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Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Huntsville City FC: Final Score 2-1 as OCB Wins Second Straight

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3 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

KISSIMMEE — Orlando City B (2-0-0, 6 points) continued its hot start to the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro season by defeating Huntsville City FC (0-1-1, 2 points) 2-1 in the club’s home opener at Osceola County Stadium. Alex Freeman scored his first professional goals with a third-minute strike and a second just before halftime. Kemy Amiche pulled one back in the 62nd minute, but the Young Lions held on for the win.

OCB Head Coach Martin Perelman made three changes from the team that beat Philadelphia Union II last weekend. Freeman, Cristian Medina, and Jack Lynn entered the starting lineup in place of Zakaria Taifi, Alejandro Granados, and Moises Tablante. The Young Lions consisted of Javier Otero in goal behind a back line of Franco Perez, Nabi Kibunguchy, Abdi Salim, and Freeman. Juninho, Medina, Imanol Almaguer, Cristofer Acuna, and Jhon Solis were in the midfield with Lynn up top.

A week after scoring in the fourth minute in Philadelphia, the Young Lions got off to another fast start against Hunstville. In the third minute, Solis found Freeman to his right at the top of the box. The right back’s first shot was blocked by Joshua Drack, but it went right back to him. Carrying the ball towards the center of the field, he shot again. This time, it went past Huntsville goalkeeper Elliot Panicco and into the corner for his first professional goal, giving OCB another early 1-0 lead.

“First I saw my teammate, who made a through ball. I was trying to give it back to him and it bounced back to me,” Freeman said about his goal. “I saw the middle open, so I just cut in and shot on my left foot, which I rarely do for the right wing back, and it just went to the bottom corner.”

“We plan to be aggressive in the first sequences of the game, especially in the first minutes,” Perelman said about scoring inside the first five minutes in each of the team’s first two games. “We did it. We surprised them. I believe that we started with a higher level of activation than them to reach the goal in that moment. It’s something we train (for). It’s not something that we just found. We train for that, we train to score in the first minute of the game and we were able to do it.”

Following their opening goal last week in Philadelphia, the Young Lions stayed on the attack. Tonight, they conceded the majority of possession to Huntsville after taking the early lead.

“I feel like in the first game, they didn’t press as much maybe,” Freeman said about being put on the back foot. “In this game, we thought they weren’t going to press as much, but they pressed us high and it caused us to make quick decisions. Maybe we were nervous a little and it caused us to go long.”

The first shots by the visitors came in the seventh minute by Amiche and Nicky Law, but both were blocked. The first shot to get behind the back line was off the foot of Danny Griffin. However, Otero got down to make a good save and Salim cleared it out of play for a corner kick.

In the 11th minute, a set piece from the left of goal by former Lion Joey DeZart found the head of Sean Suber in the box. The defender was open, but the ball was too high for Suber to get over it and he sent his header well over the goal.

A good long ball by Griffin in the 16th minute found Jonathan Bolanos on the left side. The midfielder got a shot off, but Otero did well again to get down and make the stop.

The story of the first 20 minutes after the opening goal was OCB being unable to get the ball out of its own half. The defense was able to clear crosses from Bolanos out for corners, but any shots by Huntsville were only sent a short distance, allowing the opposition to recirculate and create another chance.

OCB almost had its second chance of the game in the 23rd minute when Almaguer won the ball off Huntsville on their side of the field. Quick passing through Lynn found Freeman, but the young defender lost the ball right back to the opposition, ending the second decent attack of the game.

In the 25th minute, Medina received the ball on the right and attempted a cross from the top right corner of the box. It was too far in front of Acuna on the far side, but nearly snuck inside the far post. Panicco ran over to it, but the ball went just wide.

Huntsville had a good chance in the 26th minute when Drack’s good long ball for Law was volleyed back across the front of the six-yard box. Fortunately, nobody in white was there and OCB was able to clear another dangerous situation.

After being outplayed for 40 minutes, the Young Lions doubled their lead and it was Freeman again. A great ball forward by Medina sent Freeman behind the Huntsville defense. He had Lynn making a run to his left and Panicco coming out, but decided to take it himself. Freeman put the ball just past the Huntsville goalkeeper and in for his second goal of the game.

“In practice, we always talk about me making a run into space because we talked about in practice that they had a high line. And it was just open,” Freeman said about his second goal. “I saw it, I checked in, I checked out, and then I had the space in behind and in my mind I’ll stick in first touch, make the goalie come on a little and then place in the bottom corner. That’s exactly what I did.”

“We were working with him the whole year last year,” Perelman said about Freeman’s brace. “We were looking for him to score and he finally found the goals.”

Huntsville had the final chance of the half in stoppage time when Bolanos tried his luck from outside the box. The low shot was right at Otero, who had no trouble with it, allowing OCB to get to halftime with a 2-0 lead.

Despite its two-goal deficit, Huntsville dominated the first half. The visitors had more possession (64%-36%), shots (11-3), shots on target (4-2), corners (4-0), crosses (13-2), and passing accuracy (82.6%-73.3%).

OCB made two changes at halftime as Favian Loyola and Thomas Williams came on for Salim and Acuna. Williams only lasted 10 minutes on the field, as he was replaced by Tahir Reid-Brown in the 55th minute.

Five minutes into the second half, Huntsville nearly got a goal back. A Perez foul on Bolanos near the top right corner of the box, gave the visitors a free kick. The set piece by Amiche found the head of Laurence Wyke at the top of the six-yard box. The header was off the crossbar and cleared out of play by Medina for a Huntsville corner.

The visitors had another good chance in the 57th minute with a strong cross across the six-yard box. However, Otero did well to dive off his line and catch it before it could reach the back post.

Huntsville finally got a goal back in the 62nd minute when a good diagonal ball for Law was quickly sent across the box. Amiche was making a back-post run and redirected a beautiful volley into the back of the net, cutting the OCB lead in half.

The Young Lions looked to have a good chance a minute later when Loyola made a long run down the middle of the field with teammates on either side of him. Rather than playing someone through, the Homegrown product decided to take it himself, shooting from the top of the box. But he didn’t hit it well at all, sending it well wide of the target.

On the other end, Bolanos found Oliver Wright on the left side. The midfielder was looking for the far post and his shot didn’t miss by much as it skipped just wide.

OCB had a good chance in the 70th minute when second-half substitute Taifi got behind the back line. His shot forced Panicco into a good save, but it popped right out in front of goal. The second attempt was sent well wide, ending the threat.

Perez went down in the 75th minute and required attention from the OCB medical staff. Per MLS NEXT Pro rules, he had to leave the field for three minutes. Huntsville City Head Coach Jack Collison urged his team to push forward while up a man, and they nearly converted in the 78th minute.

Bolanos attempted to cross the ball, but it was cleared. However, it wasn’t sent far enough, and Law ended up with it. He found enough room for a shot and took a chance on goal, but it was blocked. That was the only chance the visitors were able to create before Perez was able to rejoin the action.

Back to full strength, OCB created an opportunity in the 83rd minute when Juninho found Almaguer near the top of the box. The midfielder attempted a long-distance shot but sent it high and to the right of the target.

Three minutes into second-half stoppage time, Solis won the ball from Wyke, but the Huntsville attacker went down. While Solis tried to push the other way, referee Alyssa Nichols called a foul on Solis. OCB and its fans vocally disapproved of the call, but Huntsville had a free kick. The ensuing set piece found a head in the box, but was sent over the crossbar, allowing the Young Lions to clear.

Huntsville had one last chance in the dying seconds of the game. Wyke challenged Otero for the ball, resulting in the OCB goalkeeper going down. A foul was called on Wyke, allowing OCB to clear. That was the final action of the game as the Young Lions held on for a 2-1 win.

Huntsville dominated most aspects of the game, ending with more possession (62.2%-37.8%), shots (18-7), shots on goal (5-4), corners (5-1), crosses (25-4), duels won (55-50), and passing accuracy (82.7%-75.9%).

“As with the first half, we always want to play with the ball. This is our plan A,” Perelman said about holding onto the one-goal lead. “But if the game asks us to defend, we can do that. We’re prepared for that. And the team defended really properly in the first half and in the second half. If you think about the situations, especially in the first half, they didn’t have anyone. They had the ball, but we had control of the game. I like our team because it’s a pragmatic team, it’s a mature team, and this is just the beginning.”

The back-to-back wins to start the season represents the best start in OCB history, topping the team’s four-point start to the 2022 MLS NEXT Pro season.

The Young Lions will be back in action next Sunday when they welcome inter Miami II to Osceola County Stadium.

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Orlando City B

Orlando City B Off to Strong Start to 2026 Season

The Young Lions are getting results early in the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro campaign.

Published

3 weeks ago

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March 26, 2026

By

Image of the OCB squad before the team's game March 8, 2026 vs. Chicago Fire II.
Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Justin Glatt

I think it is important that I open with an apology, because a week ago I wrote about how Orlando City needed to improve its league-worst defense, and then the Lions went to Nashville and somehow were unable to improve upon a 3.00 goals-against average. After the 5-0 shellacking in Tennessee Orlando City’s goals-against average now sits at 3.40, with 17 goals allowed through five games. That is somehow not the worst five-game run during any individual season in club history, as the 2018 Lions matched the year by allowing 18 goals during a five-game stretch during their nine-game losing streak (those were fun times), but allowing 17 goals in a five-game stretch is the kind of start to a season that makes a (drinking-age) fan want to pour themselves a stiff drink.

Or the whole bottle.

Speaking of drinking, if you have not been watching Orlando City B this year, you have been missing out on some epic “drunk OCB” matches, including the most recent game on Sunday (a 4-4 Junior Tropic Thunder match against Inter Miami II) about which our The Mane Land PawedCast host Michael Citro said that “there has never been a drunker OCB game than this (one).” Drunk games, in this context, just means matches where crazy things happen with no rhyme or reason, and you never know what is going to happen next.

The Young Lions are off to a start full of both drunk games and positive results, as unlike the senior team, they have earned more points than games played and have an offense that looks like it is among the best in the league.

Metric*MLS NEXT Pro Avg.OCBMLS NEXT Pro Rank
Points Earned1.52.0T-6
Shots13.519.81
Shots on Target5.28.81
Big Chances Created2.44.51
Goals1.72.55

*All metrics are on a per-game basis

Part of the reason these games might be so “drunk” is that OCB is both scoring and allowing 2.5 goals per game, so the Young Lions and their opponents are taking shots all game long, creating the possibilities for wild comebacks and last-gasp goals. The main reason though is that OCB’s offense is stacked, with five top quality players to fill the attacking spots at the top of its standard 4-2-3-1 lineup.

OCB has generally gone with Gustavo Caraballo, Harvey Sarajian, and Yutaro Tsukada out on the wings, Justin Ellis as the center attacking midfielder and Pedro Leão as striker, though Leão did not play in one game and Logan Tsopanoglou got the start in his absence. Tsukada has been above average when he played, but the standouts have been Caraballo, Ellis, Leão, and Sarajian.

MetricCaraballoEllisLeão Sarajian
Current Age17181921
Goal Contributions (G+A)4525
Key Passes812511
FotMob Rating (out of 10)7.648.017.448.33
Goal Contributions Rank85285
Key Passes Rank142513
FotMob Rating Rank3914714

The counting numbers in the table are a little misleading for Leão, as he has played one fewer game than the others, and Caraballo, who despite appearing in all four OCB games, has played fewer minutes than the other three. However, even with fewer minutes played, both Caraballo and Leão are already contributing to OCB’s excellent offense, especially Caraballo, whose goal contributions per 90 minutes ranks fifth, while Ellis and Sarajian rank 15th and 16th, respectively.

The current age of each player is also noted in the table above, and Caraballo, Ellis, and Leão are all younger than 20.9, which is the average age of the top 25 players in MLS NEXT Pro FotMob ratings through four games. According to transfermarkt.com, OCB has used the fifth-youngest set of players through the first four games, and with young players always come ups and downs and the propensity for games to bounce around all over the place like a ball on a roulette wheel, like in the comebacks from multiple goals down against Carolina Core and Inter Miami II.

Those backs and forths are what our The Mane Land team refers to as the “drunk OCB” games, and when you combine the crazy types of games with players of precocious skill and potential, the games are definitely worth watching. The senior Lions are inevitably going to start playing better, but for now the best men’s team to watch in Orlando is OCB. Just like Orlando City, OCB is off this weekend, but several current and former Young Lions will be with their youth national teams during the international break — another sign of the solid pipeline of talent that is ready to flow into the first team.

Tahir Reid-Brown and Colin Guske have already played more than 140 minutes for Orlando City this season, and Zakaria Taifi (64), Tsukada (18), and Leão (6) also have all seen the field. The senior team’s bench is generally made up of at least three or four players who primarily play with OCB, and even with the acquisition of Antoine Griezmann crowding the list of attacking players, Caraballo and Ellis will likely play some minutes with the first team this season.

Go ahead and (Makers) mark your calendars for OCB’s next game on April 11 and prepare to settle in for a happy hour and a half of soccer that may not be of the same top shelf quality as an MLS game but never fails to entertain.

Vamos Orlando…City B!

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Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Inter Miami II: Final Score 4-4 (4-2) as OCB Completes Improbable Comeback

OCB came back from a three-goal deficit to draw Inter Miami II at Inter&Co Stadium, then took the extra point in the shootout.

Published

4 weeks ago

on

March 22, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Justin Glatt

Orlando City B (2-1-1, 8 points) played to an enthralling draw tonight against Inter Miami II (0-2-2, 2 points) at Inter&Co Stadium. The visitors took a commanding 2-0 lead inside five minutes and had a 4-1 lead shortly after halftime. But OCB came storming back to even the game 4-4 in stoppage time. The Young Lions then won the penalty shootout to claim the extra point.

OCB interim coach Julian Vergara made four changes from the team that defeated Carolina Core 3-2 on March 14. Tristan Himes, Tahir Reid-Brown, Yutaro Tsukada, and Pedro Leao returned from the first team, replacing Juan Rojas, Nicholas Lasheras, Gustavo Caraballo, and Logan Tsopanoglou.

The back line in front of Himes in goal was Bernardo Rhein, Reid-Brown, Titus Sandy, Jr., and Jaylen Yearwood. Dylan Judelson and Dominik Baczewski were in the defensive midfield behind Tsukada, Justin Ellis, and Harvey Sarajian with Leao up top.

This was a game of missed opportunities for OCB. Both teams had several bad giveaways, but Miami was able to turn those into goals. Meanwhile, OCB struggled to find the back of the net. The Young Lions put themselves in a three-goal hole before they came storming back to tie it up, but they’ll wonder what could’ve been if they’d converted some of the golden opportunities in the both halves, including three shots with the goalkeeper out of the net that didn’t go in.

The visitors struck early when a heavy touch by Yearwood on a Miami throw-in allowed Naej Desravins to reach it first. The midfielder played it wide for Preston Plambeck, who guided the ball around Himes and inside the far post to give Miami an early 1-0 lead.

It didn’t take long for the team in pink to double its advantage and it came from an OCB attack. In the fifth minute, Sarajian outran the Miami defense to reach a long Judelson pass. After a brief hesitation, his shot was too close to Max Ponikarovsky, who made the save with his left hand.

Miami immediately broke the other way with Plambeck sending a long ball forward for Idoh Zeltzer-Zubida. Reid-Brown got in front of the attacker, but Zeltzer-Zubida created enough space for a shot. The midfielder sent a curling ball over Himes and inside the far post to make 2-0 just five minutes into the game.

The Young Lions finally got their second shot of the game in the 16th minute when Tsukada made a run down the left and sent a cross to the near post for Leao. The Brazilian beat his defender to it and flicked the ball on target, but Ponikarovsky was there to catch it.

On the other end, the Herons felt they should’ve had a penalty when Theo Vorenkamp found Diego Rey in the OCB box. Himes came out to collect but missed the ball. Rey went down with contact and threw his arms up, appealing for a penalty. However, referee Aleja Calume decided it wasn’t enough to point to the spot.

The Young Lions nearly took advantage of a Miami mistake in the 23rd minute when Leao intercepted a poor pass from Desravins to Samuel Basabe. The striker used his body to shield Basabe and get into the box, but Ponikarovsky came off his line to take the ball off of Leao’s foot, ensuring he couldn’t get a shot off.

In the 34th minute, Tsukada had the ball taken off him but the heavy touch went right to Rhein. The left back quickly played it to Leao at the top of the box and, after controlling it, the forward put a shot on target. Unfortunately, it was a weak attempt that caused no trouble for Ponikarovsky.

As Miami attempted to play the ball out of the back, OCB took possession of a poor pass. Ellis played the ball wide left for Tsukada, who found Leao making a run into the box. The Brazilian tried to guide the ball inside the far post but put it wide.

A minute later, Miami again failed to play the ball out of the back, giving it away to Judelson. The midfielder quickly sent it forward for Ellis, who found Leao entering the box. The Brazilian’s first touch was past Ponikarovsky, cutting the deficit in half.

Unfortunately, it didn’t last long. In the 38th minute, Sandy played an inaccurate long ball by Miami back to Himes. The goalkeeper sent a short pass to Reid-Brown on his left, but the defender misplayed it, allowing Alejandro Flores to take possession. He played the ball across the box where Rey flicked it on for Plambeck. The forward put it in to make it 3-1.

In the 42nd minute, Rhein received a long switch on the left. He sent a beautiful ball to the top of the six that fell to Leao, who was looking for a brace. The Brazilian redirected it on target but sent it right to Ponikarovsky. Two minutes later, Rhein had a similar chance for himself. Ellis backheeled the ball to Sarajian on the left and the midfielder sent a cross to the penalty spot, where Rhein was making a run. The young defender’s first touch was a shot that went right into Ponikarovsky’s arms.

In the 44th minute, Judelson sent a long ball left for Sarajian. Ponikarovsky came off his line to clear the ball, but his defender got to it first. Trying to play it out for a throw-in, he knocked the ball off Sarajian. The ball went to Leao with the goalkeeper getting there first. But he couldn’t control it and Ellis took possession. With the goalkeeper out of the play, Ellis shot. Unfortunately, Tyler Hall got in front of the goal to block it. Ellis then beat his defender for another chance, but he again sent it right at Hall, who kept it out of the net.

OCB created more chances than Miami in the first 45 minutes, ending the half with more shots (9-6), shots on target (7-3), and corner kicks (3-1). But Miami had better passing accuracy (82.2%-74.9%). The difference between the teams was that Miami made the Young Lions pay for their mistakes in the back and OCB struggled to do so.

Miami was forced into an unusual substitution at halftime. Ponikarovsky was taken off in a concussion change, replaced in goal by Alex Padilla.

OCB started the second half the way it ended the first half, giving the ball away in its own end. A weak pass by Reid-Brown was taken by Rey, who fired on target. Himes was there to make the stop.

In the 49th minute, Miami scored a fourth when Zeltzer-Zubida took possession of the ball near midfield. The attacker made a long run down the right, getting behind the OCB back line and playing the ball past Himes to make it 4-1.

Judelson took a strong shot in the 53rd minute that forced Padilla to tip it over the crossbar. The ensuing corner was headed out, but Sarajian was there to take possession. The midfielder made a nice move to the end line and played a good ball in front of goal, where Ellis was behind the back line to tap it in and make it a 4-2 game.

Tsukada tried to get another one back in the 53rd minute when he dribbled across the top of the Miami box and fired an off-balance shot after some contact. It wasn’t clear if the attempt was on target, but Padilla dove to collect it anyway. That was Tsukada’s final touch as Vergara made his first two changes in the 57th minute, replacing Tsukada and Yearwood with Parker Amoo-Mensah and Caraballo.

Play restarted with a free kick for OCB that Caraballo played short to Ellis. After taking a couple of touches forward, Ellis fired a shot that was caught by Padilla.

In the 60th minute, Caraballo put a strong shot towards goal that Padilla palmed away. A poor clearance allowed OCB to keep possession in the Miami half, which ended up with Sarajian on the left. He played it to Rhein, who made an overlapping run before sending Ellis into the six-yard box. There was a collision before the ball went wide and a foul was called on Ellis.

OCB got back into the game in the 68th minute with some quick passing at the top of the Miami box. Rhein, Leao, and Ellis combined to get the ball to Carabllo who did well to finish past Padilla, cutting the deficit to 4-3.

In the 79th minute, OCB failed to clear the ball, enabling Miami to take possession in the box. It ended up with Alejo Ristano, who looked like he would give Miami another two-goal lead, but Himes did well to come off his line and block the attempt.

On the other end, Caraballo was fouled by Mario Stoka, giving OCB a free kick in the opposing third. The teenager went for goal on his own, sending his shot just wide of the near post.

The Young Lions won the ball back on the goal kick, allowing Rhein to send Sarajian behind the Miami back line. He dribbled around Padilla and fired on the empty net, but his shot hit the near post.

In the 84th minute, Rey was sent through and it looked like he would have a free shot on goal. However, Sandy got in front of the shot to deflect it wide. OCB cleared the ensuing corner kick, keeping the deficit at one.

The game turned even more in the 87th minute when Padilla went off injured. Having already replaced their starting goalkeeper at halftime, the Herons put the gloves on defender Ristano. Additionally, since they had already used all three substitutions windows, the visitors would end the game with 10 men.

Vergara used his second window and third substitution in the 90th minute as OCB searched for an equalizer. Caleb Trombino, who scored the late equalizer against Carolina, replaced Judelson.

Giving the Young Lions even more motivation, the fourth official showed 13 minutes of stoppage time.

In the first minute, Ellis dribbled across the top of the Miami box before firing on goal. However, a defender got in front before it reached Ristano, deflecting it wide.

The ensuing corner went to the far side of the box where Rhein took possession. The left back fired at the near post, but Ristano blocked it wide for his first save.

Caraballo took the second corner kick and it was one to remember. The midfielder curled his set piece delivery over the outstretched arms of Ristano and inside the far post for an Olimpico, completing the comeback and tying the game at 4-4.

Playing against 10 men and an outfield player in goal, OCB continued to push for a late winner. The Young Lions thought they might have taken the lead in the sixth minute of stoppage time when Rhein sent Belgodere down the left. Caraballo was wide open to tap the ball in, but Belgodere was judged to be offside on the initial ball forward.

Ristano was forced into his second save in the seventh minute when Rhein found Ellis in the box. The attacker sent the ball wide for Belgodere, who gave it right back. Ellis spun and fired, but Ristano blocked it wide with his leg, keeping the game tied. Caraballo took the ensuing corner kick and attempted another Olimpico, but this one hit the outside netting behind the near post.

Despite being down a man, Miami had a chance for a winner in the 10th minute of stoppage time when Zeltzer-Zubida sent a long pass to Plambeck on the left side. Creating space for a shot and looking for a hat trick, Plambeck fired for the near post, forcing Himes to block it away.

A minute later, OCB had a chance when Ellis dipped his shoulder to turn on his defender before sending Sarajian into the Miami box. As the defense closed in on him, the attacker found Belgodere open to his left. The teenager’s first touch was a shot, but Rondell White got in front just in time to block the attempt.

Vergara made his final substitution in the 12th minute of stoppage time, replacing Sandy with Lasheras.

Shortly after, the final whistle blew. At full time, OCB had more shots (27-14), shots on target (17-7), and corner kicks (9-7). Miami had slightly better passing accuracy (79%-78.7%) and both teams recorded seven crosses.

Per MLS NEXT Pro rules, each team earned a point and the game went to penalties to see who would get a second.

Rey and Caraballo began the penalties with excellent finishes. After Basabe sent Himes the wrong way, Ristano nearly saved Ellis’ attempt. He got in front of the shot, but the ball slipped under him and in.

That was what OCB needed, because Himes saved Zeltzer-Zubida’s panenka and, after Sarajian made it 3-2, Joseph Convers sent his attempt over the crossbar.

Amoo-Mensah stepped up and placed his penalty well to secure the second point for the Young Lions.

This game can be considered a point lost or two points gained. OCB created more chances than Miami and could’ve come away with all three points had it converted one more. However, being down 4-1 early in the second half, the Young Lions came all the way back to pull out the draw.

In the end, while both teams will probably feel as though they should’ve come away with all three points, they’ll both be pleased to get something from the contest.

The two points moves OCB into sixth in MLS NEXT Pro’s Eastern Conference with eight points from four games. They’re tied on points with New York Red Bulls II for third, two points behind New England Revolution II for second, and four points behind the league-leading Crown Legacy FC.

The Young Lions now have an extended break as they return to the field on April 11 against Chattanooga FC in Tennessee.

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Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Chicago Fire FC II: Final Score 2-1 as Young Lions Pick Up First Win of the Season

OCB claims its first points of the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro campaign with a 2-1 win over Chicago Fire FC II.

Published

1 month ago

on

March 8, 2026

By

Image of Pedro Leao taking a shot against Chicago Fire II.
Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Justin Glatt

Orlando City B (1-1-0, 3 points) secured its first win of the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro season tonight, defeating Chicago Fire FC II (0-1-1, 2 points) 2-1 at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee. Pedro Leao gave the Young Lions the lead in the 39th minute before a failed clearance allowed Jack Sandmeyer to equalize just before halftime. Justin Ellis’ rocket in the 72nd minute restored OCB’s lead and proved to be the winner.

There were four changes to the OCB team that lost 3-1 to Huntsville City FC Monday night. Javier Otero had to play Saturday for the first team after Maxime Creapeau was sent off. As a result, Tristan Himes got his first start of the season in goal. Additionally, Dylan Judelson, Jaylen Yearwood, and Yutaro Tsukada got their first starts in place of Caleb Trombino, Issah Haruna, and Gustavo Caraballo.

The back line in front of Himes was Bernardo Rhein, Titus Sandy, Jr., Zakaria Taifi, and Yearwood. Judelson and Nicolas Lasheras were the defensive midfielders behind Tsukada, Ellis, and Harvey Sarajian with Leao up top.

This was a game of missed chances for both teams. Each could have had a goal in the first half but was able to convert before halftime. However, they’ll feel they should’ve come away with more as both squads missed some big chances. Add in some quality saves by Himes and Owen Pratt and the 2-1 scoreline doesn’t tell the story of the game.

The Young Lions created the first attempt in the fifth minute when Leao was sent behind the back line. Pratt came out to cut down the striker’s angle, but he got a shot off with the keeper out of position and the net wide open. Unfortunately, it was too weak and the Fire were able to clear.

A minute later, OCB nearly got a second attempt at goal when Ellis used some nifty footwork to create space and send Leao through. However, this one was a little too far in front of the striker and Pratt was able to cover.

The first attempt for the visitors came in the eighth minute when Vitaly Hlyut took a shot from just outside the box. Taifi got in front of the attempt, deflecting it over the crossbar. Chicago couldn’t do anything on the ensuing corner kick, allowing OCB to end the threat.

Damian Nigg attempted a similar play in the 11th minute when he took a shot from just outside the box. Taifi got in front again, but this one was blocked out instead of deflected over the goal.

The Young Lions might have gotten a little lucky in the 18th minute when Trip Fleming was sent though before being taken down by Sandy. He was definitely behind Sandy and probably behind the rest of the back line, but referee Gerald Flores only gave a yellow card despite protests by the Chicago players and staff.

Himes made an easy catch on the ensuing set piece and OCB escaped with nothing more than a caution.

Chicago nearly took the lead in the 24th minute when Nigg made a run into the box and Yearwood blocked his cross out of play. Nigg’s ensuing corner kick was headed on goal by Sandmeyer. Lasheras mishit the clearance and nearly scored an own goal, but Himes was able to knock it off the line.

On the other end, OCB nearly scored when a Yearwood cross was mishit by Josue Pfrommer, forcing Pratt into a save. The block went right to Leao, who put it back on target, but Pratt blocked it out of play. The Young Lions couldn’t create anything from the corner kick and the game remained scoreless.

Chicago had achance to open the scoring in the 34th minute when Hlyut found Nigg with space on the left side of the OCB box. The attacker’s second touch was a shot that hit the outside of the net.

The Young Lions finally broke the deadlock in the 39th minute when Sarajian did well to shield his defender and make a long run down the right. The rookie found Leao near the top of the six-yard box, and the Brazilian guided the ball past Pratt to give his team a 1-0 lead.

In the 45th minute, Nagle used a dummy move to beat Tsukada before finding Robert Turdean. The midfielder’s first touch was to Fleming, whose shot was deflected out of play by Taifi.

Lasheras headed the ensuing corner kick over the end line, giving Chicago a second set piece. This one was chested towards goal by David Poreba. Lasheras and Himes were there and it appeared to be an easy clearance, but they were unable to do so, allowing Sandmeyer to knock in the equalizing goal in first-half stoppage time.

OCB nearly retook the lead in the fourth minute of stoppage time when Taifi played Leao forward and the striker’s first touch sent Yearwood down the right. The right back sent the ball back centrally for Leao, making a trailing run. He couldn’t get much on it, but the ball rolled to Tsukada right behind. The midfielder attempted to guide the ball inside the far post, and it appeared to be on target, but Pfrommer got there just in time to clear it away.

The final chance of the first half came in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Taifi fouled Charles Nagle, earning a yellow card and giving Chicago a free kick near the top of the OCB box. The set piece by Nigg was headed out, but only to Hlyut, who fired on goal. While Judelson got in front to block it, Chicago kept possession. It was sent down the right side of the box to Turdean, who found Hugo Berg. Fortunately, his first-touch shot was wide of the far post.

The halftime whistle blew immediately after the miss and the game went into the break at 1-1. After 45 minutes, Chicago had the edge in shots (12-6) and shots on target (2-1). While both teams had four corner kicks and two crosses, OCB had better passing accuracy (85.4%-81.9%).

OCB had the first chance of the second half and it came inside the first minute. Sarajian took possession near the top right corner of the Chicago box, laying it off for Judelson. The Canadian youth international’s first touch was a shot that forced Pratt into a good save.

In the 55th minute, Poreba sent the ball forward and continued his run, allowing him to receive it back. The attacker had space to shoot, but Taifi got in front to block it out of play. OCB cleared the ensuing corner kick and the game remained tied. Two minutes later, Poreba had another chance, this time from outside the box. It was well struck, forcing Himes to tip the ball over the crossbar. The corner kick was too close to the OCB shot stopper, who collected it.

Tsukada created a good chance in the 60th minute, finding space from Oscar Pineda and sending a hard shot toward the far post. It was on target, but Pratt did well to dive to his right and make the one-handed stop.

Just a minute later, Tsukada went down and required attention from the OCB training staff. Head Coach Manuel Goldberg took the opportunity to make his first two changes. Caraballo and Dominik Baczewski came into the game for Tsukada and Lasheras.

Shortly after the substitutions, OCB nearly retook the lead when Yearwood’s low cross was blocked to the top of the box. Baczewski took possession and played it square for Caraballo. The teenager’s shot was on target but caught by Pratt.

The visitors had a great chance in the 65th minute when a long ball was taken down well, and Dean Boltz was sent behind the back line. Himes came off his line to cut down the angle as Boltz sent his shot under the right arm and toward the far post. Fortunately, it hit the woodwork and stayed out. Boltz was sent over the top in the 69th minute as the ball glanced off Sandy’s head and in behind the back line. The attacker was in on goal as Himes came off his line and the goalkeeper did well to block the shot.

Goldberg made his third change of the game in the 71st minute, replacing Yearwood with Parker Amoo-Mensah.

A minute later, the Young Lions retook the lead. Rhein sent Ellis into the box on the left, and the attacker did well to create enough space for a shot. There wasn’t much Pratt could do about it as Ellis sent a rocket inside the far post to give his team a 2-1 lead with less than 20 minutes to play.

OCB’s high press forced a turnover in the 75th minute and it nearly turned into a third goal. Leao took possession and backheeled the ball to Baczewski, who found Ellis in the box. It looked like Ellis had enough space for a shot, but he backheeled it to Judelson instead, and the midfielder’s shot was blocked by Fleming. The Young Lions had another chance six minutes later when Tidiane Diawara fouled Amoo-Mensah in the Chicago third of the field. Caraballo took the set piece, playing it short to Ellis. The attacker shot from distance, looking for his second goal, but he sent the low shot right to Pratt.

On the other end, Chicago created a chance when Poreba played a pass to Boltz between two defenders. The substitute fired from the top of the box, but he sent the attempt wide.

In the 84th minute, Ellis found Leao with space in the box. The striker’s second touch was a shot that rolled wide of the far post. That was the last attack for both goal scorers as they were replaced in the 86th minute by Landon Okonski and Logan Tsopanoglou.

OCB had a good opportunity in the first minute of stoppage time when Sandmeyer took Sarajian down near the top corner of the Chicago box. Caraballo took the set piece, sending it right to Pratt.

Despite chasing the game, Chicago was unable to create anything in the OCB third of the field. The only chance for either team in the dying minutes was a free kick that Caraballo sent straight to Pratt from distance.

At full time, Chicago had the advantage in shots (19-16), corner kicks (7-6), and crosses (6-4). But OCB put more attempts on target (7-6) and had better passing accuracy (82.5%-80.8%).

The win gives OCB its first three points of the season as the club’s reserve side split the two-game homestand to open the year.

The Young Lions will now head out on the road as they face Carolina Core FC Saturday afternoon.

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