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Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Chicago Fire FC II: Final Score 3-2 as Young Lions Squander Lead then Mount Comeback Win

Juninho and Jack Lynn scored in the second half to lift OCB past Chicago Fire FC II in Kissimmee.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

The Young Lions of Orlando City B are rarely boring, whether winning or losing. OCB (10-7-2, 33 points) squandered an early 1-0 lead, fell behind, then came back to beat Chicago Fire FC II (6-7-6, 25 points) 3-2 at Osceola County Stadium tonight. Jack Lynn scored a brace, sandwiching his two goals around a Juninho strike. Billy Hency tied the game at 1-1 before the half, and Luka Prpa broke the deadlock and gave Fire FC II a lead early in the second half, but the Young Lions were able to rally at home once again.

“I think it was a really tough match for us,” OCB Head Coach Martin Perelman said after the game. “We faced a really good team. They press really well. We knew that. It’s so hard to play against them. But fortunately we were able to keep the three points. I believe the players had a good game. They had a good performance.”

Perelman’s starting lineup featured Javier Otero in goal behind a back line of Moises Tablante, Nabi Kibunguchy, Zakaria Taifi, and Alex Freeman. Cristian Medina played as a lone No. 6 in front of the back line, behind a midfield line of Jhon Solis, Juninho, Imanol Almaguer, and Shak Mohammed, with Lynn up top.

The match was fairly open from the start. Freeman got the first look at goal when he was send down the right side of the box in the second minute by Mohammed. The fullback hit his shot too close to goalkeeper Mihajlo Miskovic, who stuck out a foot to make the save.

Chicago then won a couple of corners but could do nothing with them.

The Young Lions grabbed the lead in the 10th minute. Almaguer ended up with the ball about 25 yards out from goal on the right side. He spotted Lynn making a run toward the back post and curled a beautiful cross in for Lynn to nod home. It was Lynn’s 11th goal of the season, putting him back in the Golden Boot race.

Lynn tried to make it 2-0 in the 17th minute but had his shot blocked.

Chicago nearly pulled the early OCB goal back a moments later. A slip by an Orlando City defender gave Omari Glasgow a breakaway. Otero came off his line and blocked Glasgow’s shot with his face to preserve the lead in the 18th minute. Two minutes later, the Young Lions gave the ball away inside their own penalty area while trying to play out of the back, but Hency turned and fired his shot just high and wide of the right post.

The Fire were forced to make a change in the 27th minute as defender Andreas Ueland picked up a knock and was replaced by Eric Leonard.

Two minutes later, the Young Lions came within inches of scoring twice. Juninho burst down the left side of the penalty area and fired a shot that Miskovic got a piece of but it got through him. The ball hit the right post and stayed out. Seconds later, the ball was sent in for Lynn, who headed it off the crossbar and Freeman tried to follow but couldn’t keep his shot on target.

Those misses were costly, as Chicago tied the match in the 35th minute. Kibunguchy got caught too high and he slipped, giving Fire FC II a transition opportunity. Freeman was also caught up field, so Chicago had two attackers on three defenders, but OCB wasn’t able to retain its defensive shape in transition. Charlie Ostrem had an easy pass across the box to Hency, who fired past Otero to make it 1-1.

“We had some mistakes, especially on defense that we paid (for) with goals,” Perelman said. “We missed a lot of opportunities for goals as well, but again, the players showed great heart to turn around the game and I really appreciate that, and we are so happy.”

Hency should have put Chicago up two minutes after his goal. The Fire roasted OCB’s high defensive line and had a 2-v-1 opportunity. Glasgow fed Hency from right to left but the shot missed the net. A minute after that, Glasgow had a shot blocked at the top of the area as Chicago stayed on the attack.

The Young Lions got back on the attack late in the half. Medina had a shot blocked from outside the area in the 41st minute, and moments later, Almaguer fired a shot in that was right at Miskovic. Mohammed had the last look of the half in the third minute of stoppage time. He streaked down the right side of the box but fired right at Miskovic at the near post, when he probably had a better option to cross it for Lynn.

The teams went to the break even at 1-1 and both could be considered fortunate not to be trailing.

OCB dominated possession in the first half (63%-37%), largely because Chicago was content to try to win the ball back and hit on the break. The Young Lions had more shots (8-7), shots on goal (5-2), corners (3-2), and passing accuracy (83.9%-71.4%).

OCB won a couple of quick corners to start the second half, but got burned on the second one. A high ball into the area was caught by Miskovic, who didn’t have to worry about Kibunguchy, who got wrapped up and bearhugged by a Chicago player. That enabled the Fire to break and it ended up down the right on Glasgow’s foot. He crossed for Prpa to finish, giving Chicago a 2-1 lead in the 50th minute (the announcer thought it was Hency, but it was Prpa).

Juninho tried to pull the goal right back all on his own. He dribbled from the midfield line all the way to the top of the area through multiple Chicago defenders. Once he got there, rather than even looking at his other options, he fired a shot that wasn’t directly at Miskovic, but it was close enough to the Chicago keeper to make for a comfortable save.

Perelman sent on Wilfredo Rivera and Abdi Salim for Mohammed and Freeman in the 54th minute, trying get his team back in the match. For Salim, it was his first action since sustaining a knee injury on May 19. Favian Loyola then replaced Taifi in the 64th for more attacking presence.

Just a minute after Loyola entered the match, OCB tied the game. The play started with a giveaway by Chicago, but it was yet another good individual effort by Juninho that allowed the Young Lions to level the game. He was surrounded just inside the top of the box but managed to fight through traffic and get the ball onto his right foot, blasting it past Miskovic to make it 2-2 in the 65th minute.

Just seconds after Juninho’s goal, Chicago got a good look. Prpa cut in from the right onto his left foot and sent a shot on target but sent it right at Otero. Two minutes later, Chicago again went on the break after OCB turned over the ball and a good cross nearly found Prpa, who collided with Otero and a foul was called on Chicago. Prpa had to leave the match for a concussion substitution.

Lynn got a few good looks just past the 70-minute mark and one eventually paid off. The first took place in the 71st minute when Tablante did well to get down the left side and fired in a cross that Lynn pegged for the inside of the near post. Miskovic got just enough of it to send it wide for a corner. Another cross off the ensuing set piece came to Lynn in front but it was just behind him and hit off his heel.

Lynn scored his second goal on an almost identical play to the one Miskovic stopped a minute earlier. Tablante got to the end line and fizzed a good, low cross into the box to Lynn at the near post. This time, Lynn was able to get more power on his shot and gave OCB the lead in the 72nd minute. It was Lynn’s 12th of the year, momentarily pushing him past Atlanta’s Nick Firmino for the Golden Boot lead.

“You always like scoring,” Lynn said. “Two crosses with Moises and Ima. It’s something we work on a lot in training, so it’s good to see those patterns we work on a lot in training come to fruition in games.”

“I’m happy for him,” Perelman said of Lynn’s performance. “He really wants to become the Golden Boot (winner) and I think he’s going to make it with his talent and with the help of the team that is doing a great job with him. He’s momentarily the top scorer in the league and I wish that he can finish like this the season. It’s important for him and for the team.”

OCB tried to put the game away just after taking the lead. A scramble in front in the 75th minute deflected high off the leg of Miskovic and nearly went in. A try on the other side of the net from a tight angle ended up going over the crossbar and out of play. In the 77th minute, Tablante did well to beat a man on the end line, bringing the ball into the area. He picked out Rivera near the top of the box but the Homegrown Player’s shot went high over the net. Loyola then forced a Miskovic save in the 78th minute.

From that point on, OCB just tried to survive, facing a series of set pieces. Chicago wasn’t able to do much with them, but did fashion a shot off a short corner in the 83rd minute. Noeh Hernandez curled in a left-footed shot that skipped in front of Otero. The OCB goalkeeper spilled it but regathered before a Fire II player could arrive.

Hernandez had a second chance in stoppage time after a foul was called on Solis. The free kick was from just outside the box on the right side. Hernandez curled a shot just over the bar in the 93rd minute. That was the last look for either side and OCB held on for the win.

OCB finished with the advantage in possession (58.8%-41.2%), shots (18-12), shots on target (11-5), corners (9-5), and passing accuracy (85.2%-75.3%). Despite such a lopsided statistical advantage, the Young Lions had to white knuckle it through the final minutes to preserve their lead.

The win momentarily lifts OCB to fourth in the Eastern Conference and second in the Central Division.

“I thought we played really well,” Lynn said. “We created a lot of chances, scored a few goals from them, and got punished twice in behind, which is something that we knew they were good at and we knew they were going to look for. But ultimately, I think we were able to put a lot of our chances away and win the game, so that was good.”

“We want to achieve a game that we can keep solid a clean sheet but we are not achieving that. That’s the truth,” Perelman said. “But despite that, the players are doing a good job. They are pushing. They never give up. At the end of the day they win and they turned around a result one more time here at home. We want to level up the players in a winning environment, with a good identity and I believe we are doing that job and I’m happy for our club.”


The Young Lions will be back in action Monday, July 31, when they visit New York Red Bulls II at 7 p.m.

Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Inter Miami II: Final Score 3-2 as OCB Falls To In-State Rivals

OCB fell to Inter Miami II for the third time in the last four meetings.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Orlando City B (3-2-1, 11 points) fell 3-2 to Inter Miami II (2-3-1, 7 points) tonight at IMG Academy in Bradenton. Tyler Hall gave Miami the early lead before Tahir Reid-Brown equalized midway through the first half. Mateo Saja gave Miami back the lead just before halftime, and Idoh Zeltzer-Zubida put the game out of reach in the second half. Shak Mohammed converted a penalty in the dying moments, but it wasn’t enough as the Young Lions fell to their in-state rivals.

OCB and Inter Miami II played at IMG Academy for the second consecutive year as part of the Generation Adidas Cup. While it was a neutral site game, Miami was the designated home team.

Several OCB regulars didn’t play in this game because they’re representing the club’s U-18 team in the Generation Adidas Cup. As a result, OCB Head Coach Manuel Goldberg made six changes to the team that won 1-0 over New England Revolution II on April 9.  Carlos Mercado, Noham Abdellaoui, Riyon Tori, Hayden Sargis, Juan Quevedo, and Dyson Clapier entered the starting lineup for Javier Otero, Jackson Platts, Colin Guske, Gustavo Caraballo, Justin Ellis, and Thalles.

The back line in front of Mercado in goal was Reid-Brown, Abdellaoui, Thomas Williams, and Zakaria Taifi. Sargis and Tori were the defensive midfielders behind Clapier, Quevedo, and Jhon Solis with Mohammed up top.

Neither team was able to create anything in the first 10 minutes. The first chance of the game came in the 12th minute when Mohammed was sent over the top and behind the Miami back line. However, a heavy first touch allowed Miami goalkeeper Ivan Schmid to come off his line and collect the ball.

Three minutes later, it was the opposition that struck first. A Sargis foul in the OCB third gave Miami a set piece. Zeltzer-Zubida took the free kick, sending the ball into the box. Sargis and Bailey Sparks tried to get a touch, but it went through to the back post. Hall beat Williams to the ball, tapping it in to give Miami a 1-0 lead.

Miami nearly doubled their advantage in the 20th minute when a chip over the back line for Saja nearly fell perfectly for the attacker. However, Saja was unable to get his foot on it and Mercado collected the ball.

The Young Lions found their equalizer in the 23rd minute from an unlikely source. Solis made a long run to the end line and sent the ball in front of goal. Unfortunately, Mohammed couldn’t turn it on target. But the ball went directly to Tori. The rookie played it left to Clapier on the far side of the box, and he laid it off for Reid-Brown rather than shooting himself. The left back sent a hard, low shot through traffic and just inside the far post to even the game at 1-1.

A defensive mistake nearly gave the lead right back to Miami in the 26th minute. Williams received a pass back by Reid-Brown and immediately gave it up to Saja. The attacker was in on goal and took a shot, but Mercado did well to make the save with his left hand, pushing it wide. Miami was unable to create anything from the ensuing corner kick and the Young Lions escaped.

In the 30th minute, Taifi sent a dangerous low cross into the box. The ball went through several players before landing at the feet of Clapier. The midfielder attempted a first-touch shot, but he was falling backward and sent the attempt well over the top.

OCB had a good chance to take the lead in the 40th minute when Reid-Brown was sent down the left. The left back caught up to the ball and sent a low cross to Mohammed making a run to the near post. The forward met the ball but sent it wide.

The Young Lions felt they should’ve had a penalty in the 41st minute when Hall and Quevedo raced for a ball over the top. As they entered the box, Hall threw his arm up and into Quevedo. The OCB midfielder went down and Schmid collected the ball. But the referee determined it wasn’t a penalty.

OCB paid for its missed chances in the 44th minute when Miami retook the lead. Sparks made a run down the left and sent a hard, low cross into the box. Saja got his heel to the ball, redirecting it past Mercado and in to give Miami a 2-1 lead.

After 45 minutes, Miami had more shots (5-4), shots on target (3-1), crosses (4-2), and corner kicks (2-0). OCB had better passing accuracy (83.9%-82.3%).

The first chance of the second half came in the 50th minute when Preston Plambeck dribbled across the top of the box before shooting from distance. It looked like the shot might’ve taken a deflection off a defender, but Mercado handled the attempt.

Miami doubled its advantage in the 55th minute with a great goal by Zeltzer-Zubida. The midfielder received a pass on the left and dribbled across the top of the box, passing Taifi and Solis before unleashing a rocket. Mercado dove to his left, but he didn’t really have a chance as the ball rippled the net to give Miami a commanding 3-1 lead.

The Young Lions tried to respond, creating a chance in the 56th minute. The low cross into the box found Quevedo, who tried to guide it inside the far post. Unfortunately, he didn’t get much on the ball, sending it wide.

In the 64th minute, a Solis pass found Taifi and Mohammed, who appeared to run into each other. Fortunately, Mohammed left it for Taifi and the defender took a touch before firing from very long distance. He was trying to catch Schmid off his line but sent the attempt wide.

Solis sent Mohammed down the right in the 66th minute. The forward had to decide between shooting and sending the ball across the box. He chose the latter, but nobody was making a run and the ball went harmlessly through.

Goldberg made his first and only change of the game in the 68th minute. Zinedine Rodriguez came into for Clapier.

The Young Lions nearly found an equalizer in the 85th minute. Taifi’s corner kick was cleared away, but Solis took possession and played Taifi back down the right. The defender sent a cross into the box that found the head of Williams. The center back’s header was traveling just inside the post, but Schmid dove to his left, knocking the ball wide.

Taifi drew a foul 25 yards away from goal as the game reached second-half stoppage time. Solis stood over the ball by himself, taking the set piece. The midfielder went directly for goal, sending a strong shot towards the near post. However, Schmid dove to his left, catching the attempt.

In the third minute of stoppage time, OCB got another chance from a corner kick. The set piece was sent to the back post, where Mohammed was waiting. Unfortunately, the forward wasn’t able to get over the ball, sending it over the crossbar.

In the ninth minute of stoppage time, Taifi beat his defender and dribbled into the box. Cristian Ortiz came in from behind, taking the defender down. The referee immediately pointed to the spot, awarding OCB a penalty.

As OCB’s leading scorer, Mohammed stepped up to the spot to take the kick. The striker sent the Miami goalkeeper the wrong way, cutting the deficit to 3-2.

Two minutes later, the Young Lions felt they should’ve had a chance to equalize. Taifi’s cross resulted in contact in the box. Mohammed came flying in with a high foot and was called for the foul. OCB’s team and bench appealed for a penalty on the initial pass, but the referee disagreed.

That was the last chance as the Young Lions fell to Inter Miami II for the third time in their last four meetings. OCB is now winless in five straight against Miami, not having beaten the Herons since a 1-0 win on May 25, 2023.

OCB ended the game with more shots (13-9) and corner kicks (5-2). Miami finished with the advantage in shots on target (6-5), crosses (5-4), and passing accuracy (84.2%-83.6%).

Three points would’ve seen OCB match Chattanooga FC on top of the Eastern Conference, albeit having played one more game. Instead, the Young Lions sit in second, three points off the top. They’re only one point ahead of New York Red Bulls II, having played two more games.


The Young Lions have a 12-day break before they take the field again. It’ll be a crucial game against Red Bulls II on April 27 at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee.

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Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. New England Revolution II: Final Score 1-0 as Young Lions Stay Unbeaten at Home

OCB took down previously undefeated New England Revolution II to move into a tie for first place in the Eastern Conference.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Orlando City B (3-0-1, 11 points) took down New England Revolution II (4-2-1, 8 points) 1-0 tonight at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee. Shak Mohammed’s 81st-minute goal was the difference as the Young Lions took all three points and remained unbeaten at home in 2025 (2-0-1).

The midweek game saw five players return to OCB from the first team after being on the bench in Philadelphia over the weekend. Javier Otero, Thomas Williams, Colin Guske, Gustavo Caraballo, and Mohammed entered the lineup for Carlos Mercado, Noham Abdellaoui, Hayden Sargis, Dylan Judelson, and Dyson Clapier.

The back line in front of Otero in goal was Tahir Reid-Brown, Jackson Platts, Williams, and Zakaria Taifi. Guske and Jhon Solis were the defensive midfielders behind Mohammed, Justin Ellis, and Caraballo with Thalles up top.

New England was the better team for much of the game, creating more chances than the hosts. However, few of those opportunities were on frame. OCB only had one or two threatening chances in the first 80 minutes, mostly coming right at the end of the first half. But Mohammed came through when his team needed him, striking with less than 10 minutes remaining.

The first shot of the game came in the fifth minute when Marcos Dias carried the ball near the top of the OCB box and fired. But Williams stepped up and blocked the attempt with his back.

A minute later, Gevork Diarbian received a long ball on the left and took Taifi one-on-one. The attacker made a move before trying to curl the ball around the defender and Otero, but sent the shot wide of the far post.

In the eighth minute, OCB was slow to react to a header, allowing Alex Monis to take possession. He carried the ball to the end line before sending the ball toward the penalty spot. Liam Butts and Diarbian tried to get a touch on it with their backs to goal. Instead, it went to Eric Klein, whose shot was right at Otero.

OCB had its first chance in the 11th minute when Solis intercepted a pass from Hesron Barry. The midfielder sprinted down field, finding Caraballo making a run behind the New England back line. The teenager opened up to shoot with his first touch, sending the shot right into the hands of New England goalkeeper Donovan Parisian.

Revs II had a great chance in the 14th minute when Dias played Diarbian down the left. The midfielder was charging towards the end line and sent a low ball across the box. Monis was making a run into the six and slid in between Williams and Reid-Brown, but he couldn’t get on the end of the ball.

Darbian sent another ball into the box in the 24th minute. It looked like Platts was going to clear it, but the center back didn’t get much on it. The attempted clearance went directly to Dias, whose first touch was an awkward shot from his heels. The attacker wasn’t able to get much on it, sending the ball harmlessly wide.

OCB got its second chance in the 27th minute when Caraballo sent a low ball to the top of the box where Mohammed was making a run. The Young Lions’ leading scorer met the pass and tried to put his first touch on goal. However, the defender got a touch to the ball, making the block.

OCB Head Coach Manuel Goldberg was forced to make an early change in the 30th minute when Thalles went down away from the play. The forward received treatment for a few minutes before being replaced by Clapier.

Solis drew a foul in the 32nd minute in the New England third, creating a rare first-half chance for the Young Lions. He quickly played the set piece short to Mohammed who spotted Caraballo making a run into the box. New England was unprepared as Caraballo touched the ball by a sliding Barry. However, his shot was over the crossbar.

Diarbian continued to cause problems for OCB on the left, finding Dias at the top of the box in the 42nd minute. The attacker took a shot, but Guske did well to get in front of the attempt.

After defending for much of the first half, OCB finally created a few chances in the dying minutes.

A give-and-go between Taifi and Solis in the 44th minute saw the former send a cross in that was headed out for a corner kick .Caraballo took the corner kick, sending it towards the back post where Platts was waiting. He had space to put the ball on target, but failed to get a clean touch on the ball and it went out of play.

In the first minute of stoppage time, Clapier’s shot was deflected out for a corner kick. The ensuing set piece was towards Platts in the box. A defender got to it first, but the ball popped up instead of out. Platts got a foot to the ball but couldn’t get any power behind it, sending it directly to Parisian.

A minute later, Caraballo had a shot blocked out for a corner kick. The Young Lions couldn’t create anything from this set piece and the half ended scoreless.

At halftime, New England had more shots (9-5), but OCB had the edge in crosses (4-3), corner kicks (3-1), and passing accuracy (88%-86.4%). Meanwhile, both teams put one chance on target.

“We talked in halftime that the game was very even,” Goldberg said about his halftime speech. “So, we said it’s about wanting it just a little bit more than them. And that’s what we tried to do.”

The second half got off to a much slower start. Both teams tried to create attacks but were unable to get anything from them.

Goldberg made his second change in the 55th minute. Riyon Tori came into the game for Ellis.

Shortly after the substitution, Butts created a chance with little space. The attacker looked to be covered, but he found enough space for a shot. It forced Otero to make a block with one hand, sending the ball out of play.

Butts had another chance in the 59th minute when Dias carried the ball to the end line. Dias played it back for Butts near the top of the six-yard box, and Butts’ first touch was a shot, but it went wide of the near post.

Solis gave the ball away to Olger Escobar in the 71st minute, creating another chance for New England. Damorney Hutchinson took possession on the right, trying to beat Otero to his near post. But his shot was blocked into the outside of the net.

Guske found Taifi on the right side of the box in the 74th minute. The defender was able to find enough space for a shot, but couldn’t get over it, sending his shot over the crossbar.

Goldberg made his final change in the 78th minute. It was a defensive change as Sargis came into the game for Caraballo. Taifi moved from right back to right midfield to make room.

OCB didn’t have many quality chances in this game, but the Young Lions took the lead in the 81st minute. Platts received the ball on the right in a seemingly innocuous position. He sent Mohammed between Gabriel Dahlin and Victor Souza. Dahlin’s hand went up, but the assistant referee determined the forward was onside. Mohammed slipped the ball through Parisian — who got a touch on it but couldn’t keep it out — to give OCB the lead.

“I tried the pass before. I had the space to beat the left winger, so it was a big touch. Then Shak obviously made the run,” Platts said about his assist. “First pass, he told me to play it earlier. So, next time I saw him I just played it earlier. And it was a goal.”

It was the first goal conceded by New England in nearly four full games to start the 2025 season.

It looked like the visitors might find an equalizer in the 84th minute when Escobar kept possession under pressure and laid it off for Allan Oyirworth. The midfielder had space for a shot, but Sargis got in the way to block it.

In the third minute of stoppage time, Judah Siqueira lifted the ball into the box for Hutchinson. Platts was against his back and Hutchinson went down. However, there was minimal if any contact. While New England appealed for a penalty, the referee correctly didn’t award one.

New England ended the game with more shots (15-9), shots on target (4-3), and crosses (8-4). OCB had better passing accuracy (87.9%-84.2%) and the all-important goal. Both teams ended up with five corner kicks.

“We knew it was going to be tough. That’s why they were undefeated,” Goldberg said about the game. “That’s why they haven’t received goals. So, we knew it was going to be tough.”

The win moves the Young Lions into a tie for first place with Chattanooga FC atop the Eastern Conference on points. However, the Tennessee-based independent club has a game in hand and the all-important tiebreaker in goal differential.


OCB will take the field again on Tuesday against rival Inter Miami CF II. The game will  be at IMG Academy in Bradenton, but OCB is the designated away team.

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Orlando City B

Orlando City B’s Loss to Chattanooga Shows Impact Of Shak Mohammed

Shak Mohammed’s importance to OCB was on display in Saturday night’s loss in Chattanooga.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B

Orlando City B faced an independent team Saturday night, putting the Young Lions in a unique position. When they face fellow reserve sides, the games are usually the day after the first team plays. But Saturday night’s game was at the same time, and it showed issues in the OCB attack.

Chattanooga FC is one of two independent teams currently playing in MLS NEXT Pro. As you would expect, the Tennessee-based side plays most of its home games on Saturday nights, when they can draw bigger crowds.  Unfortunately, that means the Young Lions took the field the same night as the senior side, kicking off just 30 minutes prior to the MLS squad’s match in Philadelphia.

A lack of bodies for the first team meant multiple OCB regulars had to join the senior Lions for their trip to Philadelphia. The biggest loss for the game in Chattanooga was undoubtedly Shak Mohammed, who started on the bench for Orlando City.

While Mohammed has yet to claim his place with the first team, he’s made a major impact on the second team. His 11 goals last season led the Young Lions, and he has the team lead in goals this season with two in the first three games, including a goal in each of the two previous contests.

The 21-year-old’s absence was apparent Saturday night in Tennessee. Justin Ellis started in the position Mohammed usuallly occupies with Thalles starting up top. Meanwhile, Zakaria Taifi moved from his usual defensive position into the attacking midfield.

All three players had chances early in the game. While Ellis played the distributor, Thalles and Taifi had clear chances in the first 45 minutes. However, neither player was able to put the ball past Chattanooga goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic, who had seven saves on the night.

The missed opportunities showed an issue that OCB might face in the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro season. The better Mohammed plays, the more likely he is to be with the first team. This usually won’t be a problem, as the two teams rarely play on the same days. But you can’t depend on that for the team’s success this season.

If OCB wants to improve on the 2024 campaign and win a postseason game for the first time in team history, the Young Lions will need others in the attack to step up. Otherwise, it could be frustrating nights when Mohammed is unavailable.

The lack of offensive efficiency Saturday night also showed how good Mohammed has been with the second team. Obviously, the third-division league is a much lower quality than the first-division MLS, but it leads to a question about Mohammed’s future in Orlando.

The forward was a first-round selection out of Duke in 2023. The Lions gave up Ruan in a trade with D.C. United to move up in the MLS SuperDraft, taking Mohammed with the second overall pick. Now in his third professional season, he hasn’t made the impression you’d expect from someone taken so high.

To be fair, we were seeing this with Jack Lynn as well. The 2022 first-round MLS SuperDraft pick was tearing it up in MLS NEXT Pro without seeing much time with the first team. However, he was clearly taking positive steps and was beginning to play a bigger role before retiring this past off-season.

Lynn’s departure left a spot Mohammed could fill for both teams, and he’s done a good job with OCB. His 11 goals showed a significant increase from his six goals for the Young Lions in 2023, despite only playing in two more games. Now, he just needs to show improvement with the first team.

Saturday night’s disappointing offensive performance by OCB showed Mohammed’s impact in the attack. While the Young Lions are a dangerous team with the Ghanaian in the lineup, nobody stepped up to fill his production in Chattanooga, resulting in the team’s first loss of the season. It showed the impact the attacker has had on the team this year and the improvements of his game.

Watching Moahmmed the remainder of the season will be interesting. Will he finally make the jump to appearing regularly with the first team? Will Ellis or Thalles fill Moahmmed’s production when he’s away? We should find out these answers in the near future.

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