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Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Atlanta United 2: Final Score 2-2 as Atlanta Takes Extra Point in Penalties

OCB erases a two-goal deficit to draw Atlanta United 2, but loses the postgame penalty shootout.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B

Orlando City B (4-3-2, 15 points) came back from a two-goal deficit in the second half to draw Atlanta United 2 (3-4-2, 12 points) at Osceola County Stadium, but couldn’t ride that momentum to an extra point in the postgame penalty shootout, which the visitors won. Karim Tmimi gave Atlanta the lead after just six minutes and a Luke Brennan penalty in the 51st minute made it 2-0. But Jack Lynn came on just after the second goal and netted a brace to even the game at 2-2. Per MLS NEXT Pro rules, the draw went to penalties and Atlanta won 5-4 to take the extra point.

OCB Head Coach Martin Perelman made only one change from the team that lost 4-0 to Columbus Crew 2 Sunday afternoon with Zakaria Taifi being replaced by Favian Loyola. Javier Otero was back in goal behind a back line of Moises Tablante, Nabi Kibunguchy, Abdi Salim, and Alex Freeman. Cristian Medina, Imanol Almaguer, Juninho, and Jhon Solis were in the midfield, with Loyola and Cristofer Acuna up top.

OCB dominated the possession and chances for most of the game, but was unable to put enough shots on target. A poor start to each half was the team’s undoing as the Young Lions conceded early in both periods of play. However, an inspired substitution in the second half by Perelman saw the Young Lions erase a two-goal deficit and gain a point.

The Young Lions had the first chance of the game in the third minute when Freeman made a good run down the right and sent a dangerous ball into the box. But it was too far in front of everyone in purple, going harmlessly out of play for a goal kick.

Atlanta took the lead three minutes later when Nick Firmino blocked Salim’s clearance attempt near midfield and sprinted the other way into the OCB box. After failing to create enough space for a shot, he found Tmimi at the top of the 18. The striker found space and placed his shot past Otero and into the corner to give the visitors an early 1-0 lead.

The Young Lions got off to strong starts in their first three games, scoring inside five minutes. It’s something that Perelman has spoken about pushing his team to do. However, they’ve now conceded inside the first six minutes three times in their last four games.

“It’s the same thing as last time. It’s not the first time it happened to us,” Perelman said after the game. “We need to correct this. We cannot concede goals like this, because the opponents are not making nothing to score on us. We just give it to them. We just make mistakes and then we suffer.”

OCB responded well after conceding and nearly equalized on multiple occasions. In the eighth minute, Tablante sent a dangerous ball into the Atlanta box that nearly found Loyola at the back post, but the first-team forward just missed connecting with the pass.

A minute later, Perelman was forced to make his first substitution when Salim went down with an injury. The OCB training staff attended to the center back for a few minutes before he left under his own power. However, he was replaced by Taifi.

The Young Lions had another good chance in the 12th minute when a free kick resulted in a dangerous ball into the box by Almaguer. Sent into a group of players, it was headed down for Loyola in front of goal. The forward got his foot on the ball, but sent it just wide of the near post.

Atlanta had a decent chance in the 21st minute when a nice one-two between Brennan and Kofi Twumasi resulted in Brennan with the ball inside the OCB box. The midfielder’s first touch after receiving the pass was towards goal, but it sailed well over the target.

The visitors almost doubled their lead again in the 26th minute when Kibunguchy fouled Brennan to the right of goal. Aiden McFadden stepped up to take the set piece and sent it towards the back post where Fuad Adeniyi was waiting. The center back got his head on the ball, but couldn’t get over it and it went just over the crossbar.

The Young Lions created a chance in the 29th minute when Juninho played the ball forward for Solis. It looked like the midfielder would run into traffic, but nobody stepped up, creating a hole for Solis to run through. The 24-year-old took a shot, but sent it well over the crossbar.

In the 34th minute, Tablante carried the ball down the left with Acuna running to the near post and Loyola towards the far post. A good ball likely would’ve found one of them, but Tablante’s low cross was too close to Atlanta goalkeeper Sebastian Guerra, who knocked it out for a corner kick. The ensuing short corner ended up at the feet of Juninho, but his shot was right at Guerra.

In the 42nd minute, Erik Centeno used a nice touch to beat Freeman. As he neared the OCB box, Freeman caught back up, sliding in and fouling the attacker. Referee Elvis Osmanovic felt the tackle was from behind and issued Freeman a yellow card. Aiden McFadden took the free kick and went for goal, sending the shot just over the target.

OCB forced Guerra into his first big save in the 45th minute when Loyola played a nice ball into the box for Acuna, splitting two defenders. Despite having his back to goal, Acuna did well to turn and shoot with his right foot on his first touch. But Guerra was up to the task, getting down and blocking the ball with his right foot. That was the last chance of the first half for either team as OCB trailed 1-0 at the break.

Despite trailing, OCB led in most first-half statistics. The Young Lions had more possession (58.4%-41.6%), shots (6-5), corners (3-0), crosses (13-4), and passing accuracy (90%-80.5%). Atlanta won more tackles (7-2) and duels (27-20), with both teams putting two shots on target.

Similar to the first half, it didn’t take long for OCB to concede in the second 45 minutes. In the 50th minute, Brennan used a nice move to get behind Tablante. As the attacker entered the OCB box, Tablante tugged on Brennan’s shirt and the Atlanta United academy product went down. Osmanovic immediately pointed to the spot, awarding the visitors a penalty.

After drawing the penalty, Brennan stepped up to take the kick. Otero has been terrific in these situations, but couldn’t get to this one. As he dove to his left, Brennan sent his soft shot the opposite direction, giving Atlanta a commanding 2-0 lead.

Right after the goal, Perelman made his second change of the game, replacing Loyola with Lynn. It didn’t take long for the substitute to make an impact, as quick passing by Juninho and Solis sent Tablante into the Atlanta box. The left back sent a low cross to the top of the six, where Lynn was charging in and redirected the ball past Guerra seconds after entering the game, cutting the deficit in half.

“Jack is doing a good job,” Perelman said about Lynn coming on and immediately scoring. “We are so happy with him and happy he scored again.”

OCB had a good chance to equalize in the 62nd minute when Juninho beat Tmimi to the end line and sent a low cross through the box. It found the left foot of Freeman, who was coming in from the opposite side. The right back’s first touch was a shot, but Nelson Orji was able to get in front and block it away.

It looked like the Young Lions had a breakaway in the 65th minute when Acuna was sent through. But Adeniyi did well to regain his position goalside and won the ball back from the forward.

In the 67th minute, Centeno beat Freeman to get into the OCB box. As Centeno reached the end line, Freeman slid in, taking the attacker down from behind. Osmanovic pointed to the spot for the second time, giving Atlanta a golden opportunity to retake their two-goal lead.

Freeman had already been booked in the first half and Osmanovic likely took that into account when not issuing a card. That didn’t sit well with Atlanta United 2 Head Coach Steve Cooke, who was booked for arguing that Freeman should’ve been sent off.

After Brennan did well to convert on the first penalty, Firmino stepped up to take the second spot kick. Otero guessed correctly, diving to his left, but Firmino’s penalty was wide of the post anyway, keeping the game at 2-1.

The Young Lions quickly went the other way looking for an equalizer. After Lynn played the ball out wide for Juninho, he continued his run into the Atlanta box. Juninho’s first touch was to the top of the box for Medina, but the forward couldn’t handle it and the ball bounced right off of him. Fortunately, it went right to Lynn, who was in the right place at the right time. He calmly put it into the far corner for the equalizer and his second goal of the game.

In the 76th minute, Efrain Morales fouled Acuna about 25 yards from goal. Perelman took the opportunity to make his third change of the game, bringing on Wilfredo Rivera for Freeman. It wasn’t a surprising change as Freeman was on a yellow card and could be considered fortunate to still be on the field after conceding the second penalty.

Acuna’s free kick was blocked out for a corner, which OCB took short. Rivera received the ball and sent a cross into the box. It found the foot of Acuna, but his shot was just wide. It didn’t matter anyway, because Osmanovic deemed that Acuna had fouled Toni Tiente in the process.

Two minutes later, Brennan had a chance for his second goal of the game. The forward was sent into the OCB box uncovered. He quickly shot towards the far post, but it skipped just wide.

The Young Lions nearly took the lead in the 84th minute when the Atlanta defense left Solis open outside of the box. The midfielder decided to go for goal, lifting his shot over the outstretched arm of Guerra. But the ball was inches too high, bouncing off the crossbar.

In the 87th minute, Raimar sent a dangerous cross into the box that found the head of Brennan. The forward sent his header towards the post, but he didn’t get enough on it and Otero was able to collect.

OCB almost won it in the 88th minute when Tablante sent a low cross into the box for Rivera. Alan Carleton, who came on as a second-half substitute, took Rivera down from behind, but Osmanovic decided it wasn’t a foul. The ball went right to Lynn, who shot towards goal, but sent it wide.

The fourth official signaled two minutes of injury time and it gave each team enough time for one last chance. The first chance was for Atlanta when Firmino was sent towards the end line, He found an oncoming Twumasi near the penalty spot, but the defender slipped as he reached the ball and it sailed over the crossbar.

OCB got its last chance on the other end when Tablante found Rivera in the Atlanta box. Rivera stayed on his feet and put his shot on target, but Guerra was able to block it. The final whistle blew immediately after the chance, ending the game in a 2-2 draw.

After 90 minutes, OCB had more possession (53.9%-46.1%), shots (19-11), shots on target (6-4), corners (6-2), crosses (19-8), and passing accuracy (90.2%-84.6%). But the Young Lions weren’t able to find a late winner and it finished 2-2.

Draws in MLS NEXT Pro games go to a shootout to decide who gets a second point, so this game went to spot kicks.

After Raimar and Lynn converted on the first two attempts, Otero saved Brennan’s shot to give OCB the advantage. But Guerra dove to his right to block Medina’s subsequent attempt, keeping it tied at 1-1.

It got a little feisty after Tiente beat Otero to make it 4-3 Atlanta. Tiente went to grab the ball, but Otero grabbed it first. After a brief tussle, Osmanovic had to calm both teams down. He booked both Otero and Tiente for the scuffle while Taifi waited to take his penalty. The teenager handled the delay well and beat Guerra with the next kick to keep it tied.

Carleton stepped up to start the sixth round and Otero got his hands on the ball. But it bounced off the post and in to give Atlanta a 5-4 lead. Almaguer took the sixth kick for the Young Lions, but got under it and sent his attempt well over the crossbar, giving the visitors the extra point.

“It’s so frustrating doing the game we did,” Perelman said about the performance. “We played amazing, controlled the complete game. But then we made unforced mistakes and we conceded the goals. It’s difficult winning doing that kind of mistakes.”

“It’s one of the most important things is you want to make the home a fortress,” Lynn said about getting a point at home. “You want people to hate to come here. So the fact that we can continue to keep putting points up when we’re here is a good thing.”


After one game at home, OCB will head back out on the road. It will be another rivalry game when the Young Lions face Inter Miami II Thursday night in Fort Lauderdale.

Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Inter Miami II: Final Score 3-2 as OCB Falls To In-State Rivals

OCB fell to Inter Miami II for the third time in the last four meetings.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Orlando City B (3-2-1, 11 points) fell 3-2 to Inter Miami II (2-3-1, 7 points) tonight at IMG Academy in Bradenton. Tyler Hall gave Miami the early lead before Tahir Reid-Brown equalized midway through the first half. Mateo Saja gave Miami back the lead just before halftime, and Idoh Zeltzer-Zubida put the game out of reach in the second half. Shak Mohammed converted a penalty in the dying moments, but it wasn’t enough as the Young Lions fell to their in-state rivals.

OCB and Inter Miami II played at IMG Academy for the second consecutive year as part of the Generation Adidas Cup. While it was a neutral site game, Miami was the designated home team.

Several OCB regulars didn’t play in this game because they’re representing the club’s U-18 team in the Generation Adidas Cup. As a result, OCB Head Coach Manuel Goldberg made six changes to the team that won 1-0 over New England Revolution II on April 9.  Carlos Mercado, Noham Abdellaoui, Riyon Tori, Hayden Sargis, Juan Quevedo, and Dyson Clapier entered the starting lineup for Javier Otero, Jackson Platts, Colin Guske, Gustavo Caraballo, Justin Ellis, and Thalles.

The back line in front of Mercado in goal was Reid-Brown, Abdellaoui, Thomas Williams, and Zakaria Taifi. Sargis and Tori were the defensive midfielders behind Clapier, Quevedo, and Jhon Solis with Mohammed up top.

Neither team was able to create anything in the first 10 minutes. The first chance of the game came in the 12th minute when Mohammed was sent over the top and behind the Miami back line. However, a heavy first touch allowed Miami goalkeeper Ivan Schmid to come off his line and collect the ball.

Three minutes later, it was the opposition that struck first. A Sargis foul in the OCB third gave Miami a set piece. Zeltzer-Zubida took the free kick, sending the ball into the box. Sargis and Bailey Sparks tried to get a touch, but it went through to the back post. Hall beat Williams to the ball, tapping it in to give Miami a 1-0 lead.

Miami nearly doubled their advantage in the 20th minute when a chip over the back line for Saja nearly fell perfectly for the attacker. However, Saja was unable to get his foot on it and Mercado collected the ball.

The Young Lions found their equalizer in the 23rd minute from an unlikely source. Solis made a long run to the end line and sent the ball in front of goal. Unfortunately, Mohammed couldn’t turn it on target. But the ball went directly to Tori. The rookie played it left to Clapier on the far side of the box, and he laid it off for Reid-Brown rather than shooting himself. The left back sent a hard, low shot through traffic and just inside the far post to even the game at 1-1.

A defensive mistake nearly gave the lead right back to Miami in the 26th minute. Williams received a pass back by Reid-Brown and immediately gave it up to Saja. The attacker was in on goal and took a shot, but Mercado did well to make the save with his left hand, pushing it wide. Miami was unable to create anything from the ensuing corner kick and the Young Lions escaped.

In the 30th minute, Taifi sent a dangerous low cross into the box. The ball went through several players before landing at the feet of Clapier. The midfielder attempted a first-touch shot, but he was falling backward and sent the attempt well over the top.

OCB had a good chance to take the lead in the 40th minute when Reid-Brown was sent down the left. The left back caught up to the ball and sent a low cross to Mohammed making a run to the near post. The forward met the ball but sent it wide.

The Young Lions felt they should’ve had a penalty in the 41st minute when Hall and Quevedo raced for a ball over the top. As they entered the box, Hall threw his arm up and into Quevedo. The OCB midfielder went down and Schmid collected the ball. But the referee determined it wasn’t a penalty.

OCB paid for its missed chances in the 44th minute when Miami retook the lead. Sparks made a run down the left and sent a hard, low cross into the box. Saja got his heel to the ball, redirecting it past Mercado and in to give Miami a 2-1 lead.

After 45 minutes, Miami had more shots (5-4), shots on target (3-1), crosses (4-2), and corner kicks (2-0). OCB had better passing accuracy (83.9%-82.3%).

The first chance of the second half came in the 50th minute when Preston Plambeck dribbled across the top of the box before shooting from distance. It looked like the shot might’ve taken a deflection off a defender, but Mercado handled the attempt.

Miami doubled its advantage in the 55th minute with a great goal by Zeltzer-Zubida. The midfielder received a pass on the left and dribbled across the top of the box, passing Taifi and Solis before unleashing a rocket. Mercado dove to his left, but he didn’t really have a chance as the ball rippled the net to give Miami a commanding 3-1 lead.

The Young Lions tried to respond, creating a chance in the 56th minute. The low cross into the box found Quevedo, who tried to guide it inside the far post. Unfortunately, he didn’t get much on the ball, sending it wide.

In the 64th minute, a Solis pass found Taifi and Mohammed, who appeared to run into each other. Fortunately, Mohammed left it for Taifi and the defender took a touch before firing from very long distance. He was trying to catch Schmid off his line but sent the attempt wide.

Solis sent Mohammed down the right in the 66th minute. The forward had to decide between shooting and sending the ball across the box. He chose the latter, but nobody was making a run and the ball went harmlessly through.

Goldberg made his first and only change of the game in the 68th minute. Zinedine Rodriguez came into for Clapier.

The Young Lions nearly found an equalizer in the 85th minute. Taifi’s corner kick was cleared away, but Solis took possession and played Taifi back down the right. The defender sent a cross into the box that found the head of Williams. The center back’s header was traveling just inside the post, but Schmid dove to his left, knocking the ball wide.

Taifi drew a foul 25 yards away from goal as the game reached second-half stoppage time. Solis stood over the ball by himself, taking the set piece. The midfielder went directly for goal, sending a strong shot towards the near post. However, Schmid dove to his left, catching the attempt.

In the third minute of stoppage time, OCB got another chance from a corner kick. The set piece was sent to the back post, where Mohammed was waiting. Unfortunately, the forward wasn’t able to get over the ball, sending it over the crossbar.

In the ninth minute of stoppage time, Taifi beat his defender and dribbled into the box. Cristian Ortiz came in from behind, taking the defender down. The referee immediately pointed to the spot, awarding OCB a penalty.

As OCB’s leading scorer, Mohammed stepped up to the spot to take the kick. The striker sent the Miami goalkeeper the wrong way, cutting the deficit to 3-2.

Two minutes later, the Young Lions felt they should’ve had a chance to equalize. Taifi’s cross resulted in contact in the box. Mohammed came flying in with a high foot and was called for the foul. OCB’s team and bench appealed for a penalty on the initial pass, but the referee disagreed.

That was the last chance as the Young Lions fell to Inter Miami II for the third time in their last four meetings. OCB is now winless in five straight against Miami, not having beaten the Herons since a 1-0 win on May 25, 2023.

OCB ended the game with more shots (13-9) and corner kicks (5-2). Miami finished with the advantage in shots on target (6-5), crosses (5-4), and passing accuracy (84.2%-83.6%).

Three points would’ve seen OCB match Chattanooga FC on top of the Eastern Conference, albeit having played one more game. Instead, the Young Lions sit in second, three points off the top. They’re only one point ahead of New York Red Bulls II, having played two more games.


The Young Lions have a 12-day break before they take the field again. It’ll be a crucial game against Red Bulls II on April 27 at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee.

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Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. New England Revolution II: Final Score 1-0 as Young Lions Stay Unbeaten at Home

OCB took down previously undefeated New England Revolution II to move into a tie for first place in the Eastern Conference.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Orlando City B (3-0-1, 11 points) took down New England Revolution II (4-2-1, 8 points) 1-0 tonight at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee. Shak Mohammed’s 81st-minute goal was the difference as the Young Lions took all three points and remained unbeaten at home in 2025 (2-0-1).

The midweek game saw five players return to OCB from the first team after being on the bench in Philadelphia over the weekend. Javier Otero, Thomas Williams, Colin Guske, Gustavo Caraballo, and Mohammed entered the lineup for Carlos Mercado, Noham Abdellaoui, Hayden Sargis, Dylan Judelson, and Dyson Clapier.

The back line in front of Otero in goal was Tahir Reid-Brown, Jackson Platts, Williams, and Zakaria Taifi. Guske and Jhon Solis were the defensive midfielders behind Mohammed, Justin Ellis, and Caraballo with Thalles up top.

New England was the better team for much of the game, creating more chances than the hosts. However, few of those opportunities were on frame. OCB only had one or two threatening chances in the first 80 minutes, mostly coming right at the end of the first half. But Mohammed came through when his team needed him, striking with less than 10 minutes remaining.

The first shot of the game came in the fifth minute when Marcos Dias carried the ball near the top of the OCB box and fired. But Williams stepped up and blocked the attempt with his back.

A minute later, Gevork Diarbian received a long ball on the left and took Taifi one-on-one. The attacker made a move before trying to curl the ball around the defender and Otero, but sent the shot wide of the far post.

In the eighth minute, OCB was slow to react to a header, allowing Alex Monis to take possession. He carried the ball to the end line before sending the ball toward the penalty spot. Liam Butts and Diarbian tried to get a touch on it with their backs to goal. Instead, it went to Eric Klein, whose shot was right at Otero.

OCB had its first chance in the 11th minute when Solis intercepted a pass from Hesron Barry. The midfielder sprinted down field, finding Caraballo making a run behind the New England back line. The teenager opened up to shoot with his first touch, sending the shot right into the hands of New England goalkeeper Donovan Parisian.

Revs II had a great chance in the 14th minute when Dias played Diarbian down the left. The midfielder was charging towards the end line and sent a low ball across the box. Monis was making a run into the six and slid in between Williams and Reid-Brown, but he couldn’t get on the end of the ball.

Darbian sent another ball into the box in the 24th minute. It looked like Platts was going to clear it, but the center back didn’t get much on it. The attempted clearance went directly to Dias, whose first touch was an awkward shot from his heels. The attacker wasn’t able to get much on it, sending the ball harmlessly wide.

OCB got its second chance in the 27th minute when Caraballo sent a low ball to the top of the box where Mohammed was making a run. The Young Lions’ leading scorer met the pass and tried to put his first touch on goal. However, the defender got a touch to the ball, making the block.

OCB Head Coach Manuel Goldberg was forced to make an early change in the 30th minute when Thalles went down away from the play. The forward received treatment for a few minutes before being replaced by Clapier.

Solis drew a foul in the 32nd minute in the New England third, creating a rare first-half chance for the Young Lions. He quickly played the set piece short to Mohammed who spotted Caraballo making a run into the box. New England was unprepared as Caraballo touched the ball by a sliding Barry. However, his shot was over the crossbar.

Diarbian continued to cause problems for OCB on the left, finding Dias at the top of the box in the 42nd minute. The attacker took a shot, but Guske did well to get in front of the attempt.

After defending for much of the first half, OCB finally created a few chances in the dying minutes.

A give-and-go between Taifi and Solis in the 44th minute saw the former send a cross in that was headed out for a corner kick .Caraballo took the corner kick, sending it towards the back post where Platts was waiting. He had space to put the ball on target, but failed to get a clean touch on the ball and it went out of play.

In the first minute of stoppage time, Clapier’s shot was deflected out for a corner kick. The ensuing set piece was towards Platts in the box. A defender got to it first, but the ball popped up instead of out. Platts got a foot to the ball but couldn’t get any power behind it, sending it directly to Parisian.

A minute later, Caraballo had a shot blocked out for a corner kick. The Young Lions couldn’t create anything from this set piece and the half ended scoreless.

At halftime, New England had more shots (9-5), but OCB had the edge in crosses (4-3), corner kicks (3-1), and passing accuracy (88%-86.4%). Meanwhile, both teams put one chance on target.

“We talked in halftime that the game was very even,” Goldberg said about his halftime speech. “So, we said it’s about wanting it just a little bit more than them. And that’s what we tried to do.”

The second half got off to a much slower start. Both teams tried to create attacks but were unable to get anything from them.

Goldberg made his second change in the 55th minute. Riyon Tori came into the game for Ellis.

Shortly after the substitution, Butts created a chance with little space. The attacker looked to be covered, but he found enough space for a shot. It forced Otero to make a block with one hand, sending the ball out of play.

Butts had another chance in the 59th minute when Dias carried the ball to the end line. Dias played it back for Butts near the top of the six-yard box, and Butts’ first touch was a shot, but it went wide of the near post.

Solis gave the ball away to Olger Escobar in the 71st minute, creating another chance for New England. Damorney Hutchinson took possession on the right, trying to beat Otero to his near post. But his shot was blocked into the outside of the net.

Guske found Taifi on the right side of the box in the 74th minute. The defender was able to find enough space for a shot, but couldn’t get over it, sending his shot over the crossbar.

Goldberg made his final change in the 78th minute. It was a defensive change as Sargis came into the game for Caraballo. Taifi moved from right back to right midfield to make room.

OCB didn’t have many quality chances in this game, but the Young Lions took the lead in the 81st minute. Platts received the ball on the right in a seemingly innocuous position. He sent Mohammed between Gabriel Dahlin and Victor Souza. Dahlin’s hand went up, but the assistant referee determined the forward was onside. Mohammed slipped the ball through Parisian — who got a touch on it but couldn’t keep it out — to give OCB the lead.

“I tried the pass before. I had the space to beat the left winger, so it was a big touch. Then Shak obviously made the run,” Platts said about his assist. “First pass, he told me to play it earlier. So, next time I saw him I just played it earlier. And it was a goal.”

It was the first goal conceded by New England in nearly four full games to start the 2025 season.

It looked like the visitors might find an equalizer in the 84th minute when Escobar kept possession under pressure and laid it off for Allan Oyirworth. The midfielder had space for a shot, but Sargis got in the way to block it.

In the third minute of stoppage time, Judah Siqueira lifted the ball into the box for Hutchinson. Platts was against his back and Hutchinson went down. However, there was minimal if any contact. While New England appealed for a penalty, the referee correctly didn’t award one.

New England ended the game with more shots (15-9), shots on target (4-3), and crosses (8-4). OCB had better passing accuracy (87.9%-84.2%) and the all-important goal. Both teams ended up with five corner kicks.

“We knew it was going to be tough. That’s why they were undefeated,” Goldberg said about the game. “That’s why they haven’t received goals. So, we knew it was going to be tough.”

The win moves the Young Lions into a tie for first place with Chattanooga FC atop the Eastern Conference on points. However, the Tennessee-based independent club has a game in hand and the all-important tiebreaker in goal differential.


OCB will take the field again on Tuesday against rival Inter Miami CF II. The game will  be at IMG Academy in Bradenton, but OCB is the designated away team.

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Orlando City B

Orlando City B’s Loss to Chattanooga Shows Impact Of Shak Mohammed

Shak Mohammed’s importance to OCB was on display in Saturday night’s loss in Chattanooga.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B

Orlando City B faced an independent team Saturday night, putting the Young Lions in a unique position. When they face fellow reserve sides, the games are usually the day after the first team plays. But Saturday night’s game was at the same time, and it showed issues in the OCB attack.

Chattanooga FC is one of two independent teams currently playing in MLS NEXT Pro. As you would expect, the Tennessee-based side plays most of its home games on Saturday nights, when they can draw bigger crowds.  Unfortunately, that means the Young Lions took the field the same night as the senior side, kicking off just 30 minutes prior to the MLS squad’s match in Philadelphia.

A lack of bodies for the first team meant multiple OCB regulars had to join the senior Lions for their trip to Philadelphia. The biggest loss for the game in Chattanooga was undoubtedly Shak Mohammed, who started on the bench for Orlando City.

While Mohammed has yet to claim his place with the first team, he’s made a major impact on the second team. His 11 goals last season led the Young Lions, and he has the team lead in goals this season with two in the first three games, including a goal in each of the two previous contests.

The 21-year-old’s absence was apparent Saturday night in Tennessee. Justin Ellis started in the position Mohammed usuallly occupies with Thalles starting up top. Meanwhile, Zakaria Taifi moved from his usual defensive position into the attacking midfield.

All three players had chances early in the game. While Ellis played the distributor, Thalles and Taifi had clear chances in the first 45 minutes. However, neither player was able to put the ball past Chattanooga goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic, who had seven saves on the night.

The missed opportunities showed an issue that OCB might face in the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro season. The better Mohammed plays, the more likely he is to be with the first team. This usually won’t be a problem, as the two teams rarely play on the same days. But you can’t depend on that for the team’s success this season.

If OCB wants to improve on the 2024 campaign and win a postseason game for the first time in team history, the Young Lions will need others in the attack to step up. Otherwise, it could be frustrating nights when Mohammed is unavailable.

The lack of offensive efficiency Saturday night also showed how good Mohammed has been with the second team. Obviously, the third-division league is a much lower quality than the first-division MLS, but it leads to a question about Mohammed’s future in Orlando.

The forward was a first-round selection out of Duke in 2023. The Lions gave up Ruan in a trade with D.C. United to move up in the MLS SuperDraft, taking Mohammed with the second overall pick. Now in his third professional season, he hasn’t made the impression you’d expect from someone taken so high.

To be fair, we were seeing this with Jack Lynn as well. The 2022 first-round MLS SuperDraft pick was tearing it up in MLS NEXT Pro without seeing much time with the first team. However, he was clearly taking positive steps and was beginning to play a bigger role before retiring this past off-season.

Lynn’s departure left a spot Mohammed could fill for both teams, and he’s done a good job with OCB. His 11 goals showed a significant increase from his six goals for the Young Lions in 2023, despite only playing in two more games. Now, he just needs to show improvement with the first team.

Saturday night’s disappointing offensive performance by OCB showed Mohammed’s impact in the attack. While the Young Lions are a dangerous team with the Ghanaian in the lineup, nobody stepped up to fill his production in Chattanooga, resulting in the team’s first loss of the season. It showed the impact the attacker has had on the team this year and the improvements of his game.

Watching Moahmmed the remainder of the season will be interesting. Will he finally make the jump to appearing regularly with the first team? Will Ellis or Thalles fill Moahmmed’s production when he’s away? We should find out these answers in the near future.

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