Connect with us

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.

Published

2 years ago

on

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.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

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

on

January 27, 2025

By

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.
Continue Reading

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

on

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.

Continue Reading

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

on

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

Continue Reading

Trending