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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 vs. Chattanooga FC: Final Score 5-2 as OCB Dominates Second Half

OCB netted four second-half goals to defeat Chattanooga FC for its second-straight win.

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1 day ago

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May 31, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B

Orlando City B (5-3-4, 22 points) won its second-straight game tonight, defeating Chattanooga FC (6-5-1, 19 points) 5-2 at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee. Ignacio Gomez gave the hosts the lead before goals by Alexander Krehl and Luke Husakiwsky made it 2-1 Chattanooga at halftime. But the Young Lions dominated the second half with goals by Harvey Sarajian and Justin Hylton and a brace by Pedro Leao, sealing all three points.

OCB Head Coach Eddie Wilding made four changes to the team that gave Inter Miami II a 4-1 beatdown on May 24. Parker Amoo-Mensah, Titus Sandy, Jr., Albright Chikamso, and Hylton entered the lineup for Zakaria Taifi, Nolan Miller, Clovis Archange, and Tahir Reid-Brown.

The back line in front of goalkeeper Tristan Himes included Rhein, Chikamso, Sandy, and Amoo-Mensah. Colin Guske and Gomez were the defensive midfielders behind Sarajian, Hylton, and Issah Haruna with Leao up top.

This was the back-and-forth type of game that OCB has become known for. The Young Lions got off to a great start, creating early chances and taking the lead in the sixth minute. They nearly had a second in the 21st minute, but lost control of the game after that. Chattanooga was the better team in the final 25 minutes of the first half, taking a 2-1 lead into the break.

The Young Lions came out strong in the second half, putting a stranglehold on the contest. They broke quick and often, putting Chattanooga under immense pressure. It resulted in a dominant half that saw them outscore the visitors 4-0.

OCB employed a high press from the start, which created the first opportunity at goal in the third minute. Receiving a pass back from Damien Barker John in his own third, Husakiwsky played it straight to Leao. The striker took a couple of touches into the Chattanooga box before sending a curling shot over the crossbar.

The Young Lions’ second chance came in the sixth minute and resulted in the game’s first goal. Gomez carried the ball into the Chattanooga third of the field before playing a give-and-go with Hylton. As Gomez neared the end line, it looked like he would cross it into the six. However, he curled the ball around Griffin Huff and inside the far post to give the hosts the early 1-0 lead.

Chattanooga earned its first chance of the game in the 10th minute when a long throw-in by Anton Sorenson was flicked on for Barker John behind. The midfielder’s first touch was a shot on goal, but it was right at Himes.

OCB nearly doubled its advantage in the 21st minute when Amoo-Mensah’s cross for Leao was headed over the end line by Mattias Hanchard. The Young Lions played the ensuing set piece short, ending up with Haruna. The midfielder fired from distance, rattling the crossbar. The ball ended up with Guske on the left and the Homegrown Player sent a cross into the box for a charging Sandy. The center back got a head to the ball, sending his attempt just over the target.

Two minutes later, Guske sent a ball forward for Amoo-Mensah making an overlapping run on the right. The right back sent a low shot towards the far post that Huff tipped wide of the target. The Chattanooga goalkeeper caught the ensuing set piece delivery, ending the threat.

Another long throw-in by Chattanooga in the 28th minute was flicked on to Krehl, who couldn’t get much on the header, allowing Himes to collect. OCB tried to play it out of the back as Himes rolled the ball out to Sandy, who played it right back to his goalkeeper. 

Himes tried to pass to Rhein at the top left corner of the box, but he sent his pass right to Barker John. As the OCB goalkeeper came out, Barker John lifted the ball for Yuval Cohen. The attacker tried to guide the ball in but couldn’t connect. It went to Sandy, whose weak clearance found Krehl’s foot. The forward tucked it away to even the game at 1-1.

The Young Lions gave the ball away in their own end in the 32nd minute when Guske’s touch went right to a Chattanooga player. The ball ended up with Daniel Mangarov on the counter and the attacker’s shot to the far post was just wide.

A minute later, Tate Robertson sent a dangerous cross toward the near post where Krehl was making a run. The forward volleyed the ball toward goal — looking for a quick brace — but the redirection bounced wide.

Long throw-ins by Chattanooga were a thorn in OCB’s side in the first half and it came back to haunt the team again in the 38th minute. Chikamso headed away a flick-on, but the clearance fell right to Husakiwsky. The attacker volleyed the ball past Himes and in to give the visitors a 2-1 lead.

Down a goal, the Young Lions tried to get back on even terms with a pair of chances as the game neared halftime. In the 41st minute, Guske got on the end of a corner kick, but his volley was off target. Chattanooga immediately went the other way and Barker John went down, appealing for a penalty. Referee Erik Lezama Pavon waved play on and OCB went on the counterattack. Sarajian laid the ball back for Gomez near midfield, who sent it forward for Leao. The OCB striker fired from just outside the box, sending his shot wide.

A long punt by Huff out of the back in the 44th minute gave Chattanooga a chance when Sandy mishit the clearance. Barker John took possession and played it square for Krehl at the top of the box. The forward played it back to Barker John, who spotted Cohen behind Rhein on the right side of the OCB box. The forward’s first touch was a near-post shot that hit the outside of the net.

The final chance of the half came in the first minute of stoppage time. OCB broke on a four-on four counterattack with Leao playing Sarajian down the left. Sarajian played it back for Leao, and it looked like the striker would guide it into the net. However, Nathan Koehler slid in front of the attempt, blocking the shot with his back.

OCB got the second half off to a flying start, evening the game in the 48th minute. Receiving a pass from Gomez, Rhein used a nifty touch to get by his defender and sent a quality ball into the six. It looked like a defender or Huff would clear it, but it slipped through for Leao, who touched it in to even the game at 2-2.

The Young Lions stayed on the attack, creating another chance in the 50th minute. Gomez danced through the Chattanooga defense before losing control at the top of the box. The ball went through the defender to Hylton, whose first touch was a shot wide of the near post.

OCB’s high press created problems for Chattanooga as the visitors tried to play the ball out of the back. Koehler lost the ball to Haruna, and the midfielder quickly sent a pass forward for Leao, whose shot was blocked away by Huff. Koehler tried to clear the ball, but it was a poor attempt, going right to Sarajian. The rookie volleyed the ball past Huff to give his team the 3-2 lead.

In the 54th minute, Haruna made a strong run into the Chattanooga third of the field. The midfielder had Gomez making an overlapping run but cut inside to shoot himself. The attacker fired — looking for his second long-distance goal of the night — but sent the attempt right to Huff.

A Gomez foul in the 56th minute gave Chattanooga a free kick that provided an opportunity for another equalizer. Himes punched away the set piece by Mangarov over a group of players. It went to Barker John, who forced Himes into a quick reaction save, diving to make the stop. The block went to Cohen on the far side, whose shot was blocked by Leao. Rhein headed away the ensuing free kick to the near post.

OCB quickly went on the counterattack as Guske tapped the ball forward. Huff blocked a shot by Leao from the top of the box, but it went right to Haruna. The midfielder attempted to dribble around Huff, allowing the goalkeeper to knock it off his foot. The Young Lions maintained possession, with Guske sending a cross to the far post, where Hylton was making a run. The teenager volleyed the ball past Huff and inside the far post to give the hosts a 4-2 lead.

Both teams made three changes immediately after the goal. Wilding replaced Haruna, Guske, and Sandy with Nicolas Bobea Torres, Jacob Ramirez, and Landon Okonski.

Now chasing the game, Chattanooga went on the offensive. In the 66th minute, Cohen lifted the ball into the box. Amoo-Mensah attempted to head it away but sent it to Anthony Garcia at the top of the 18. Despite a deflection, Himes was able to collect the second-half substitute’s shot.

Leao sent a good ball forward for Bobea Torres in the 69th minute and the substitute quickly played the ball central for Hylton. The goal scorer initially lost possession before shooting. Huff came off of his line to cut down Hylton’s angle, blocking the attempt with his legs.

Ramirez’s ensuing corner kick found Okonski’s head, but the center back’s redirection was wide, ending the threat.

Wilding made his fourth change in the 78th minute, replacing Rhein with Matthew Belgodere.

Shortly after coming on, Belgodere made his presence felt. He received a pass on the left in the 80th minute and immediately took on his defender. As the substitute beat Garcia and entered the box, he went down from a sliding challenge. Pavon pointed to the spot, giving OCB a chance to put the game away.

Leao stepped up to the spot for the penalty, sending Huff the wrong way to give his team a commanding 5-2 lead.

Barker John went on a run off the restart before Chikamso tripped him near the top of the OCB box. Robertson stepped up to take the free kick, sending his delivery around the five-man wall and just wide.

Wilding made his fifth and final change before the goal kick could be taken, replacing Amoo-Mensah with Nicolas Lasheras.

The Young Lions nearly scored a sixth in the 86th minute when a poor pass out of the back was blocked. Leao sent the ball forward for Sarajian with Hylton making a run on the right. Sarajian took the shot himself from the top of the box, sending his attempt wide.

Cohen dribbled into the OCB box in the 89th minute before Lasheras slid in and knocked the ball over the end line. The short corner resulted in a give-and-go between Cohen and Sorenson, sending Cohen behind Lasheras. The attacker could’ve gone down as Lasheras challenged him, but stayed on his feet and forced Himes into a one-handed save. The block went right back to Cohen, whose first touch was a second shot. But Himes got down to block the ball over the end line with his right leg.

The second corner kick was cleared, allowing OCB to retain its three-goal lead.

The Young Lions went the other way with Leao playing a ball to Sarajian as he entered the Chattanooga third of the field. The midfielder took an ambitious shot from outside the box that forced Huff to block the ball rather than catch it.

Chattanooga was unable to clear the ball, with Lasheras winning it back. The defender laid it off for Ramirez, who was unhappy with his ball forward for Leao. However, it went through several players for Hylton behind the back line. Unfortunately, Hylton wasn’t expecting the ball, resulting in a poor touch that allowed Huff to come out and collect.

In the third minute of stoppage time, Barker John found Alex McGrath in the box. The substitute shot from short distance that Bobea Torres was able to block. Himes caught the ensuing set piece, ending the attack.

The final chance of the game came in the sixth minute of stoppage time when Cohen received a pass on the left. The attacker cut inside, looking to end the game on a high, and took a shot from distance. However, he wasn’t able to curl the ball as he wanted, sending his attempt well wide of the far post.

Chattanooga took more shots (20-19) in this game, but OCB put more chances on target (11-8). The Young Lions also had better passing accuracy (86.5%-83.7%) with both teams winning six corner kicks on the night.

The win lifts OCB into fourth place in MLS NEXT Pro’s Eastern Conference, just a point behind Columbus Crew 2 for third and two points behind New York Red Bulls II for second. Having won three of their last four games, the Young Lions are now just five points behind Crown Legacy FC, which tops the conference with 27 points.

The Young Lions will look to extend their winning streak as they welcome Carolina Core FC to Kissimmee on June 7.

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Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. New England Revolution II: Final Score 1-0 as Young Lions Fall On Late Goal

A last-minute goal helped by two Young Lions taking each other out of the play led to OCB’s loss to New England Revolution II in Rhode Island.

Published

2 weeks ago

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May 17, 2026

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Image of Luca Maxim playing the ball for OCB against New England Revolution II.
Image courtesy of Orlando City B

Orlando City B (3-3-4, 16 points) fell 1-0 today to New England Revolution II (5-2-3, 20 points) at Beirne Stadium in Smithfield, RI. Both teams struggled to hit the target throughout the game, allowing Judah Siqueira to score the game winner in the dying moments.

OCB Head Coach Eddie Wilding made two changes from the team that won 2-0 over Atlanta United 2 on May 10. Titus Sandy, Jr., Landon Okonski, Jacob Ramirez, and Matthew Belgodere entered the lineup, replacing Colin Guske, Tahir Reid-Brown, Gustavo Caraballo, and Harvey Sarajian.

Goalkeeper Luca Maxim started behind a back line of Bernardo Rhein, Sandy, Okonski, and Parker Amoo-Mensah. Ramirez and Dylan Judelson were in the defensive midfield behind Belgodere, Ignacio Gomez, and Issah Haruna with Pedro Leao up top.

This was a game of missed chances for both teams. They only put a combined four shots on target, but it was worse for OCB. Gomez sent a weak shot to New England goalkeeper Donovan Parisian less than a minute into the game and the Young Lions didn’t have another shot on target for the remainder of the day. It looked like the game would go to penalties before a bad turnover near midfield gave Siqueira a chance to claim all three points for the hosts.

The Young Lions kicked off, sending the ball long and out of play. Their high press caused a turnover and the first chance inside the first minute. It started when Okonski sent the ball forward for Haruna, who laid it off for Gomez at the top of the New England box. The young attacker’s second touch was a shot that went straight to Parisian.

A turnover near midfield in the 17th minute gave the hosts their first chance of the game. Damario McIntosh carried the ball near the top of the OCB box before playing it forward for Malcolm Fry. With Rhein closing down on him, Fry fired for the near post where Maxim made the stop.

As the Young Lions looked to play the ball out of the back, they nearly gave away a goal when Ramirez played a weak pass back for Maxim. Javaun Mussenden raced Maxim to the free ball with the OCB goalkeeper getting there just in time to clear it.

In the 27th minute, OCB attempted a quick counterattack off a New England corner kick, which ended when a long ball forward by Haruna was too far ahead of Belgodere and went out of play. Revs II tried to play the ball out of the back, but Jake Shannon lost possession to Haruna in his own third. The attacker shot from just outside the box, with the low attempt rolling wide.

Revs II created an attack that resulted in a shot in the 38th minute when Fry found Shuma Sasaki at the top of the OCB box. The forward dribbled inside before shooting, but Amoo-Mensah blocked the attempt. New England’s appeal for a handball fell on deaf ears as referee Amin Hadzic said it hit his chest.

In the 42nd minute, Fry sent McIntosh into the OCB box on an overlap. The midfielder played a low cross that Rhein blocked out for a corner kick. Shannon headed down the ensuing set piece by Sasaki with Amoo-Mensah getting in the way. The ball fell for Cristiano Oliveira near the end line and the midfielder laid it back for Myles Morgan, but Ramirez blocked his shot, allowing OCB to clear it.

On the other end, Ramirez sent Belgodere down the left and into the Revs II box. Belgodere took on Gabriel Dahlin one-on-one, cutting inside to find space for a shot. However, his touch was a little too strong and Amoo-Mensah took possession. The right back fired from close range, but Shannon was there for the block.

That was the last first-half chance for either team as the game went into the break scoreless. It was an even first half with both teams taking four shots and putting one on target. The Young Lions had more crosses (4-0) and Revs II had the only two corner kicks. While OCB had nearly twice as many passes (341-188) as the opposition and better passing percentage (92.4%-86.2%), they were mostly played short and near midfield with neither team really threatening.

The hosts were on the front foot to start the second half. After taking 17 minutes to get their first shot of the game, they created one just two minutes into the second period of play. Oliveira received a pass entering the OCB third before playing it forward for Morgan. The attacker took a shot with space at the top of the box, sending his attempt well over the target.

Fry made a run to the end line in the 47th minute, playing a ball across that Okonski blocked out of play for a corner kick. Allan Oyirwoth flicked on the set piece delivery, which landed at Oliveira’s feet. The midfielder turned to shoot, but Okonski was there to block it.

OCB earned its first second-half chance in the 50th minute when Oyirwoth fouled Amoo-Mensah. The Young Lions took the set piece, with the ball eventually ending up with Haruna 25 yards away from the goal. The attacker took a shot from distance that just missed wide, though Parisian appeared to have it covered.

The Young Lions created a chance in the 57th minute as they worked the ball through the midfield. Haruna received a pass at the top of the box and laid it off for Gomez behind him. The attacking midfielder took a shot that was never going anywhere near the target, sailing well wide. However, it was the team’s best buildup in the early stages of the second half.

The attempt seemed to briefly unlock OCB’s attack. In the 59th minute, Oyirwoth’s heavy touch allowed Judelson to take possession. The defensive midfielder played it forward for Leao, who quickly sent the ball to his left for Belgodere. After dribbling inside, the midfielder unleashed a shot that went just over the crossbar.

New England tried to play out of the back, but was unsuccessful as Rhein intercepted McIntosh’s pass. The left back was initially looking to pass, but had so much space that he continued to carry it forward. Rhein ended up getting all the way into the box and let go a shot that bounced off the far post, the closest either team came to scoring before the 90th minute.

Wilding made his first change of the game in the 67th minute, replacing Ramirez with Caleb Trombino.

Jayden Da intercepted a poor pass by Amoo-Mensah in the 69th minute and found Carlos Zambrano near the top of the box, who played it inside for Morgan. The midfielder turned to shoot with a defender on his hip, sending the attempt wide of the target.

Wilding made his second and third changes in the 72nd minute, replacing Sandy and Leao with Clovis Archange and Logan Tsopanoglou.

OCB won the ball in its own box off a New England throw-in in the 74th minute, but Trombino lost it right back to Da. Zambrano took possession and shot from the top of the box, forcing Maxim into a rare save. The rebound fell to Morgan, whose shot from the same spot went wide of the target.

A New England clearance in the 76th minute off a Rhein cross fell to Haruna, whose shot went right to Trombino. A heavy touch by the substitute resulted in a race between Trombino and Parisian that the Revs II goalkeeper got to first.

Wilding made his final two changes in the 83rd minute, replacing Haruna and Amoo-Mensah with Jaylen Yearwood and Justin Hylton.

OCB appeared to have a chance in the 88th minute when Rhein blocked a McIntosh pass and went the other way. The left back played it forward for Hylton, who found Gomez at the top of the New England box. But the young attacker lost control of the ball before he could get a shot off.

As the game entered stoppage time, the hosts found the winning goal. Yearwood tried to lay the ball off for Okonski, but it was too soft and Siqueira took possession. Chasing the opponent, Yearwood and Okonski ran into each other, taking each other out of the play and igniting the New England counter.

Siqueira made a long run into the OCB box. The teenager did well to shoot before Judelson could reach him, putting it past Maxim to give Revs II the late 1-0 lead.

The Young Lions desperately pushed forward, looking to find an equalizer. Belgodere won a corner kick in the third minute of stoppage time and Maxim came forward. Revs II cleared and it looked like the hosts would have a free shot on an empty goal, but Hazdic said the corner kick went out of play and awarded a goal kick instead.

OCB had a late minute of possession around the New England area but turned down numerous opportunities to send in a cross. Eventually, the Young Lions lost possession without even making a cross attempt.

At full time, Revs II had tallied more shots (12-10), shots on target (3-1), and corner kicks (5-4). The Young Lions attempted more crosses (5-2) and passed more accurately (89.7%-85.2%), but it wasn’t enough as they dropped all three points.

The loss ends a four-game points streak that dates back to the team’s 3-1 loss to Chattanooga FC on April 11. The result sees OCB sit in seventh in MLS NEXT Pro’s Eastern Conference, two points out of fifth and three points out of fourth.

The Young Lions will look to bounce back on May 24 when they return home to face Inter Miami II at Osceola County Stadium.

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Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Atlanta United 2: Final Score 2-0 as Young Lions Claim Three Road Points

OCB extends its point streak to four games with a road win over Southeast rival Atlanta United 2.

Published

3 weeks ago

on

May 10, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B

Orlando City B (3-2-4, 16 points) took all three points on the road tonight, defeating Southeast rival Atlanta United 2 (5-3-1, 16 points) 2-0 in Athens, GA. Gustavo Caraballo and Issah Haruna were the goal scorers as the Young Lions continue to climb the Eastern Conference standings.

OCB Head Coach Eddie Wilding made four changes to the team that drew 2-2 with Crown Legacy on May 3. Luca Maxim, Colin Guske, Tahir Reid-Brown, and Jayden Yearwood started in place of Tristan Himes, Landon Okonski, Titus Sandy, Jr., and Matthew Belgodere.

The back line in front of Maxim in goal was Bernardo Rhein, Reid-Brown, Guske, and Parker Amoo-Mensah. Ignacio Gomez and Dylan Judelson were the defensive midfielders behind Harvey Sarajian, Haruna, and Caraballo with Pedro Leao up top.

The Young Lions were the better team in the first 45 minutes, taking a 1-0 lead into the break. However, they desperately clung to the one-goal advantage as Atlanta came storming out of the halftime break. Left back Daniel Chica played a significant role in this game and not in a good way. He conceded the penalty that resulted in the first goal and was sent off with a second yellow card in the 70th minute. That gave OCB all it needed to see out the game, with a Haruna goal in the 75th minute effectively sealing the three points.

The Young Lions had the first attack in the third minute when a steal at the top of the OCB box resulted in a counterattack. Caraballo found Haruna near midfield and the 22-year-old midfielder cut to lose his defender before playing Sarajian forward on the left. After a couple of touches, Sarajian put his shot on target, but Atlanta goalkeeper Jayden Hibbert did well to tip it wide.

The Young Lions nearly had a second chance less than a minute later when a good ball into the box nearly connected with Guske. However, it was cleared and Atlanta was able to avoid any further trouble.

OCB got behind the Atlanta back line again in the eighth minute when Rhein played an excellent ball for Sarajian making a run from the sideline. The attacker got behind Chica, who attempted a desperate slide tackle. Sarajian went down and referee Nicholas Strednak pointed to the spot.

Caraballo stepped up to take the penalty and, as Hibbert dove to his right, he sent a panenka down the middle to give the Young Lions the early 1-0 lead.

Atlanta got its first good look in the 12th minute when center back Mohamed Cisset dribbled over midfield before lifting the ball over Guske’s head and into the OCB box. It was a misplay by Guske, allowing Arif Kovac to get in on goal. The forward opened up and attempted to curl the ball around Maxim, but the young goalkeeper did well to get down and make the save.

As the Young Lions looked to play the ball out of the back in the 27th minute, Amoo-Mensah lost possession to Cisset near the top of the OCB box. The center back dribbled to the edge of the six-yard box before laying it off for Cameron Dunbar. The midfielder should’ve at least put a shot on target but sent it wide of the far post.

Another defensive mistake by OCB in the 32nd minute gave Atlanta another opportunity. Matthew Senanou sent a ball over the top for Ignacio Suarez that Rhein attempted to head away. However, it skipped off the left back’s head, allowing Suarez to enter the box. The attacker’s second touch was a shot that Maxim tipped off target.

The ensuing corner kick found Kovac’s head just beyond the back post, but the header was right to Maxim, allowing OCB to clear.

OCB was looking to create space for a shot in the 36th minute, but a poor pass allowed Atlanta to break the other way. Enzo Dovlo made a run into the OCB half before laying the ball off and receiving it right back. Dovlo chipped the ball to the top of the box, where Adyn Torres brought it down and fired. Fortunately, Amoo-Mensah got back into position and blocked the attempt out of play.

The ensuing set piece was headed out, but Atlanta retained possession. This time Dunbar sent a cross into the box with Dovlo making a near-post run. However, Maxim came off his line to punch the ball away before anyone in black could get a foot to it.

The Young Lions thought they had doubled their lead in the 38th minute when the high press forced Chica into a turnover. Leao and Gomez quickly played the ball to Sarajian, who sent Haruna behind the Atlanta back line. The 2026 MLS SuperDraft pick slipped the ball past Hibbert, but the flag went up for offside.

OCB’s high press created another chance in the second minute of stoppage time when Sarajian took the ball off Chica. The attacker was behind the back line, firing from the top of the box. His shot beat the goalkeeper, however, it hit the right post, keeping the lead at 1-0.

Down a goal, it was unsurprising that the hosts were the more attacking team out of the break. They created their first second-half chance in the 52nd minute when Dominik Chong-Qui found Dovlo on the right side of the box. The attacker beat Rhein one-on-one before firing wide of the near post.

Two minutes later, Atlanta created two more chances. On the first, Suarez sent the ball to Dovlo on the right. The midfielder found Kovac at the top of the box, but Amoo-Mensah got in front to block his shot. Torres took possession and played it out left for Chong-Qui, who sent a dangerous low pass into the box. But none of his teammates were close to the pass, allowing Reid-Brown to clear it.

Caraballo collected the ball in his own third, but soon gave it to Chong-Qui. The defender played the ball to Dunbar in the box and the midfielder spun to shoot. The attempt went wide of the near post, though Maxim was in good position to make the stop if it had been on target.

Atlanta nearly had another chance in the 61st minute when Caraballo lost possession again, this time just inside his own half. Chong-Qui played a nice ball behind the back line for Kovac, who looked to be in on goal. But Maxim came well off his line to beat the attacker to the ball.

Maxim’s clearance went out for an Atlanta throw-in, but Cisset immediately lost it to Haruna. OCB broke the other way with Gomez carrying the ball over the midfield stripe. He found Sarajian to his left and the attacker fired from just outside the box. However, Hibbert dove to his right and tipped the ball wide.

Former OCB player Moises Tablante had come on in the 60th minute and took his first shot six minutes later, when he received Dovlo’s pass near the top of the box. The attacker tried to beat Maxim to his near post from distance but sent the attempt wide.

Things went from bad to worse for Atlanta in the 69th minute when Adrian Gill received a pass from Dovlo and Gomez immediately tapped it off his foot. Sarajian started the counterattack before Chica slid in with a hard challenge. The defender had already been cautioned in the eighth minute and Strednak immediately displayed a second yellow, reducing the hosts to 10 men.

Liam Butts entered the game in the 71st minute and he didn’t take long to make his presence known. He received a pass from Dunbar in the 74th minute and turned to shoot, but Guske was there to block it out of play for a corner kick.

After Tablante’s first set piece was knocked out of play, his second found Butts’ head beyond the far post. However, Maxim was there to make the stop to maintain the OCB lead.

Despite being a man down, Atlanta appeared to be on the front foot. But the Young Lions quickly took the momentum back. Playing the ball out of back after Maxim’s save, Rhein played it to Sarajian near midfield, and the midfielder found Haruna making a run behind the Atlanta back line. Hibbert came off his line and Cisset desperately tried to get back. However, Haruna took his chance well, slipping the ball under Hibbert and in to double the advantage.

Before the game could restart, Wilding made his first three changes of the game. Clovis Archange, Matthew Belgodere, and Titus Sandy, Jr. had been standing at midfield for several minutes before finally replacing Reid-Brown, Sarajian, and Guske.

Tablante tripped Gomez in the 79th minute in the Atlanta third, allowing the hosts to make a change. Andrew Jardines came on for Dunbar. Caraballo went for goal on the free kick, sending his attempt over the crossbar. Wilding used the stoppage to make his fourth change, replacing Amoo-Mensah with Yearwood.

Jardines sent a low ball forward down the left in the 86th minute for Tablante and Caraballo quickly fouled him. During the stoppage, Wilding made his final change, replacing Haruna with 16-year-old academy product Jacob Ramirez.

Gill’s ensuing free kick into the box was loose, allowing Tablante to get a shot off. It went behind Maxim but inches too high, bouncing off the crossbar. Patrick Weah took possession before Rhein won it back for OCB, ending the attack.

OCB had a good chance for a third goal in the 89th minute when Rhein sent Belgodere down the left. The substitute beat Amir Henry one-on-one before sending a dangerous cross to the penalty spot from the end line. Ramirez was making a run and his first touch was a shot on target. Hibbert was too far away to make an impact, but Cisset got in front, blocking the attempt and surely a third goal for the Young Lions.

The fourth official showed three minutes of second-half stoppage time and OCB did well to keep possession to see out the game. The only attempt into the final third in the dying minutes for Atlanta was a long ball by Senanou for Henry that went harmlessly out for a goal kick.

At full time, Atlanta had the advantage in shots (13-7), but OCB put more on target (4-3). Atlanta also had more crosses (6-0) and better passing accuracy (81.6%-80.9%), while both teams won four corner kicks.

The win extends OCB’s point streak to four games and breaks a run of three consecutive 2-2 draws. More importantly, it moves the Young Lions into fifth in the MLS NEXT Pro’s Eastern Conference, tied on points with Atlanta for fourth. They’re only one point behind Columbus Crew 2 for third, having played one fewer game.

OCB will wrap up its two-game road trip next Sunday afternoon when they take on New England Revolution II in Smithfield, RI.

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