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Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Crown Legacy FC: Final Score 3-2 as OCB Suffers Second Loss of the Season

OCB’s two late first-half goals gave the Young Lions a halftime lead, but two goals in two minutes saw them fall to Crown Legacy FC.

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2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B

Orlando City B (4-2-1, 14 points) fell for the second time this season, losing 3-2 to Crown Legacy FC (6-0-1, 19 points) in a battle for first place at the Mecklenburg County Sportsplex at Matthews in Matthews, NC. Iuri Tavares gave the hosts the lead inside two minutes, but OCB responded with a great goal by Moises Tablante and a Jack Neeley own goal late in the first half. The hosts took control of the second half, scoring two goals in two minutes through Thiago and Tavares’ second of the night, handing the Young Lions a difficult loss.

OCB Head Coach Martin Perelman made two changes to the team that came back from two deficits to beat Toronto FC II 3-2 last weekend in Kissimmee. Zakaria Taifi entered the lineup for Abdi Salim, and Imanol Almaguer replaced team captain Juninho. The back four in front of Javier Otero was Tablante, Nabi Kibunguchy, Taifi, and Alex Freeman. Alejandro Granados, Cristian Medina, and Almaguer were in the midfield, with Cristofer Acuna, Jhon Solis, and Favian Loyola up top.

Similar to last week, it was the opposition that got off to the better start. The first chance came just 45 seconds into the game when Vinicius Mello found space between the center backs at the top of the box for a shot. But his attempt was well high of the target.

A minute later, Crown Legacy opened the scoring. Mello played the ball wide for Nikola Petkovic and continued his run towards the end line. Instead of giving it back to him, Petkovic sent the ball into the box for the oncoming Tavares, who headed it past Otero to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.

It’s the second consecutive game that OCB has conceded early after Toronto FC II scored in the third minute Sunday evening.

The goal seemed to spark some life into the Young Lions, who created chances of their own shortly after. In the seventh minute, Acuna made a good run towards the Crown Legacy end line, shielding off his defender to send the ball to the front of goal. Loyola was at the top of the six-yard box to redirect the ball on target, but Joao Pedro got in front of the shot, blocking it away.

A free kick just outside of the Crown Legacy box gave OCB another opportunity in the 10th minute. Rather than sending the ball into the box, it was played across for Almaguer. The midfielder sent the ball in from the opposite side and it landed at the feet of Kibunguchy. Unfortunately, the center back couldn’t get much on the first-touch attempt, allowing Isaac Walker to make the easy stop.

A minute later, the hosts nearly had a second goal when Nick Scardina played a very dangerous ball across OCB’s six-yard box. Mello was left open in front of goal and the ball appeared to be headed right to him, but he couldn’t get on the end of it. Crown Legacy sent the ball back in, reaching the head of Brian Romero, but it was right to Otero.

After assisting the early goal, Petkovic attempted to get one of his own in the 13th minute. His shot from distance didn’t seem too dangerous, but it had pace on it, forcing Otero to block it away.

Tavares had a chance for a second goal in the 26th minute when Loyola fouled Pedro near the OCB box. The free kick by Pedro was sent towards the back post and found the head of the forward. He redirected the set piece towards goal, but sent it wide.

The two early missed chances by the Young Lions seemed to deflate the team. They were creating opportunities but got frustrated with the lack of production in the final third and started missing easy passes in their own end.

The next chance for OCB was in the 32nd minute when Freeman made a good run down the right side and sent a dangerous ball into the box. It was headed just in front of Acuna, who made a run into the Crown Legacy end, but was a bit too far in front and skipped out of play.

Despite being dominated for much of the first 45 minutes, OCB found an unlikely equalizer in the 39th minute. A poor touch and good pressure by Solis won the ball for the Young Lions and they went the other way on the counterattack. Solis immediately sent the ball wide for Tablante on the left and the left back sprinted into the Crown Legacy box. He had Medina in the middle, but used a step over to beat Neeley and sent his shot into the roof of the net from a tight angle.

It was Tablante’s second goal in as many games after he scored the game-winner last weekend against Toronto.

It looked like the game would go into the break even at 1-1, but David Poreba fouled Solis near the top of the Crown Legacy box for one last attempt. Granados and Medina stood over the ball and Medina took the free kick after Granados faked a run up. The ball was too close to Walker, who punched it away. However, it hit it right off Neeley and the ball went past him to send OCB into halftime with a surprising 2-1 lead.

The late surge made the game a lot more even than it had been for nearly 40 minutes. At halftime, OCB had more possession (50.9-49.1%) and passing accuracy (83.7%-81.5%). Crown Legacy had more shots (7-4), shots on target (3-2), and crosses (11-5).

Similar to the first half, it was the hosts that got off to the better second-half start. A foul by Granados on Mello gave Crown Legacy a free kick near the top corner of the box and they almost took advantage. Pedro went directly for goal on the set piece, missing just wide of the near post.

Two minutes later, OCB almost gave up an embarrassing goal when the Young Lions were a little too nonchalant playing the ball out of the back. The free kick ended up with Taifi in the box and Tavares didn’t give up on the play. He blocked Taifi’s pass and the ball went just wide of Otero’s post.

In the 63rd minute, a handball on Crown Legacy gave OCB a free kick. Medina and Wilfredo Rivera, who came on for Loyola in the 58th minute, stood over the ball. Rivera stepped over the ball, allowing Medina to take the kick. But it was off a head in the wall, allowing Walker to catch it.

A minute later, Almaguer made a good, long run and was taken down by Pedro just outside of the box. Again, Medina and Rivera were on the ball and Medina took the kick. This time it was on target, but Walker blocked it out for a corner kick. Unfortunately, Kibunguchy was called for a foul on the ensuing set piece and Crown Legacy was able to clear.

Crown Legacy found the equalizer in the 71st minute. Halftime substitute Thiago started the play by sending the ball out wide and received it back in the middle after a couple of passes. He tipped the ball to set up a shot with his left and fired from outside of the box. Almaguer slid in to block it, but deflected it instead. The deflection sent Otero the wrong way and the hosts found their second goal.

It only took two more minutes for Crown Legacy to take their second lead of the game. After the initial cross attempt was blocked, the ball went to Acuna. A poor first touch by the midfielder allowed Philip Mayaka to win it back and play it wide to Scardina. Left with too much room, Tavares did well to bring the ball down with his thigh, setting up a right-footed shot on goal. Otero was in a good position to stop it, but it was past him and the hosts took a late 3-2 lead.

Now down a goal, Perelman was forced to make attacking substitutions in an attempt to find an equalizer. In the 77th minute, forward Jack Lynn came on for Granados. Two minutes later, Shak Mohammed replaced right back Freeman.

The Young Lions nearly found a goal in the 78th minute when Jacob Williams knocked the ball out of play for an OCB corner kick. The set piece by Medina went to Kibunguchy near the top of the box. The center back has shown his heading ability in the past and sent a dart towards the far post, but it went just wide.

Crown Legacy had a chance to put the game away in the 86th minute when Marko Filipovic found Mello at the penalty spot. It looked like he had a free shot on goal, but Almaguer came flying in to block it, keeping the deficit at one goal.

OCB’s final chance came two minutes into second-half injury time when a Lynn cross attempt was blocked out of play by Pedro for a corner kick. Lynn volleyed the ensuing set piece by Medina with his right foot towards goal, but it went wide of the near post.

As Crown Legacy went the other way, a late foul by Taifi was enough for the hosts to seal the win and hand OCB its second loss of the season.

Crown Legacy ended the game with more possession (51.4%-48.6%), shots (14-10), shots on target (6-4), crosses (18-12), and passing accuracy (82.7%-82.2%). OCB only had more corners (4-3), but none of them ended in goals.

The loss keeps OCB in second place in MLS NEXT Pro’s Eastern Conference, but they fall further behind the conference leaders, Crown Legacy FC. While the Young Lions have been excellent at home, they’re now 1-2-0 away from Osceola County Stadium and have lost their last two away from Central Florida. That doesn’t bode well for their next game when they face Columbus Crew 2, which sits three points behind them in the standings, next weekend.

The Friday game means OCB will have some to recuperate and prepare for their battle with Crew 2 next Sunday afternoon at Historic Crew Stadium in Ohio.

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Orlando City B

Orlando City B Announces Schedule for 2025 MLS NEXT Pro Season

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

Published

2 days ago

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January 27, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Orlando City B’s 2025 Schedule

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

Orlando City B Signs Goalkeeper Tristan Himes

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

Published

3 weeks ago

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January 8, 2025

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Orlando City B

Orlando City B Announces Roster Status Following 2024 MLS NEXT Pro Season

Only three OCB players are still under MLS NEXT Pro contracts for the 2025 season.

Published

1 month ago

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December 16, 2024

By

Image courtesy or Orlando City B

Orlando City B announced the roster status of its players following the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season. Most of the team was made up of players on first-team and academy contracts, so little of the squad will change. However, the club has updated the status of players on MLS NEXT Pro deals.

Of the 10 players on MLS NEXT Pro contracts in 2024, six saw their deals expire at the end of the year. Those players include forwards Wilfredo Rivera and Yeiler Valencia; midfielders Imanol Almaguer and Diego Pareja; and defenders Manuel Cocca and Nabi Kibunguchy.

“First, I want to start by thanking all of the players who are leaving us at the end of this year. Their hard work and dedication has continued to push this club even further forward, and we are grateful for all they’ve done,” Orlando City SC Vice President of Soccer Operations and Technical Director Ricardo Moreira said in a club press release. “This was another year of progress for Orlando City B with the team qualifying for the playoffs for the second-straight year, and we saw a lot of growth among the players, especially in their own individual development, which is our ultimate goal. Heading into 2025, we have high goals for OCB and are excited to reset and begin the work to reach the next steps in this project.”

While the majority of the players are out of contract, three are still under MLS NEXT Pro deals for 2025. Those players are midfielders Gustavo Caraballo and Jhon Solis and defender Zakaria Taifi.

Additionally, the club announced earlier today that Colin Guske — who was also on an MLS NEXT Pro deal — has signed a Homegrown Player contract with the first team. He’ll likely be a regular with OCB next season.

What It Means for Orlando City B

While the contracts have expired on six players, that doesn’t mean their time in Orlando is over. Rivera was on a first-team Homegrown contract in 2023 and the club didn’t pick up his option. He was subsequently signed to OCB for the 2024 season. He’s only 21 years old and has signed short-term deals with the first team, so he could still return next season.

Rivera is one of the more likely players out of contract to return in 2025. Perhaps the least likely to return is Kibunguchy, who will be 27 when the 2025 season starts. Almaguer took over the captaincy in 2024 after the departure of Juninho, and the club could keep him around for his leadership qualities. However, OCB could also make the same decision it did after 2023 and hand off the armband to someone else, possibly Solis.

Regardless of the decisions made on these players, the 2025 OCB roster will be made up primarily of players on first-team contracts and academy players. The youngest probably won’t be signed to professional contracts, allowing them to maintain their college eligibility. As a result, the majority of the roster will return and we’ll see new up-and-coming talent next season.

Post-2024 Orlando City B Player Contract Statuses

(Current club players in italics)

  • Imangol Almaguer — Out of Contract
  • Gustavo Caraballo — Under Contract
  • Manuel Cocca — Out of Contract
  • Colin Guske — Signed to First Team
  • Nabi Kibunguchy — Out of Contract
  • Diego Pareja — Out of Contract
  • Wilfredo Rivera — Out of Contract
  • Jhon Solis — Under Contract
  • Zakaria Taifi — Under Contract
  • Yeiler Valencia — Out of Contract

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