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Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Huntsville City FC: Final Score 6-2 as 10-Man OCB Falls in Alabama

Defensive errors haunt the Young Lions as they’re dominated by Huntsville City FC.

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2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B

Orlando City B (8-7-2, 27 points) traveled to Alabama tonight where the Young Lions fell 6-2 to Huntsville City FC (5-7-4, 22 points). A fifth-minute goal by Alex Freeman got OCB off to a good start, but the hosts scored five unanswered through Chris N’Sa, Azaad Liadi, Kemy Amiche, and a brace by Isaiah Johnston. Jack Lynn got one back in the 65th minute, but Joey Skinner netted a late goal to put the game away.

OCB Head Coach Martin Perelman made two changes from the team that completed a 5-3 comeback win over FC Cincinnati 2 last weekend. Freeman and Favian Loyola entered the starting lineup, replacing Zakaria Taifi and Shak Mohammed. Loyola returned to OCB this weekend after joining the bench of the first team last weekend and Mohammed was on the bench for the MLS side last night in Utah.

The back line in front of goalkeeper Javier Otero was Franco Perez, Alejandro Granados, Nabi Kibunguchy, and Freeman. Jhon Solis, Juninho, Cristian Medina, and Imanol Almaguer made up the midfield, with Lynn and Loyola lining up as the forwards.

Following the opening goal by OCB, Huntsville City took over, though it was largely due to some defensive errors by the Young Lions. They were already down by two goals when Kibunguchy was issued a red card in the first minute of the second half. It only got worse as the game went on and Perelman was clearly unhappy with his defensive unit as three of the four came off during the game.

Huntsville had most of the possession in the early minutes, but it was the Young Lions that struck first. OCB built its attack in the fifth minute when Solis sent a long ball forward for Juninho. The captain reached it before the ball crossed the end line and played it back to the penalty spot, where Freeman was charging in. Nobody picked up the right back and it was a calm finish by Freeman to give his team an early 1-0 lead.

OCB had a chance to double its lead in the 13th minute, when Freeman received the ball up the right and sent a cross into the box. Lynn was making a run behind the Huntsville City center backs and attempted to connect with the cross by sliding, but it was slightly too far in front of him.

The Young Lions maintained possession on the other side of the box, and Josh Drack fouled Solis to give OCB a free kick. Despite being about 30 yards out, Juninho went for goal on the set piece, missing just wide of the near post.

The hosts got their first decent opportunity in the 15th minute when Drack sent a long ball behind the OCB defense for Ollie Wright. The forward collected the ball and put it past Otero, but Drack’s pass was a little too late and Wright was clearly offside.

Four minutes later, Huntsville found its equalizer. It started when Skinner’s cross attempt was blocked out by Freeman. Nicky Law played the corner kick short for Drack, who played a quick one-two before giving the ball back to Law. The Huntsville City captain sent a great cross to the back post, where N’Sa reached the ball over Perez, heading it past Otero to even the game at 1-1.

Huntsville City nearly took the lead in the 24th minute when Granados fouled Liadi outside of the OCB box. Drack took the set piece and the shot was headed inside the near post, but Otero made a diving catch to keep it out.

OCB should’ve had a close-range shot in the 28th minute when Juninho played the ball out wide for Perez. The left back sent a cross towards the top of the six-yard box, where Lynn was making a run. Unfortunately, it was too close to Huntsville City goalkeeper Ben Martino, who easily collected it.

Huntsville City took the lead in the 32nd minute from the spot. N’Sa played a nice give-and-go with Drack to send him into the box and past Perez. The left back attempted to catch up but unnecessarily pulled down N’Sa. Referee Gabriele Giusti didn’t hesitate to point to the spot, issuing Huntsville City a penalty. Johnston stepped up to take the kick, sending Otero the wrong way and the ball into the upper corner to give his team a 2-1 lead.

In the 35th minute, Liadi fouled Medina near midfield and was booked for the challenge. Medina took the free kick quickly, attempting a shot pass for Loyola, but it was a bad one and Law took over. The Huntsville City captain initially was looking for Johnston up the middle, but played it wide to Amiche instead. The midfielder found Johnston making a run between center backs Kibunguchy and Granados, enabling him to slip it by Otero for a 3-1 lead.

Two minutes later, the hosts nearly scored a fourth when another bad turnover by the Young Lions gave Amiche possession on the right. OCB was caught forward, allowing Liadi to get behind the defense. Fortunately, the cross was a bit too far forward and Liadi couldn’t connect with it.

OCB had a chance to get one back in the 41st minute when Perez played the ball back for Juninho just outside of the box. The midfielder’s first touch allowed him to beat Johnston and shoot for the far post. Martino looked beat, but the shot was just wide.

The final chance of the first half was for Huntsville City a minute into first-half injury time. Drack got behind Medina to the left of goal and had space for a shot, but Otero did well to get down and block it with his right foot, keeping the deficit at two goals.

OCB ended the first 45 minutes with more possession (53.9%-46.1%), but Huntsville City had more shots (9-4), shots on target (7-1), corner kicks (2-0), and passing accuracy (89.2%-86.4%). The difference in the first half was poor decision-making by the Young Lions that gave the hosts golden opportunities and they didn’t miss.

Perelman made one change at halftime as Moises Tablante came on for Perez. It got worse for the Young Lions less than a minute into the half when Liadi was sent behind Kibunguchy and the center back pulled him down. After brief consideration, Guisti issued Kibunguchy his second yellow card of the game and OCB was down to 10 men. It was deja vu, as Kibunguchy’s first booking came inside the first minute of the first half when he fouled the same striker.

The red card to a center back forced Perelman to make a defensive change, despite being two goals down. Taifi came on to partner Granados, replacing forward Loyola.

It didn’t take long for the hosts to extend their lead, scoring a fourth in the 51st minute. Receiving the ball from Skinner down the left sideline, Drack sent the ball on with a bicycle kick for Wright. The forward sent a cross into the box, where Liadi slid in and knocked it past Otero, making it 4-1 Huntsville.

OCB had its first chance of the second half in the 53rd minute, when Freeman sent a pair of crosses into the box looking for Tablante. Martino blocked the first cross back to Freeman and Huntsville City was eventually able to clear.

The hosts scored their fifth goal in the 55th minute. It was another turnover for OCB, as Liadi won the ball near midfield and quickly sent it forward for Wright. The striker didn’t hesitate to send Amiche behind the OCB back line for a breakaway. Amiche took his time, placing it past Otero, who had no chance, and giving Huntsville City a commanding 5-1 lead.

Immediately after the goal, Perelman made two more substitutions to his struggling back line. Tahir Reid-Brown and Thomas Williams came into the game for Granados and Medina.

Despite the four-goal advantage, Huntsville City continued pushing for more. In the 60th minute, Amiche played it forward on the right for N’Sa. The defender sent a great cross into the box that found Drack. The midfielder’s header attempt beat Otero, but went wide of the far post.

N’Sa had a chance for his second of the game in the 64th minute when a pass back from the goal line was just behind him. The right back attempted to turn and volley a shot on goal, but missed the ball, allowing OCB to clear.

The Young Lions got a goal back in the 65th minute, created by Tablante. The attacker sent a great ball across the field for Lynn, who was making a run to the far post. He used his chest to bring down the ball and sent a half-volley past Martino to cut the deficit to three at 5-2.

The goal was Lynn’s 10th of the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro season. In addition to extending his team lead, it also tied him with Atlanta United 2’s Nick Firmino for the golden boot lead.

In the 67th minute, Jonathan Bolanos played the ball back for Amiche. The midfielder quickly volleyed it on goal, looking for a second-half brace, but hit the side of the net.

Four minutes later, Bolanos took an ambitious shot from a very long distance. Nobody expected the attempt, but it was a quality shot that beat Otero, going just over his head. Fortunately, it also went just over the crossbar.

Perelman used the stoppage in play after the miss to make his final substitution of the game. In an attacking change, Cristofer Acuna came on for Solis.

Huntsville City scored its sixth goal in the 78th minute and it was probably its most impressive. Skinner received the ball from Amiche outside of the OCB box and quickly decided to take a shot at goal. He got the shot off just before the sliding Lynn could reach it, sending a line drive past Otero to make it 6-2.

OCB had a chance to get one back in the 80th minute when Acuna took a shot from close distance. Martino did well to block the attempt, but sent it right in front of goal. It looked like Lynn would send the rebound back on target, but it was cleared out of play for a throw-in before he could reach it.

As the clock neared 90 minutes, Huntsville City was happy to keep possession and OCB didn’t seem interested in challenging the home side. Huntsville created a chance in the 87th minute when substitute Nebiyou Perry took a low shot from just outside of the box. But he sent it right into the arms of Otero.

A minute later, Amiche put the ball between the legs of his defender to turn him and create enough space for a shot. He caught up to the ball and fired from the top of the box, but Reid-Brown got in front of the attempt to block it. That was the final chance of the game.

At full time, Huntsville City dominated with more possession (56.1%-43.9%), shots (20-11), shots on goal (11-5), corner kicks (5-2), crosses (11-10), and passing accuracy (92.5%-86.4%).

This was probably OCB’s worst performance of the season as the Young Lions were unable to maintain possession and gave the ball away too easily, providing multiple chances for the opposition. While Kibunguchy’s red card impacted the game, the result already seemed confirmed as Huntsville City pounded Otero’s goal and put seven of its nine first-half shots on frame.

Despite the loss, OCB remains in fifth place in the Eastern Conference and in second in the Central Division. The Young Lions are seven points behind Columbus Crew 2, but have a game in hand.

OCB will have to forget this poor performance and look to right the ship, returning home next Sunday night to face Atlanta United 2 at Osceola County Stadium.

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Orlando City B

Orlando City B Signs Two Players Ahead of 2025 MLS NEXT Pro Season

OCB adds Brazilian forward Thalles on loan and signs 2024 SuperDraft selection Riyon Tori.

Published

4 days ago

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February 27, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B

Orlando City B had a busy Thursday, signing two players ahead of the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro season. The Young Lions acquired Brazilian forward Thalles on loan from Serie B side Botafogo-SP and signed Japanese midfielder Riyon Tori, a 2024 OCSC SuperDraft selection out of the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.

OCB has an option to buy Thalles from Botafogo at the conclusion of the player’s loan.

“Thalles is a young player that we were able to see play live in several U-20 tournaments in Brazil last year, and he made an impression on us as a goal scorer during his opportunities,” Orlando City Vice President of Soccer Operations and Technical Director Ricardo Moreira said in a club press release. “He’s very energetic as a player and is a versatile striker that can play over as a winger and create movement across the front of the attack. We’re excited to have him with us this year competing in Orlando.”

The 19-year-old Thalles is a native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He has scored nine goals and added an assist in 20 combined appearances with Botafogo’s first team and U-20 squad. The youngster should add firepower to an OCB attack that may be without Shak Mohammed at least until Duncan McGuire returns to the game day squad.

Tori, 23, was selected with the No. 83 overall selection in the third round of the 2024 MLS SuperDraft. The Lions took midfielders Jeorgio Kocevski and Yutaro Tsukada in that same draft — both of whom have gotten first-team minutes — as well as Pittsburgh midfielder Filip Mirkovic, who was never signed. Tori’s deal with OCB runs through the 2025 season.

“Riyon is a dynamic midfielder that we selected in the draft as an underclassman following our detailed scouting and analytics process and then brought into training with the group last summer,” Moreira said in a club press release. “His play style provides both bite and energy in the midfield, and he proved in his training stint last year that he has a good competitive drive and is ready to take that next step.”

Tori began his collegiate career at St. John’s University, playing sparingly over two seasons with the Red Storm. He only made eight appearances and five starts for a total of 505 minutes. He didn’t score any goals or record any assists, but took four shots in those two seasons. However, all four attempts were off target.

The Osaka, Japan native transferred to Charlotte for more playing time, playing the 2023 season in the American Athletic Conference. In his final collegiate season, Tori played and started 18 games, recording 1,328 minutes. The junior scored one goal and added two assists for four points and put one of his two shots on target.

The only Charlotte player to start all 18 games for the team that season, Tori was named United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-East Region and first-team all-conference. The possession-minded midfielder played at least 60 minutes in each game, helping his team to a conference championship.

Tori returned to college rather than sign a professional contract after being drafted as an underclassmen. Having sustained an injury training with Orlando City, he missed the first eight matches of the 49ers’ 2024 season, appearing in 10 games (seven starts). In his 536 minutes, he did not provide a goal contribution, attempting just one shot. Still, he was a First-Team All-AAC selection and a Second-Team All-East Region selection.

Prior to arriving in the United States, Tori captained Cerezo Osaka’s U-18 team and played for the club’s U-23 J. League team. Considered one of the top U-18 players in Japan, he toured England in 2019 with the Nike Next Hero project.

Along with OCB’s acquisition of winger Dyson Clapier on Tuesday, and the previous signings of Justin Ellis and Bernardo Rhein to MLS NEXT Pro contracts two weeks ago, it’s been a good month of roster building for the Young Lions as they solidify their squad ahead of the 2025 season as they bid for a third straight playoff appearance.

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Orlando City B

Orlando City B Signs Bernardo Rhein, Justin Ellis to MLS NEXT Pro Deals

OCB adds two signees ahead of the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro season.

Published

3 weeks ago

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February 13, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City B announced this morning that the club has signed two Orlando City Academy players — midfielder Bernardo Rhein and forward Justin Ellis — to MLS NEXT Pro contracts. Rhein signed through 2025 with a club option for 2026, with Ellis’ deal running through 2026. Both players featured Saturday night in Orlando City’s preseason scrimmage against CF Montreal.

“Bernardo and Justin are two more great examples of young players that have shown belief and trust in the development pathway we have set up here at Orlando City,” Orlando City SC Vice President of Soccer Operations and Technical Director Ricardo Moreira said in a club press release. “By signing with OCB, Justin and Bernardo have shown trust in us, the pathway, and in Head Coach Manuel Goldberg. They both put in the work since their early academy days; took the opportunities that they were given to continue developing their skill sets; and have shown us that they’re ready to take the next step along that pathway, and we’re excited to see how they both continue to progress these next few years.”

The 17-year-old Rhein (known as Bernardo Goncalves in 2024), appeared in six matches with OCB a year ago, coming off the bench each time and playing a total of 33 minutes. The Windermere native and Brazilian national did not record a goal contribution, attempting one shot, which he put on target, and completing 81.8% of his 22 pass attempts. Rhein subbed on for the latter stages of Saturday’s preseason scrimmage against Montreal and looked good, getting himself into scoring position but firing just over the bar in the extra 30-minute sesson.

Ellis, also 17, appeared in 18 matches with OCB in 2024 (three starts), scoring two goals and putting eight of his 13 shots on target. He did not record an assist, but passed well from the forward position, logging three key passes and completing 76.7% of his total pass attempts. The Wellington native traveled with the MLS squad to Mexico for the team’s week-long camp in Cancun. On the international stage, Ellis was called up to the U-18 USMNT in September, scoring two goals in two appearances.

What It Means for OCB

This is positive news for both OCB and the Orlando City Academy. Ellis was a regular contributor last season at a young age, while Rhein got his feet wet with a few appearances at the MLS NEXT Pro level. At just 17, both have shown a lot of potential upside already. Ellis will turn 18 in May, while Rhein won’t reach his 18th birthday until Sept. 21. Both will get a chance to further their development with OCB.

While neither player will be expected to make an impact with the first team in 2025, Duncan McGuire’s injury absence may require Shak Mohammed to spend more time with the first team, meaning Ellis would be in line to get more minutes with the Young Lions in the early part of the season.

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Orlando City B

Orlando City Signs Goalkeeper Carlos Mercado to a New Contract

Carlos Mercado signs a new contract to remain Orlando City’s third-choice goalkeeper.

Published

1 month ago

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January 30, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City announced this morning that the club has signed goalkeeper Carlos Mercado to a new contract. The deal is through the 2025 season with club options for 2026 and 2027.

“Carlos did a great job for us last year with Orlando City B and continued to provide a positive work ethic and atmosphere every day in training up with the first team and showed his skill and ability to compete every chance he got,” Orlando City Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi said in a club press release. “He’s part of a strong goalkeeping unit here at the club and we feel confident in the future of that entire position group moving forward.”

Mercado originally joined Orlando City prior to the 2024 season to back up Javier Otero. However, when Mason Stajduhar broke his tibia and fibula in a June 28 game against New York City FC, Otero became the primary backup to Pedro Gallese and Mercado was the starter for the Young Lions.

In his debut season in purple, Mercado started 20 games — including a playoff game in Chicago — playing 1,830 minutes. He conceded 30 goals for a goals-against average of 1.48 and saved 81 of 111 shots faced for a save percentage of 73%. He kept three clean sheets and compiled a record of 9-5-6 (W-L-D) while saving two of the four penalties he faced in regular play.

The 25-year-old signed a short-term deal following Stajduhar’s injury with his lone game on the team sheet being on the bench for a July 3 game against Toronto FC. He went on to sign a first-team contract on Sept. 20 through the 2024 season with options for 2025, 2026, and 2027. However, his 2025 option was declined following the season.

Mercado played for the FC Dallas academy in his youth, earning call-ups to the United States U-16 National Team and Mexico U-18 National Team. He played collegiately at the University of Incarnate Word in San Antonio, TX, before joining San Antonio FC of the USL Championship.

The goalkeeper made his professional debut in 2021, coming on for the final 29 minutes in a 3-0 win over Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC. He stayed with San Antonio FC through the 2023 season before joining OCB.

What It Means for Orlando City

As previously mentioned, Mercado’s option for 2025 was declined following the 2024 MLS season since the club already had three other goalkeepers. However, signing another goalkeeper became necessary when Orlando City traded Stajduhar to Real Salt Lake on Jan. 15, leaving the club with two under contract.

Mercado will likely continue to be the club’s third goalkeeper and is the presumed starter for Orlando City B when the MLS NEXT Pro season starts in March. He’ll have to join the first team if Gallese goes away on international duty with Peru and Otero enters the starting lineup. Barring unavailability of Gallese and Otero, it’s unlikely he’ll see any MLS action.

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