Orlando City B vs. FC Cincinnati 2: Final Score 4-0 as Young Lions Maul Cincy to Stay Unbeaten at Home

Orlando City B scored four times in just under 20 minutes in the first half to blow out FC Cincinnati 2 at Osceola County Stadium. Jack Lynn, Juninho, Shak Mohammed, and Imanol Almaguer provided the offense for OCB (7-4-2, 24 points), and Javier Otero only had to make two saves to keep a clean sheet in a comprehensive win over visiting Cincinnati (3-6-3, 13 points).

With the win, OCB improved to 5-0-2 at home in 2023.

“We dominated the whole game,” OCB Head Coach Martin Perelman said after the match. “The boys were amazing so I’m happy for them because they deserved this win.

Perelman’s starting lineup included Javier Otero back in goal for OCB, behind a back line of Alex Freeman, Thomas Williams, Nabi Kibunguchy, and Imanol Almaguer. Cristian Medina served as the shield for the back four in the 4-1-3-2, behind a midfield line of Luca Petrasso — working his way back from his thigh injury — Juninho, and Shak Mohahmmed, with Jack Lynn and Jhon Solis up top.

The first half was an absolute massacre, as OCB was ruthless in the opening 45 minutes.

OCB tried to get on the front foot right away, taking the ball up the field and working it around the left side and finally to Lynn at the top of the area but he didn’t get all of his shot and it was an easy save for Paul Walters. Moments later, Petrasso sent a good cross from the left to the back post for Mohammed but the defense was wise to it and headed it away.

Cincinnati’s first shot came eight minutes in when Gerardo Valenzuela fired from distance and hit his shot well over the bar. Valenzeula had time and space outside the area again and this time got his strike on goal but Otero made a good diving save and gave up no rebound.

OCB quickly got back on the front foot after a brief spell of Cincinnati pressure. Freeman had a cross cut out for a corner in the 18th minute and then tried to volley home a ball that was pinging around the box on the ensuing set piece but he hit his shot over the bar a minute later.

The breakthrough came in the 26th minute. Medina stepped in front of a forward pass from Cincinnati and fed it quickly to Lynn. The Orlando City MLS SuperDraft pick dribbled toward the top of the area and curled a beautiful shot into the upper right corner to make it 1-0. It was Lynn’s team-leading seventh goal of the season.

The Young Lions didn’t let up after the goal. Almaguer had a shot blocked and then Kibunguchy made a sliding effort at a corner kick cross that fell for him but missed wide.

Solis set up the second goal in the 30th minute, putting some moves on the defense and drawing a foul near the left corner of the box. Juninho stepped up and sent a gorgeous shot just inside the left post and into the top corner to make it 2-0.

Just after the goal, the game went into a hydration break and the teams traded unsuccessful set pieces. Then OCB extended its lead. Lynn played Petrasso down the left and even though there was a mixup in where the Canadian wanted the ball, he was able to get to it and send a perfect cross to the back post where Mohammed volleyed it in to make it 3-0 in the 37th minute.

The Young Lions continued to attack. Mohammed sent a looping header off a Petrasso cross in the 39th that looked like it might dip under the bar but Walter tipped it over. The ensuing corner was played short and was worked to Lynn in the box. Lynn cut it onto his right and fired but Walter got just enough of it to send it inches wide.

The fourth goal came anyway, just four minutes later. The ball fell for Almaguer, who sent a screamer inside the left post from just outside the area. It was his first goal of the season and made it 4-0 in the 44th minute.

“I feel like I really deserve that goal,” Almaguer said. “I feel as a player in the team I don’t really get that much recognition but I’m happy that the soccer gods really helped me today to get my first goal. I’m a big part of the team and I scored because of them.”

That was it for the first-half chances and the Young Lions took a sizable advantage into the locker room at halftime.

The stats sheet showed OCB’s first-half domination. The Young Lions led in possession (61.2%-38.8%), shots (15-4), shots on target (6-1), corners (7-2), and passing accuracy (88.7-81.2%)

The second half started much more quietly than the way the first period ended. There weren’t many opportunties Freeman sent a free header right at the goalkeeper in the 49th. Four minutes later, FC Cincinnati got its first shot of the half, with Salim Adams trying his luck from over 35 yards out but sending his effort over the crossbar.

Lynn tried a shot from long range of his own in the 58th minute and nearly caught Walter napping. He struck the shot well and Walter had to make a diving save to prevent the deficit from growing even larger.

Moments later, both teams sent some fresh legs onto the pitch. Perelman withdrew Petrasso and Lynn and replaced them with Franco Perez and Moises Tablante. After Matthew Dreas fired wide from distance moments later for the visitors, OCB sent on Alejandro Granados and Zakaria Taifi for Medina and Almaguer. Cincinnati also made a pair of subs, but not much changed on the pitch. The pace slowed as the hot evening wore on.

Shak Mohammed sent a shot wide in the 71st minute. Adams sent a shot from a tight angle on goal in the 75th and Otero made the save.

The last good chances of the match fell OCB’s way but there was no more scoring.

Juninho came within inches of a brace in the 80th minute after working a give and go to free himself in the box. His shot hit the right post and stayed out, however. Two minutes later, Taifi stepped into a shot and blasted a rising effort that went over the bar.

Tablante fizzed a shot just inches wide of the right post in the 86th minute. Then, in stoppage time, Tablante set up Loyola near the top of the box but the Homegrown Player’s shot hit a defender and deflected away.

OCB dominated the final stats,finishing with more possession (60.3%-39.7%), shots (25-7), shots on target (8-2), corners (8-2), and passing accuracy (88.1%-82.2%).

“Winning 4-0 at home and keeping that consistency of winning at home, being unbeaten at home is really good for the team.” Almaguer said.

“It’s important, because before the season started we spoke about it,” Perelman said of winning at home. “That is one of our goals so I’m happy that we are doing that part of the job. I wish we can keep it for the whole season. That’s the main objective.”

OCB will be back in action quickly, visiting Chicago Fire II on Thursday. Game time is 8 p.m.