Orlando City B beat its in-state rivals, Inter Miami II, 1-0 tonight at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. Alex Freeman set up Jack Lynn in the 57th minute for the game’s only goal, leading OCB (5-3-2, 18 points) to its second win over Miami (3-6-1, 10 points) this season.

OCB Head Coach Martin Perelman made three changes to the team that drew 2-2 against Atlanta United 2 last weekend. Shak Mohammed made his first start and Thomas Williams his second of the 2023 season. Lynn also entered the starting lineup after netting a brace off the bench against Atlanta. They replaced Favian Loyola, Cristofer Acuna, and Abdi Salim, who left the game injured in the ninth minute Friday night. Loyola and Acuna started this game on the bench.

Javier Otero started in goal behind a back line of Moises Tablante, Nabi Kibunguchy, Williams, and Freeman. Imanol Almaguer, Cristian Medina, and Juninho were in the midfield, with Mohammed, Lynn, and Jhon Solis up top.

Inter Miami II had the majority of possession in this game, but was unable to create many good opportunities. While much of the Herons’ possession was in the midfield, OCB had more possession in the opposing box. As a result, the Young Lions created more chances in dangerous spaces over the 90 minutes.

Miami nearly had the first chance of the game in the second minute when Noah Allen made a good run down the left and sent the ball in for Lorenzo D’Agostini. The forward was at the top of the OCB six-yard box, but Williams was able to beat him to the ball and clear it away.

The Young Lions got their first chance a minute later when Tablante forced a turnover near midfield. Tapping it to Solis, Tablante continued his run into the Miami half. Solis sent the left back behind the Miami defense, but Tablante’s shot was from a tough angle and CJ dos Santos made the stop.

The hosts had a golden opportunity to open the scoring off a Miami free kick in the ninth minute. Allen lifted the ball into the OCB box, where three Miami players were left wide open. It landed on the head of Lucas Meek, but his header was nowhere near the target, enabling the Young Lions to avoid conceding early, despite the terrible defending. It was a miss that Miami and Meek will regret.

OCB had its second chance in the 14th minute when a short corner to Medina created a cross into the box. The midfielder’s ball found the head of Freeman charging in at the near post, but the header was wide.

A minute later, the Young Lions had a great chance to open the scoring when Tablante received the ball on the left. He found Mohammed open right in front of goal and the first-team attacker’s first touch was on target. Unfortunately, it was right at dos Santos, who made his second save of the game.

Miami appeared to have a good chance in the 21st minute when Medina turned the ball over to D’Agostini near the top of the OCB box. The forward immediately found Braxton Taghvai-Najb, but his shot was blocked by Williams.

The hosts had another chance in the 24th minute, when quick passing allowed Taghvai-Najb to set up Meek with space entering the box. The midfielder found a gap in the OCB defense and shot on goal, but Otero was there to make the stop.

In the 29th minute, Juninho made a strong run into the Miami box, shielding any opposing players who stepped up. He made his way past five defenders to shoot near the penalty spot, but dos Santos got down to block the attempt.

Trying to work the ball out of the back, Medina turned the ball over on his own side of the field for the second time in the 32nd minute. D’Agostini won it from Medina and received it back from Abel Caputo at the top of the box. However, his shot was right to Otero, who made the easy stop.

The Young Lions had a three-on-three counterattack in the 36th minute that should’ve resulted in a better opportunity. As Mohammed dribbled down the middle of the field, he had Freeman to his right and Lynn to his left, but decided to shoot on goal himself from the top of the box. The attempt was right to dos Santos, who had no trouble collecting it.

OCB got the final chance of the half in the 45th minute, when Medina took a short corner to Tablante. The left back attempted a long shot from well outside of the MIami box, but it was right into the arms of dos Santos. Referee Alexandra Billeter blew the whistle before dos Santos could send it forward, ending the first period of play.

Miami had more first-half possession (56.9%-43.1%), but OCB had more shots (12-5) and shots on target (6-2). The hosts also had more crosses (8-4) and passing accuracy (89.2%-88.8%) while the Young Lions had more corners (3-1).

Inter Miami II had the first chance of the second half in the 48th minute when halftime substitute Cameron Johnson took the ball to the top of the box. Williams forced him inside, where he found enough space to shoot from distance, but Kibunguchy blocked it into the arms of Otero.

OCB almost had its own chance a minute later when Freeman sent a cross into the six-yard box where Lynn was sprinting in. The striker slid towards goal, but Freeman’s cross was too close to dos Santos.

In the 57th minute, the Young Lions broke the deadlock. Quick passing by Almaguer and Juninho sent Freeman down the right. Freeman sent an almost identical low cross with Lynn again entering the box. This time Lynn’s slide allowed him to reach the ball before dos Santos, tapping it in for the game’s opening goal.

After netting a brace last weekend against Atlanta, Lynn rewarded Perelman’s decision to put him in the starting lineup. He now has three goals in his last two games and leads the team with five goals on the season.

Perelman made his first change of the game in the 63rd minute, bringing in Zakaria Taifi for Mohammed. Taifi took over at left back, moving Tablante forward into a more attacking role. 

In the 65th minute, OCB had a chance when Solis sent a cross into the box for Lynn. Unfortunately, it was a bit behind the striker, who still got his head to the ball but sent it wide.

Two minutes later, Miami had a good opportunity when Almaguer fouled Taghvai-Najb just outside of the OCB box. The forward went directly for goal, but sent it just wide of the near post. Immediately after the attempt, OCB made its second change, bringing on Tahir Reid-Brown for Tablante.

Meek used some slick dribbling ability to beat two defenders in the 75th minute and get into the OCB box, but it was blocked out for a corner kick by Almaguer. The ensuing corner was headed down into the middle of the box, but nobody in pink was there and OCB was able to clear.

Three minutes later, Meek beat a pair of defenders on the left again. This time he was able to get his pass off, finding second-half substitute Ricardo Montenegro near the penalty spot. Montenegro got a shot off, but Otero got down to make the stop.

Following the save, both teams made a pair of substitutions. OCB brought on Acuna and Wilfredo Rivera for Juninho and Lynn.

With time winding down, OCB put 10 players behind the ball defensively and Miami pushed forward, looking for an equalizer. They had a chance in the 85th minute when Miles Perkovich found space for a shot in the box, but Kibunguchy got in front of it to maintain the 1-0 lead.

Despite Miami needing a goal, OCB had a lot of possession in the closing minutes. In past games, the Young Lions were unable to hold onto possession late, giving the opponents last-minute opportunities. But tonight they were able to maintain control and use up quite a bit of the clock.

Things got a bit feisty in second-half stoppage time as Farid Sar-Sar and Rivera had a scuffle. That created an extra minute and Miami nearly took advantage. In the fourth minute of added time, Sar-Sar’s cross found the head of Lawson Sunderland near the far post. The midfielder’s header was heading just under the crossbar, but Otero made a huge save, tipping it over the goal. Billeter called a foul on Miami during the ensuing corner and blew the final whistle seconds later.

Inter Miami II ended the game with more possession (57.1%-42.9%), shots (14-13), crosses (15-10), and passing accuracy (89%-86.9%). OCB had more shots on target (7-5), corners (5-4), and the all-important goal.

The win marks the second time this season that OCB has claimed points away from Osceola County Stadium. The Young Lions also beat Philadelphia Union II in Pennsylvania in the opening game of the season. The three points move the team up to fourth in the Eastern Conference of MLS NEXT Pro.

It will be a short break for the Young Lions as they’ll return home on Monday night to face New York Red Bulls II at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee.

Orlando City B (4-3-1, 14 points) gave up four second-half goals, falling 4-0 to Columbus Crew 2 (5-1-1, 17 points) at Historic Crew Stadium this afternoon. After a scoreless first half, the hosts got goals from Gio De Libera, Mataeo Bunbury, Clay Holstad, and Gibran Rayo to run away with all three points.

OCB Head Coach Martin Perelman made two changes to the team that lost 3-2 to Crown Legacy FC last weekend. Abdi Salim entered the lineup after not playing for the first team last night and captain Juninho re-entered the lineup after missing last weekend’s game. They replaced Alejandro Granados and Favian Loyola, with the latter starting the game on the bench.

The back line in front of Javier Otero featured Alex Freeman, Salim, Nabi Kibunguchy, and Moises Tablante. Zakaria Taifi started in the midfield alongside Cristian Medina and Imanol Almaguer, while Juninho, Cristofer Acuna, and Jhon Solis were the attacking line.

Crew 2 dominated this game from the first minute, creating all of the good chances. OCB defended furiously in the first 45 minutes to reach halftime scoreless, but the opening goal in the 53rd minute opened the floodgates. It was chance after chance for the hosts with the result never in doubt once they got their first goal.

The Young Lions take pride in starting games strong, but it was the hosts that produced pressure early. In the first minute, a dangerous cross into the box by Columbus was cleared out by Kibunguchy for a corner kick. The ensuing set piece was easily caught by Otero.

Three minutes later, Thomas Roberts made a long, unimpeded run to the top of the box and found Jordan Knight to his left. Knight entered the OCB box, but was challenged by Taifi, who knocked the ball out for a corner kick.

Roberts’ corner found Jacob Erlandson, who redirected the ball on goal. Fortunately, Tablante was at the near post and cleared the ball off the line.

It looked like Crew 2 had an opportunity in the sixth minute for an opening goal when Bunbury got behind the OCB defense. As the low cross entered the OCB box, Kibunguchy caught up to Bunbury, making just enough contact so the striker couldn’t connect with the pass.

The Young Lions finally got their first decent chance of the game in the 14th minute when Taifi sent a cross into the Crew 2 box from the right. He had Acuna making a run towards the near post, but the pass was behind him, allowing Columbus to clear.

OCB had a second chance in the 16th minute when Almaguer sent a beautiful diagonal ball over the Columbus defense for Solis making a run on the far side. Solis was able to bring the ball down and get a shot off, but sent it over the goal.

In the 22nd minute, a great ball forward by Noah Fuson sent Bunbury behind the OCB defense. Otero was decisive coming off his line, challenging the Crew 2 forward, and blocked the ball out for a corner kick. The ensuing corner by Roberts was too close to the 20-year-old goalkeeper, who punched it away to safety.

An OCB turnover in the back in the 28th minute created a chance for Columbus. Marco Micaletto was sent into the box and beat Kibunguchy to get off a shot. But Otero did well to block it out for another Crew 2 corner kick. Roberts’ corner found the head of Jacob Erlanson, but the header was wide.

Crew 2 goalkeeper Brady Scott was forced into his first save of the day in the 32nd minute when Freeman took a hard shot from outside of the box. The usual right back had switched with Taifi, moving into the midfield, and got over the ball to put it on target. But Scott was able to block it down and collect it. The long-distance shot was one of OCB’s best chances of the day.

Columbus had one more chance just before halftime when quick passing allowed Micaletto to get a shot off at the top of the six. But Taifi did well to get in front of it, blocking the shot away and enabling OCB to reach halftime scoreless.

OCB had more first-half possession (58.3%-41.7%), crosses (3-2), and passing accuracy (86.1%-82.4%), but Crew 2 had more chances. The hosts ended the first 45 minutes with more shots (10-4), shots on target (2-1), and corners (7-1), but couldn’t convert on their opportunities and it was 0-0 at the break.

OCB got the first attempt of the second half in the 49th minute when Cole Mrowka fouled Juninho about 30 yards out. The set piece was taken by Juninho and the OCB captain went for goal, but sent it well over the target.

The hosts got their first chance of the second half in the 52nd minute when Knight’s cross was deflected out of play by Salim. The ensuing corner kick ended up at the feet of Micaletto at the top of the box, but the Crew 2 captain sent it well over the top.

Just after the miss, Perelman made his first change of the game, bringing Jack Lynn on for Acuna. However, Acuna took too long to leave the field and, per MLS NEXT Pro rules, Lynn had to wait a minute to enter the game. As a result, the Young Lions had to play with 10 men.

The decision by Acuna to take his time proved costly as Crew 2 scored before Lynn could enter the game. OCB turned the ball over quickly, and Fuson attempted to play the ball for De Libera, but it was deflected by Kibunguchy. Unfortunately, it went right to Mrowka, who flicked it over the OCB defense for Bunbury. The forward placed his shot well into the corner, beating the diving Otero and giving the hosts the 1-0 lead.

Columbus nearly got a second in the 56th minute when Abdi Mohamed sent a dangerous ball across the face of goal from the right. He had two teammates making runs — one to the front post and one to the back post — but neither could get on the end of it and the ball went all the way through.

Perelman made his second change a minute later, bringing on Favian Loyola for Freeman, and it nearly resulted in an equalizer. In the 59th minute, Loyola took the ball to the end line and played it back for Lynn at the top of the six-yard box. The striker took a bit too long to take his shot, allowing Erlandson to get in front and block the attempt.

Rayo had replaced Roberts at halftime and found enough space for his first shot in the 63rd minute. Otero looked to have a good view of it, but the shot went off Taifi and Kibunguchy before reaching the goalkeeper. However, Otero did well to react to the change of direction and made the stop.

OCB quickly went the other way and almost got an equalizer through Loyola. This time it was Lynn finding the other second-half substitute near the top of the six. Scott came out to block Loyola’s shot, but it went behind him. Knight was in the right place at the right time for Columbus, enabling him to clear it.

After scoring the opening goal, De Libera created the second for the hosts in the 65th minute. Receiving the ball from Scott near midfield, De Libera made a long run to the top of the box and found Bunbury to his left. Taifi didn’t get back and Salim didn’t slide over to cover, leaving Bunbury wide open. The striker didn’t waste his opportunity, placing the ball into the corner to give his team a 2-0 lead.

Following the goal, Crew 2 made three changes that impacted the game. Coleman Gannon, Taha Harboune, and Holstad came on for Bunbury, Micaletto, and Knight. 

Crew 2 almost had a third in the 75th minute when Fuson lifted the ball for Rayo in front of goal. Rayo headed the ball towards the back post but missed wide.

Columbus got its third goal in the 78th minute with another defensive error. Rayo made a good run into the box and used some nifty footwork to beat Kibunguchy. The OCB defenders left Holstad wide open near the penalty spot and Rayo did well to find him. Flicking the ball up for his teammate, Holstad simply headed the ball into the bottom corner to make it 3-0.

In the 82nd minute, Columbus had a chance for a fourth when Gannon played the ball back for Harboune at the top of the box. The substitute shot the ball towards the bottom right corner, but Otero reacted well and blocked it away with his left hand.

OCB made its final three changes in the 85th minute. Fernando Sanchez, Wilfredo Rivera, and Shak Mohammed entered the game for Solis, Almaguer, and Juninho.

Crew 2 added a fourth goal in the 88th minute when Gannon sent a long ball into the OCB box. Ariel Mbumba used his speed to beat Mohammed to the ball and played it to Rayo, who had beaten Kibunguchy with a run into the six. Otero attempted to come out to clear it, but was too late and Rayo added a goal to his earlier assist.

It looked like Columbus would score a fifth a minute later. Rayo shot towards the bottom corner, but Otero made a great stop with his right hand. Unfortunately, Gannon beat Taifi to the ball and the defender took down the attacker. Referee Austin Saini didn’t hesitate to point to the spot, awarding Crew 2 a late penalty.

After drawing the foul, Gannon stepped up to take the kick. But Otero was up to the challenge again, diving to his right to block it away. That was the last good chance by either team as Columbus took all three points with a 4-0 win over the Young Lions.

OCB ended the game with more possession (52.3%-47.7%), but most of it didn’t result in chances. In addition to their four goals, Crew 2 had more shots (26-8), shots on goal (10-2), and corners (14-1). The Young Lions did pass more accurately (85.2%-84.3%) and attempt more crosses (6-4), but rarely threatened the opposition.

The loss continues OCB’s struggles on the road. After opening the season with a win against Philadelphia Union II in Chester, PA, the Young Lions have lost their last three away from Osceola County Stadium. But none of the games were as decisively lost as this one, with OCB completely outplayed by a team that entered the day with the same number of points on the year.

OCB will have to get over this loss quickly because the Young Lions take the field again Friday night. However, they’ll be back at home where they’ve yet to be beaten (3-0-1) to face Atlanta United 2.

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.