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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.

Published

3 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

Four Young Lions To Fall For This Valentine’s Day

A look at four players poised to make the leap from OCB to Orlando City, possibly as soon as this season.

Published

3 days ago

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February 14, 2026

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

In the spirit of Sunday’s Daytona 500, just a short drive down I-4 from my location here in Oviedo, let me also say “start your engines” to the 2026 MLS season, as we are now finally just one week away from Orlando City’s season opener on Feb. 21. The final preseason game is today, and you can expect a lot of coverage on our site and on The Mane Land PawedCast next week in advance of Red Bull New York, a.k.a. the New York Red Bulls, a.k.a. the team that used to be called the MetroStars, coming to Inter&Co Stadium to get the season started.

Orlando City B’s season will start a few weeks later, on March 2. Just like with the senior club, we do not yet have a full and final roster for the Young Lions, but we can celebrate Valentine’s Day today by looking at a few OCB players who deserve some love this year, as they have overperformed their age level and, if they stay with the club, will be pushing for minutes with Orlando City as early as this season.

In early January our Sean Rollins wrote about four OCB players who might make their Orlando City debuts this season, and here in mid-February I still agree with his thought that Tahir Reid-Brown is the OCB player most likely to make his senior debut, as Orlando City has not signed any new outside backs, so the depth chart, even with some experimentation with Iván Angulo moving the to back line, remains thin on both the right and left.

That depth chart is especially thin due to the departure of former OCB standout Alex Freeman, who was transferred to Villarreal in Spain a few weeks ago, so while Óscar Pareja may go with a back line using veterans Adrián Marín on the left and Angulo on the right to start the season, Zakaria Taifi will be battling with Angulo to fill Freeman’s shoes on the right. If Taifi is able to wrest away the starting position from Angulo, then he would be closely following Freeman’s path, as when Freeman moved up to the senior team in 2025 it was Taifi who took over at right back with OCB. Now, with Freeman departing Orlando City to wear Villarreal yellow, Taifi is again in line to replace him, wearing Orlando City’s new yellow gold ‘Sunken Treasure’ kit (at least when away from home).

Freeman and Taifi both played with OCB for three seasons, primarily at right back, and going into this year they had ranked third (Freeman) and 14th (Taifi) in minutes played in that club’s history. Taifi is almost exactly one year younger than Freeman, and while he was solid for OCB and made nine appearances for the senior club in 2025, he did not play as many minutes or perform as well as Freeman did while in MLS NEXT Pro (all data from fotmob.com, because the MLS NEXT Pro website, for some reason, does not have any data for the 2022 season):

SeasonAge on July 1Minutes PlayedAvg. FotMob Rating
Alex Freeman: 202217.91,3926.98
Alex Freeman: 202318.91,9447.02
Alex Freeman: 202419.92,3327.64
Zakaria Taifi: 202317.71,1226.58
Zakaria Taifi: 202418.75136.48
Zakaria Taifi: 202519.71,3266.84

A player’s FotMob rating is not the be-all, end-all of ranking methodology, but to the site’s credit, FotMob tracks thousands of games and uses the same formula to create its rankings, so you can easily compare the ratings of two players at the same position in the same league. In the comparison above, Freeman’s final OCB season outperformed Taifi’s by a wide margin. Freeman finished as the top-ranked fullback that season, while Taifi finished 33rd in 2025, though in fairness to Taifi, he often dressed for Orlando City and probably practiced with the first team a lot as well, so he may not have had been able to develop the same chemistry with the OCB team in 2025 that Freeman did in 2024.

While Taifi may not have the same trajectory as Freeman, he still ranked 33rd among fullbacks, and among the 32 who ranked ahead of him 25 were at least one year older, including more than 10 who were at least three years older. Age and performance level are huge in “minor” leagues like MLS NEXT Pro, the NBA G League, and Minor League Baseball, and during the last four years the top 25 players in FotMob Rating each year have an average age of 21.9 with an average rating of 7.58. Taifi is still two years younger than those players, and while 6.84 is a bit shy of 7.58, he would be expected to improve during each of the next two years. If he were to improve by only 3% each year, for example, he would go from 6.84 to 7.26, which would have put him sixth among MLS NEXT Pro fullbacks.

I do not think he will be in MLS NEXT Pro for two more years, or maybe even that frequently this season, and two other players who also are knocking on the door of a permanent move to the senior Lions are midfielder Colin Guske and attacker Justin Ellis. I wrote about Ellis in July of 2025, and while he cooled off a little bit in the second half of the season, he still ended up as the third-ranked attacking midfielder in MLS NEXT Pro, finishing only behind players who are two and six years older than he is (18, turning 19 in May).

His season-ending FotMob rating of 7.43 was the fourth highest of any Young Lion during OCB’s four-season history, and if we applied that same 3% growth for his next three seasons (taking him to 21 years old), he would see his rating go all the way up to 8.12, which would match Jacen Russell-Rowe (then of Columbus Crew 2, now of Toulouse in France) for the highest rating in league history. Ellis also continues to get called up to play with the U.S. Youth National Teams, so while I think in the beginning of 2025 he will be behind quite a few attacking players on Orlando City’s senior roster — and therefore playing frequently with OCB — by the second half of the season he may well force his way into consideration for minutes at the MLS level, especially if he keeps improving like he has recently.

The other 2025 OCB standout who is worthy of your love and attention is Guske, who, like Taifi, often was on the bench during MLS games last season, especially after Joran Gerbet went down with a season ending injury. The young midfielder did not rack up a lot of minutes during the regular season, but in the playoff game he was the one who got the call to come off the bench for the final 15 minutes with Orlando City desperately trying to make a comeback.

Guske just turned 19 at the end of January, yet he already has two seasons as a starter under his belt with OCB and has already played more than 40 games and 3,500 minutes at the MLS NEXT Pro level. The story is similar for the Jacksonville native as it was for Taifi and Ellis — a young player who performed well (a combined 6.90 FotMob rating during his two seasons) at an age that is a few years younger than the average age of a player in MLS NEXT Pro.

Like Ellis, but not Taifi, however, is that Guske plays at a position that is now quite deep at the senior level, as the Lions acquired Braian Ojeda and Luis Otávio in the off-season, and Wilder Cartagena returned from injury as well. Those three, plus Eduard Atuesta, are all likely ahead of Guske on the depth chart at the moment. Gerbet may be able to return from injury later in the season, adding another player into the mix, so even though Guske also has played well enough to get called up to play for U.S. youth teams recently, he is likely going to be blocked from MLS minutes initially.

The jury is out on Otávio, as he has yet to play, but as an MLS U22 Initiative player, he probably will get a serious look at whether he is ready to play and stay mostly with the senior team. Heine Gikling Bruseth also was signed as an MLS U22 Initiative player and he never saw the field, so it is not guaranteed that Otávio is ahead of Guske on the depth chart, but all the other established players likely are, so Guske will probably mostly be with OCB to start this season with increased responsibility to run the team from the central midfield. I think Guske will see some time this year with Orlando City, especially if there are injuries, but this will be a big year for him with OCB and then he will aggressively compete for minutes next season.

That brings me to the last OCB player who deserves your love and attention, and that is Gustavo Caraballo, one of the biggest wild cards on Orlando City’s roster. Caraballo is only 17 years old (he will turn 18 in August), but last season he played in six games for the Lions and scored two goals, while also playing more than 1,000 minutes for OCB (7.04 FotMob rating) and leading Orlando City’s academy team to a win at the U-18 Generation Adidas Cup. He also scored a goal in the MLS NEXT All-Star Game, played for the Venezuela in the FIFA U-17 World Cup, and was called up to camp with the senior Venezuela team in the fall. Sounds just about like what I had accomplished by the time I turned 18.

Caraballo primarily played out on the right last season, but with Marco Pašalić ahead of him, it is unlikely he has a path into the starting lineup on the right wing. Pašalić rarely played full matches last season, however, so there are minutes to be filled behind him. The Venezuelan may be much younger than everyone else on the roster, but he is preternaturally gifted and is clearly one of the most exciting young players to ever play for the Lions.

I am interested to see if he is permanently with Orlando City this season or if they think he still needs time with OCB, but I expect that he will mostly be with the senior Lions. And, if the rumors are true that Pašalić has teams interested in him in Europe, the Croatian may depart after the World Cup, leaving a spot on the right up for grabs. Not every young player with talent can be called (insert club name here)’s Lamine Yamal, but Caraballo fits that bill on many levels.

Last season’s OCB season did go as well as anyone hoped, but that was not due to a lack of talent on the roster. One year later, many of its top players are back and pushing to move up to Orlando City, and even those who start the season with OCB I am sure will be playing with that metaphorical chip on their shoulder to show that they belong on the field at Inter&Co Stadium.

As you celebrate your Valentine’s Day weekend, make sure to give some love to OCB by taking a look at the Young Lions’ schedule and finding a game or two that you can attend or watch from home. When you see the skill level of some of the young players in the Orlando City pipeline you will be glad you made the time, and who knows…you might find a new favorite Va-lion-tine.

Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City B

Orlando City B Announces Schedule for 2026 MLS NEXT Pro Season

Find out where, when, and who the Young Lions of OCB will play in 2026.

Published

4 weeks ago

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January 21, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City B

The 2026 MLS NEXT Pro schedule was released today, telling us where, when, and who Orlando City B will play in the team’s fifth year in the league. The addition of Connecticut United FC sees the league expand to 30 teams, with 27 MLS reserve sides and three independent clubs.

The schedule remains at 28 games, with Orlando City B playing 14 at home and 14 away. OCB’s home games will once again take place at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee.

OCB will start the 2026 season with a pair of home games, facing Huntsville City FC on Monday, March 2, and Chicago Fire FC II on Sunday, March 8. The first away game of the season is slated for Saturday, March 14, when the Young Lions face Carolina Core FC in High Point, NC.

The Young Lions will also end the upcoming season with a two-game homestand. They face Toronto FC II on Sunday, Sept. 13, and Atlanta United 2 on Sunday, Sept. 20. All Decision Day games in the Eastern Conference will start at 2 p.m., and the Western Conference game times have yet to be announced.

The Young Lions will compete in the 16-team Eastern Conference as part of the Southeast Division. Connecticut joins the Northeast Division, and Chicago moves to the Southeast Division. As a result, OCB’s division will consist of Atlanta, Carolina Core FC, Chattanooga FC, Chicago, Crown Legacy FC, Huntsville City FC, and Inter Miami II.

Once again, teams will only face those from their own conference, and OCB will play each team in its division three times. The Young Lions will face Atlanta, Chattanooga, and Chicago once at home and twice away. They’ll play Carolina, Crown Legacy, Huntsville, and Miami twice at home and once away.

The longest homestand this year is only two games, scheduled to happen four times, including the opening and closing matches of the season. OCB will spend the majority of July and August on the road with two three-game road trips, separated by an Aug. 19 home game against Huntsville City. 

Unlike MLS and the NWSL, MLS NEXT Pro will play through the 2026 FIFA World Cup. That spreads the games out a little more evenly than the other leagues. The busiest month is August, when OCB will play six games. The Young Lions are scheduled to play four games in March, May, June, and July, while only playing three times each in April and September.

Unsurprisingly, the most common day of the week the Young Lions will play is Sunday (18 times). They’ll play six times on Friday, twice on Wednesday, and once each on Monday and Friday. The most common kickoff time is 7 p.m. The Young Lions will play 20 games at that time, twice each at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., and once at 3 p.m., 5 p.m., 6 p.m., and 8 p.m.

OCB is scheduled to play six times on the same day as either Orlando City or the Pride. On March 14, the Young Lions travel to Carolina at 3 p.m. while the senior Lions host CF Montreal at 7:30 p.m. They host Miami at 7 p.m. on May 24 — the same time the Pride face San Diego Wave FC in California. On July 18, OCB will face Chattanooga FC at 7 p.m. in Tennessee while the Pride play in Utah at 8:45 p.m. The Young Lions face Connecticut away at 7 p.m. on Aug. 1 while City plays the New York Red Bulls in New Jersey at 7:30 p.m. On Aug. 19, OCB hosts Chattanooga FC at 7 p.m., while Orlando City hosts Chicago at 7:30 p.m. Finally, on Aug. 22, the Young Lions will face Atlanta away at 7 p.m. while City hosts Real Salt Lake at 7:30 p.m.

Orlando City B’s 2026 Schedule

  • Monday, March 2 — vs Huntsville City FC, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, March 8 — vs Chicago Fire FC II, 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, March 14 — at Carolina Core FC, 3 p.m.
  • Sunday, March 22 — vs Inter Miami CF II, 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, April 11 — at Chattanooga FC, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, April 19 — vs Carolina Core FC, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, April 26 — at Chicago Fire FC II, 4 p.m.
  • Sunday, May 3 — vs Crown Legacy FC, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, May 10 — at Atlanta United 2, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, May 17 — at New England Revolution II, 2 p.m.
  • Sunday, May 24 — vs Inter Miami CF II, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, June 7 — vs Carolina Core FC, 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, June 13 — at Huntsville City FC, 8 p.m.
  • Sunday, June 21 — vs Philadelphia Union II, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, June 28 — vs Columbus Crew 2, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, July 5 — at Crown Legacy FC, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, July 12 — at FC Cincinnati 2, 6 p.m.
  • Saturday, July 18 — at Chattanooga FC, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, July 26 — vs Huntsville City FC, 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, Aug. 1 — at Connecticut United FC, 7 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Aug. 12 — at New York City FC II, 5 p.m.
  • Sunday, Aug. 16 — at Chicago Fire FC II, 4 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Aug. 19 — vs Chattanooga FC, 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, Aug. 22 — at Atlanta United 2, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, Aug. 30 — vs Crown Legacy FC, 7 p.m.
  • Friday, Sept. 4 — at Inter Miami CF II, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, Sept. 13 — vs Toronto FC II, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, Sept. 20 — vs Atlanta United 2, 2 p.m.
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Orlando City

Four OCB Players Who Could Make MLS Debuts In 2026

Who are the most likely OCB players to make their first team-debuts during the 2026 season?

Published

1 month ago

on

January 5, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Orlando City has invested significantly in youth development since Luiz Muzzi and Ricardo Moreira arrived prior to the 2019 season. After signing just four players in the first five years after the club’s expansion announcement, Orlando City has signed 14 academy products to first-team deals in the last seven years.

While Muzzi departed the club this off-season, Moreira took over the role, so the emphasis developing homegrown talent is unlikely to change.

This past season alone, the club saw Colin Guske, Gustavo Caraballo, and Zakaria Taifi make their first-team debuts. Additionally, Tahir Reid-Brown, despite not getting on the field, was on the senior side’s bench for four games.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the most likely OCB players to join the first team for the 2026 season.

Tahir Reid-Brown, 19, Defender

The most likely player to make his first team debut in 2026 is 19-year-old fullback Reid-Brown. He’s already on an MLS contract and plays left back, a position currently of need for the Lions. The defender has been with the Young Lions for the last four years, making 56 appearances with 36 starts.

Reid-Brown initially played opposite Alex Freeman on the OCB back line before Freeman made the jump to the MLS squad and was replaced by Taifi, who also ended the 2025 campaign with the first team. 

Adding to the likelihood that Reid-Brown might see playing time is the uncertainty at left back. Adrian Marin is the current projected starting left back, but the Spaniard was less than impressive in his first season with Orlando City. Unless the club signs more depth at that position before the season begins, you can exepct to see Reid-Brown get some MLS playing time before long.

Jackson Platts, 18, Defender

Another player who could see his first team debut in 2026 is center back Jackson Platts. The 18-year-old was a regular OCB starter alongside Thomas Williams in 2024 before being relegated to the bench in 2025. However, the starter alongside Williams last season was Hayden Sargis, who didn’t come from the academy and is currently out of contract.

Like all defensive positions, the Lions have a lack of depth that could provide opportunities for young players. The only center backs are Robin Jansson and David Brekalo, forcing the need for a backup. The club also traded Williams, opening more room.

Platts is also a versatile option. While his natural position is center back, he’s also spent time as an outside back and in the midfield. That versatility could result in him seeing MLS action this year.

Justin Hylton, 18, Forward

The OCB player that took the biggest leap in 2025 was unquestionably Justin Hylton. The teenager was a star for the U-17 team before making his professional debut for the Young Lions. Originally a backup, he soon became a focal point of the attack and created problems for opposing defenses.

Hylton made his OCB debut on June 1 and didn’t start until Aug. 23. But he was in the starting lineup for the final six games of the season and was a crucial part of the team’s late successes. He ended the season with 11 appearances, starting six games, and recording two assists.

The only issue for Hylton is that his position is currently not the most in need. Whether the club sees him up top or in the attacking midfield, there are players in front of him. However, we could see him make his debut in an Open Cup or Leagues Cup game, if not as a late substitute in the regular season.

Dylan Judelson, 17, Midfielder

Judelson is another player who joined OCB from the academy in 2025. He started the season on an academy contract but signed to the club’s second team on Aug. 5. The defensive midfielder was a key part of the team from day one, starting the first four games of the season.

In all, Judelson made 20 appearances in 2025 with nine starts. He was in and out of the lineup with Guske, Riyon Tori, and Jhon Solis also seeing time in the role. But the Canadian youth international was very solid when on the field.

Although the departure of Cesar Araujo works in Judelson’s favor, he’s still behind veterans Eduard Atuesta, Braian Ojeda, and Wilder Cartagena, as well as Guske and MLS U22 Initiative signing Luis Otavio, while Joran Gerbet is also under contract but will miss the first part of the season recovering from a knee injury.

It’s a crowded field in front of Judelson in his position group, meaning he’ll have the biggest uphill climb of the players mentioned in this column to make his first-team debut. However, we could see the teenager with the first team for the first time this year if his development continues and there are injuries and suspensions ahead of him on the depth chart.

After years of the academy failing to produce talent for the first team, Orlando City has become one of the league’s standard bearers. That’s likely to continue this season, and it might be the start of a successful professional career at the senior level for these young players.

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