Connect with us

Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Inter Miami II: Final Score 2-0 as OCB Suffers First Loss of 2024

OCB drops “home opener” to Inter Miami II at IMG Academy for the team’s first loss of 2024.

Published

11 months ago

on

Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Orlando City B (1-1-1, 5 points) fell for the first time in the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season, losing 2-0 to Inter Miami II (2-0-1, 7 points) in a “home game” at IMG Academy in Bradenton. Alejandro Flores gave Miami the lead in the 21st minute and Bryan Destin doubled the advantage in the 64th minute.

OCB Head Coach Manuel Goldberg made six changes to the team that drew Huntsville City FC 1-1 and claimed the extra point on penalties. With the first team not playing this coming weekend, several MLS-contracted players returned to OCB for this rivalry game. Javier Otero, Alex Freeman, Abdi Salim, Jeorgio Kocevski, and Jack Lynn entered the lineup — along with OCB regular Wilfredo Rivera — replacing Carlos Mercado, Zakaria Taifi, Tahir Reid-Brown, Colin Guske, Thomas Bowe, and Justin Ellis. Of the six players replaced, only Guske and Ellis weren’t on the bench tonight.

The Young Lions lined up with Freeman, Nabi Kibunguchy, Salim, and Manuel Cocca in front of Otero. Kocevski and Imanol Almaguer were behind Rivera, Jhon Solis, and Yutaro Tsukada with Lynn as the lone striker.

This was a game of missed opportunities by OCB . The Young Lions dominated possession and chances throughout the 90 minutes, but rarely hit the target. Meanwhile, poor giveaways in bad areas gave the opposition chances and they were much more clinical.

OCB got the first couple of attacking opportunities, dribbling into the Miami box from the left. In the second minute, Tsukada sent a dangerous low cross into the Miami box, but it was cleared away. Five minutes later, the midfielder shielded Nykolas Sessock, who had a hold of his shirt, and found Rivera in front of goal. The former first-team player’s first touch was a shot towards goal, but he sent the attempt over the target.

Miami’s first chance came in the 12th minute when the South Florida side began a counter attack from a blocked Tsukada cross. Quick passing saw the ball sent long for Destin, who was in a foot race with Kibunguchy. The center back got to the ball first, but Destin won it from him and created a shot from outside the box. He shot for the far post and sent the ball wide.

While the Young Lions had most of the early possession and chances, it was Miami that took the lead. It began from a strong buildup, with Sessock receiving the ball on the right. Salim stepped up to block the defender’s cross, but it went right to Flores. The midfielder had plenty of time, sending the ball past Otero and inside the far post to give Miami a 1-0 lead.

OCB quickly went forward at the kickoff and created a chance of its own. In the 23rd minute, Tsukada sent a cross in for Rivera, but Tye Barton knocked it out of play for an OCB corner kick. Rivera’s set piece was headed down by Kibunguchy in the box, landing at the feet of Freeman. The right back quickly shot, but sent the attempt over the target from just outside of the six-yard box.

Rivera had a chance in the 30th minute as he carried the ball into the Miami box. He had Ricardo Montenegro all over him, but did well to shield the ball and get a shot off. Miami goalkeeper Cole Jensen didn’t have a chance to stop it as the ball headed towards his left post. Unfortunately for the Young Lions, the attempt bounced off the woodwork, enabling Miami to clear.

In the 31st minute, Lynn found Kocevski in the box. The rookie’s shot was blocked by Tyler Hall, but went right to Lynn. The 2023 MLS NEXT Pro Golden Boot winner took a shot of his own, but missed the target.

The Young Lions had another opportunity in the 41st minute when Cocca sent a dangerous cross into the box from the left. Rivera and Freeman were both there and attempted to get their heads on the ball, but it ended up in the arms of Jensen.

At the end of the first half, OCB had more shots (6-5), corners (6-1), and crosses (5-1). However, Miami put three shots on target while OCB was unable to put any on frame, a determining factor in why the Young Lions went into the break trailing rather than leading.

Miami had a golden opportunity to extend its lead just after halftime when, in the 48th minute, Salim gave the ball away to Flores as the last defender. The first-half goal scorer had a breakaway with Salim chasing behind, but sent his shot straight to Otero.

In the 51st minute, Almaguer’s headed clearance attempt went to Montenegro, who darted the other way. He played it wide for Destin, who found Ryan Carmichael at the far post. The forward brought it down with his thigh and shot, but Tsukada got in front and blocked the attempt.

Miami maintained the ball, playing it back into its own third. The Young Lions put pressure on the back line, forcing a turnover. A quick pass forward by Cocca for Lynn saw the striker dribbling inside to find space for a shot, but he missed the target wide right.

The Young Lions finally got a shot on target in the 56th minute. It was a wonderful individual effort by Rivera, who did well to beat Flores and get a shot off from about 25 yards out. The shot was hard and on target towards the top right corner, but Jensen was able to get in front and knock it out of play.

In the 57th minute, Freeman won the ball back quickly after losing it and sent Lynn behind the Miami back line. Barton caught up to the OCB striker and got in front, but Lynn used some quick movements to gain enough space to take a shot. He was looking for the far post from a tight angle, but missed wide.

Goldberg made his first change of the game in the 63rd minute and it was a like-for-like substitution as Shak Mohammed entered the game for Rivera.

Shortly after the substitution, OCB gave up a second goal. A quick pass on a 50-50 ball by Flores began a break for Carmichael. The forward found Destin between the center backs, enabling him to gain possession and get in on goal. Destin took the attempt well, beating Otero to his near post and giving Miami a 2-0 lead.

In the 68th minute, a short OCB corner created another good chance for the Young Lions. Tsukada sent the ball towards the back post where Kibunguchy headed it down. Lynn stuck his foot out to reach the ball, but sent it wide of the post.

Goldberg made three more changes in the 81st minute. Tsukada, Cocca, and Kocevski were replaced by Favian Loyola, Diego Pareja, and Tahir Reid-Brown.

Mohammed worked hard after coming on and created an opportunity for himself in the 90th minute. While making a long run from near midfield, no defenders stepped up. The attacker continued his run to the top of the Miami box and took a hard shot, but it was right to Jensen.

Three minutes into second-half stoppage time, Mohammed sent a great ball across the box with Lynn entering the six. The striker nearly redirected it on goal, but couldn’t quite reach the pass.

Seconds later, Loyola made a great turn to beat Destin. The forward caught back up to Loyola and pushed him down. The OCB substitute fell into the box, but the initial contact was just outside. Lynn stepped up to take the set piece, but drilled it into the wall.

Shortly after, Almaguer turned the ball over after a quick free kick. Miami went the other way with Destin leading the charge. As Williams and Kibunguchy sprinted back, Destin had second-half substitute Cristian Ortiz in the middle. Williams held Destin up just enough to allow Kibunguchy to block the pass away. Without the defensive efforts by Williams and Kibungucuhy, it would likely have been 3-0.

That was the last chance of the game for either team as the Young Lions lost for the first time in this young season. At full time, OCB had more shots (14-9), corners (13-4), and crosses (14-4), and better passing accuracy (85.6%-78.4%). However, the Young Lions only put two shots on target while Miami put five on frame, the difference in the 2-0 defeat.

After defeating Atlanta United 2 and drawing Huntsville City FC, OCB suffered its first loss of the season. While the Young Lions are still off to a decent start, this game will hurt because of the missed chances they had. It was a particularly tough game for Lynn, who had multiple opportunities in front of goal, but couldn’t put any of them on target.

The Young Lions will now head back out on the road for another two-game road trip, beginning in Pennsylvania against Philadelphia Union II next Thursday night.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

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

2 weeks ago

on

January 30, 2025

By

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.

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 weeks 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

1 month 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

Trending