy FC. So, the Young Lions could still challenge for the top spot or cling to one of the final playoff spots, depending on how they perform in the upcoming games.
The Young Lions will have to forget this one as they head back out on the road, taking on Connecticut United FC Saturday night.
Orlando City B
Orlando City B vs. FC Cincinnati 2: Final Score 2-1 as OCB Claims Three Road Points
OCB claimed a hard-fought road victory at Cincinnati 2 `in Northern Kentucky.
Orlando City B (8-4-6, 33 points) defeated FC Cincinnati 2 (4-12-1, 14 points) 2-1 today at NKU Soccer Stadium in Highland Heights, KY. Issah Haruna gave the Young Lions the early lead, but Deiver Mosquera equalized in the 63rd minute. The deciding goal came from Matthew Belgodere in the 75th minute, securing the win.
OCB Head Coach Eddie Wilding made four changes to the team that drew Crown Legacy FC 1-1 on July 5. Landon Okonski, Tahir Reid-Brown, Caleb Trombino, and Belgodere entered the lineup, replacing Titus Sandy Jr., Bernardo Rhein, Dylan Judelson, and Harvey Sarajian.
Juan Rojas started in goal behind a back line of Reid-Brown, Clovis Archange, Okonski, and Parker Amoo-Mensah. Caleb Trombino and Ignacio Gomez were the defensive midfielders behind Belgodere, Haruna, and Gustavo Caraballo with Pedro Leao up top.
The Young Lions created the game’s first chance in the third minute when Caraballo intercepted a poor touch by Cincinnati in the OCB third of the field. The midfielder carried the ball into the opposing half and tried to play Leao through. Sami Lachekar got in the way, but the deflection went directly to Belgodere behind the back line. Goalkeeper Fabian Mrozek came off his line to cut down Belgodere’s angle and the midfielder waited too long, allowing Felix Samson to get back and block the shot.
Cincinnati had its first chance in the seventh minute when Trombino’s poor cross-field pass intended for Caraballo was touched by Charlie Holmes and collected by Mathias Vasquez. The forward sent Kristian Fletcher into the OCB third before Archange caught up in the box. The center back was able to tap the ball away, but it went to Holmes, but Okonski blocked his first-touch shot.
OCB had another chance in the 10th minute when Rojas senta short pass to Archange. The center back sent a long ball forward. Camden Sphire was the first to it, but the ball glanced off his head and got behind him. Haruna was there to collect and was in alone on goal. However, as Ayoub Laihar got back to provide pressure, Mrozek did well to get down and block the shot from the top of the box.
The Young Lions created a third chance in the 16th minute and finally converted. This time it was a long ball from Rojas that cleared three defenders and Belgodere, landing perfectly for Haruna. The midfielder did well with this one, striking the ball with his left foot and putting it in off the inside of the post at the far corner to give OCB a 1-0 lead.
Rojas’ assist was only the second by an OCB goalkeeper in the team’s nine-year history. The only one previously was on June 5, 2016, when Mark Ridgers assisted Michael Cox in the final minutes of a 4-3 loss to Louisville City FC.
In the 26th minute, Samson played a weak ball for Leonardo Oreiarena that Gomez intercepted. The Young Lions had numbers going forward, so Gomez sent Leao into the final third. The striker continued the ball wide left for Belgodere, who cut inside before shooting. However, there were three defenders around him and Samson blocked Belgodere’s shot.
Cincinnati came forward in the 28th minute when Stefan Charila sent Mosquera down the right. Reid-Brown defended the right back, forcing him to cut back and play it to Charila’s trailing run to the top of the box. The midfielder dribbled inside to find space and sent a shot through multiple defenders, but it was right at Rojas.
Gomez tried to flick the ball over his head in the 37th minute to beat Sphire but lost control. Sphire took possession and played it through Charila to Mosquera on the right with Reid-Brown on him. A quick cut inside gave Mosquera enough space for a shot that was right at Rojas.
Less than a minute later, Vasquez made a strong run into the OCB third, working hard to keep Archange from the ball. He played it centrally for Kristian Fletcher, who sent a right-footed shot toward goal. Since Fletcher’s shot was in the opposite direction he was moving, Rojas was leaning the wrong way. But he dove to his right and tipped the ball wide with a fantastic save, the first time he was challenged in the game.
Cincinnati finished the first half with more shots (5-4) and put more on target (3-2), but only one of those shots challenged Rojas. Meanwhile, OCB had more crosses (3-2) and better passing accuracy (86.3%-83.8%), and both teams won one corner kick in the first 45 minutes.
OCB got the second half off to an attacking start, creating the first chance in the 49th minute. Gomez lifted the ball to the right for Caraballo, who had plenty of space as he entered the Cincinnati box. The attacker opened up and attempted to curl the ball around Mrozek, but Holmes blocked the shot over the crossbar.
Reid-Brown sent a long ball down the left in the 58th minute for Belgodere. Caraballo was calling for the ball as he made a run down the middle into acres of space, and Belgodere eventually found him at the top of the box. However, Caraballo scuffed his shot weakly right at Mrozek, causing no trouble for the goalkeeper.
Shortly after the chance, Wilding made his first substitution of the game. Judelson, who usually starts but was on the bench for this game, came on for Trombino.
OCB created a chance in the 63rd minute when Leao found Belgodere to his left. The midfielder had plenty of space and fired off a hard shot that forced Mrozek to block away.
Cincinnati quickly went the other way and found the equalizer. With Okonski backpedaling, Mosquera made a long run into the OCB box before shooting past the sliding center back. The attempt was just beyond the reach of Rojas and off the inside of the post to even the game at 1-1.
The Young Lions tried to retake the lead in the 70th minute when Haruna carried the ball into the Cincinnati third before sending it wide for Belgodere. The midfielder played it centrally for Caraballo, but Samson blocked the shot. OCB kept possession, creating another opportunity. Okonski played the ball to Caraballo in the middle and he quickly found Leao just inside the box. The striker’s second touch was a shot that Samson deflected, allowing Mrozek to make the easy stop.
Wilding made two more changes in the 72nd minute, replacing Amoo-Mensah and Haruna with Sandy and Hylton.
The Young Lions finally retook the lead in the 75th minute. Caraballo made a long run from his own third into the Cincinnati third before sending it wide for Belgodere. The left-sided midfielder cut inside to lose his defender and beat Mrozek to the far post to give OCB the 2-1 lead.
The hosts nearly found another equalizer in the 83rd minute when Charila was sent down the right. Archange was on him and defended him physically, but Charila refused to go down the defender tapped the ball off his foot. Unfortunately, the Young Lions were slow getting back and it went right to Jack Mize. Okonski deflected Mize’s shot just wide of the far post.
Wilding made his final two changes in the 84th minute as Nicolas Bobea Torres and Brady Kendall came on for Leao and Caraballo.
Cincinnati came close again in the 85th minute when Samson played a ball wide for Nathan Gray. The second-half substitute sent a dangerous ball into the six-yard box with Mosquera making a run. Fortunately, it was just beyond Mosquera’s reach and skipped wide of the far post.
In the 89th minute, Chance Malilo played a short pass for Leonardo Oreiarena, who wasn’t closed down and took a shot from distance. It was a strong strike and on target, but went right to Rojas, failing to cause the OCB goalkeeper any trouble.
The Young Lions were defending for their lives as the game entered five minutes of stoppage time. In the final minute, Reid-Brown lifted the ball to the top of the six-yard box for Torres. He was behind his defender but couldn’t get over the ball, putting it over the crossbar.
At full time, OCB had more shots (12-10), shots on target (6-5), and better passing accuracy (87.3%-84.2%). Both teams ended the game with five crosses and two corner kicks.
The victory ends OCB’s three-game winless streak, but since the last matches were draws, the Young Lions are now unbeaten in three. The win also pushes them up to third place in MLS NEXT Pro’s Eastern Conference, just one point behind Crown Legacy FC and Columbus Crew 2, though those teams have a game in hand. They’re also only three points ahead of Atlanta United 2 for seventh, so they need positive results in their upcoming games.
The Young Lions will end their three-game road trip on Saturday as they travel to Tennessee to take on Chattanooga FC.
Orlando City B
Orlando City B vs. Crown Legacy FC: Final Score 1-1 as OCB Draws And Loses Shootout For Second Consecutive Game
OCB drew 1-1 with Crown Legacy away from home before losing the penalty shootout.
Orlando City B (7-4-6, 30 points) drew 1-1 tonight with Crown Legacy FC (8-2-6, 34 points) at the Sportsplex at Matthews in North Carolina tonight. Nimfasha Berchimas gave the visitors the lead in the second half before Dylan Judelson equalized just minutes later. The hosts subsequently won the penalty shootout 4-2 to take the extra point.
OCB Head Coach Eddie Wilding made just one change from the team that drew 2-2 with Columbus Crew 2 on June 28 and lost 5-4 on penalties. Ignacio Gomez entered the lineup, replacing Matthew Belgodere, who started on the bench.
The back line in front of goalkeeper Juan Rojas included Bernardo Rhein, Clovis Archange, Titus Sandy, Jr., and Parker Amoo-Mensah. Judelson and Gomez were in the defensive midfield behind Harvey Sarajian, Issah Haruna, and Gustavo Caraballo with Pedro Leao up top.
This was a pretty even game throughout. Both teams squandered plenty of opportunities before Berchimas finally converted in the 66th minute. But that seemed to spark the Young Lions as Judelson equalized just three minutes later. The teams could see three points in their future and pushed for a late winner with neither finding the back of the net.
The hosts had the first chance of the game in the fourth minute when Sandy deflected Berchimas’ cross out of play. The ensuing set piece went short to Berchimas, but Rhein blocked his shot from the top corner of the box.
The Young Lions should have taken the lead in the seventh minute when Haruna and Amoo-Mensah worked together, resulting in the latter sending a low cross across the box. It went through multiple players before landing at Sarajian’s feet at the back post with no defenders near and a gaping net. However, the attacker’s first touch was wide of the post.
OCB nearly had a goal in the 14th minute when Judelson used a nice touch to lose his defender and create space. He sent Haruna into the attacking half with Sarajian and Leao making runs. It looked like Haruna waited too long and then played it too far in front of Leao. But the striker beat Crown Legacy goalkeeper Lazar Kalicanin to the ball, tapping it around him. He had an open goal but hit the outside of the post.
Brian Romero played a great ball behind the OCB back line in the 24th minute when Nathan Richmond made a run between Sandy and Rhein. The attacker was in on goal and sent the ball past Rojas, but it rolled wide of the far post. A minute later, Crown Legacy had a similar attack when Aron John sent Adrian Mendoza between Sandy and Archange. Rojas came out of his goal to cut down the angle, forcing Mendoza to send his shot wide.
OCB tried to play the ball out of the back in the 28th minute, but Daniel Longo blocked Archange’s pass and John collected it. The midfielder played it forward for Mendoza, who sent a low, hard shot that forced Rojas into a quality save.
In the 43rd minute, Gavin Smith played a good ball to the top of the six-yard box where Romero was making a run. Archange did well to get his foot on the ball, clearing it out of play for a throw-in. When the ball was put back in play, Romero received a pass at the top of the OCB box, playing it to Richmond toward the end line. The attacker found Mendoza at the top of the six with some space, but his shot was wide.
Crown Legacy ended the half with more shots (5-3), shots on target (1-0), and corner kicks (2-1). OCB had better passing accuracy (93.4%-91.8%) and both teams completed three crosses. While there were several clear chances on goal, neither team was able to convert.
The Young Lions were the more attacking team to start the second half, with Caraballo creating a pair of early chances. In the 48th minute, Gomez made a run into the opposing third before finding Caraballo at the top of the box. The attacker attempted to curl the ball toward goal, but Wyatt Holt deflected it out of play.
A minute later, Amoo-Mensah made his way to the right side of the field, receiving a pass forward from Rhein. The right back quickly played Caraballo into the Crown Legacy third and the attacker shot from a tight angle before reaching the end line. However, it didn’t cause any trouble for Kalicanin.
The Young Lions broke on a counterattack in the 55th minute when Haruna won the ball from Longo on the opposing side of the field. He played Leao forward and made a run, but Leao’s shot from distance was blocked, ending a promising attack.
The hosts had their first second-half chance in the 59th minute when Sarajian fouled Mendoza near the top of the OCB box. Mendoza took the free kick himself, going directly for goal. Fortunately, he couldn’t keep the free kick down and the shot went over the crossbar.
Holt won Rojas’ punt from just inside his own box in the 66th minute, resulting in a break for the hosts. Mendoza sent the ball out to his right before receiving it back near the top of the six-yard box. Archange blocked Mendoza’s shot, but it went right to Berchimas, who put it in to give Crown Legacy the 1-0 lead.
Immediately after the goal, Wilding made his first two changes, replacing Leao and Gomez with Justin Hylton and Belgodere.
The Young Lions didn’t wait to get back into the game, finding the equalizer shortly after the restart. In the 68th minute, Mikah Thomas blocked Caraballo’s cross out of play. Caraballo and Amoo-Mensah used some quick passing from the short corner to break through the defense, resulting in the latter finding Judelson near the penalty spot. The defensive midfielder finished well, evening the game at 1-1.
In the 75th minute, Longo was sent to the end line and tried to lift a cross into the six-yard box, but Archange blocked it out of play. Richmond’s ensuing set piece found substitute Michael Ayovi’s head. However, Rojas was there to make the catch.
Haruna was dispossessed in the 85th minute and the ball rolled toward Kalicanin. Sarajian attempted to beat Kalicanin to the ball and nearly did, but the goalkeeper got to it first. The clearance went to Gomez, who passed to Caraballo at the top of the box. The attacker tried to create some space but his shot was blocked.
Wilding made his third change and used his second window in the 88th minute, replacing Caraballo with Nicolas Bobea Torres.
Belgodere sent a pass to the top of the box in the 89th minute that bounced off Sarajian, Haruna, and a defender before slipping through. Belgodere continued his run and was in on goal, attempting to beat Kalicanin to the far post. However, the Crown Legacy goalkeeper got a piece of it, tipping it wide.
In the fifth minute of stoppage time, Bobea Torres received a pass from Hylton at the top of the box, dribbling inside to find space for a shot. However, his attempt was deflected into Kalicanin’s arms. The referee blew the final whistle before the goalkeeper released the ball, ending the game.
At full time, OCB had the edge in shots (13-11), shots on target (4-3), corner kicks (5-3), and passing accuracy (90.6%-90.5%). Crown Legacy had more crosses (4-3) and the game ended in a 1-1 draw.
Per MLS NEXT Pro rules, each team received a point for the draw and the game went to penalties to see which would earn an extra point.
Crown Legacy was the better team in penalties. Rojas guessed correctly on Erik Pena’s penalty, but the substitute put his attempt into the corner. Rhein then stepped up, stutter-stepping as he approached the ball, but Kalicanin was disciplined and dove to his left to make the stop. John, Sarajian, Sebastian Ventura, Hylton, and Ayovi then traded conversions before Judelson stepped up, needing to score. While he had a good strike in regulation, his penalty was taken poorly, providing an easy save by Kalicanin to win the shootout and take the extra point.
The draw sees OCB stay in sixth place, a point behind fourth and two behind third. However, the shootout point saw the Young Lions lose another point to Crown Legacy, so they’re now four points out of second and first in MLS NEXT Pro’s Eastern Conference.
The Young Lions will stay out on the road as they face FC Cincinnati 2 in Kentucky on July 12.
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