Connect with us

Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. New York Red Bulls II: Final Score 3-1 as OCB Claims First Home Win of 2024

OCB uses two early goals to beat New York Red Bulls II.

Published

2 years ago

on

Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Orlando City B (3-2-3, 13 points) won its first home game of the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season, 3-1 tonight over New York Red Bulls II (4-2-3, 17 points) at Osceola County Stadium. Shak Mohammed and Yutaro Tsukada both scored inside the first six minutes to give the Young Lions an early 2-0 lead, and Tsukada scored his second in the 34th minute. A second-half penalty by Ibrahim Kasule got one back for the visitors, but they couldn’t find any more.

OCB Head Coach Manuel Goldberg made two changes to the team that drew Chattanooga FC 1-1 away on Saturday. Carlos Mercado replaced Javier Otero in goal, while Alex Freeman returned to the starting lineup, sending Zakaria Taifi to the bench. The back line in front of Mercado was Manuel Cocca, Thomas Williams, Nabi Kibunguchy, and Freeman. Imanol Almaguer and Colin Guske were the defensive midfielders behind Wilfredo Rivera, Jhon Solis, and Tsukada. Mohammed started up top for the fifth consecutive game.

The Young Lions started the game as the aggressors, jumping on their opponents and taking an early two-goal lead. Mercado didn’t have much to do in goal during the first 45 minutes and only faced a couple of dangerous situations in the second half. Both teams had some bad giveaways that could’ve been devastating, but neither were able to take advantage. While New York threatened to score a second late, the Young Lions were never in danger of losing the lead.

OCB got off to the best possible start by striking just over 90 seconds after kickoff. It started with Tsukada in his own half, making a long run that included a give-and-go with Rivera. Tsukada fired from the top of the box, but hit the left post. The ball bounced right to Mohammed, who controlled it and shot with his second touch. New York goalkeeper Aidan Stokes got a hand to it, but it wasn’t enough as the striker gave the hosts the early 1-0 lead. It was his second straight match with a goal.

“Especially the first 10 minutes, we conceded the early goal the last few games,” Tsukada said about the quick start. “So we’ve been talking about the first 10 minutes to be more aggressive to get the first goal.”

It didn’t take OCB long to double its advantage, doing so in the sixth minute. Guske sent a long ball from his own half that found Tsukada at the top of the New York box. Dylan Sullivan was on the rookie, but gave up defending when he saw Stokes near the top of the box. Tsukada dribbled around the goalkeeper, making it an easy finish and giving the Young Lions a commanding 2-0 lead inside 10 minutes.

“I was trying to get in behind because I haven’t been scoring the last five games. So I was trying to score,” Tsukada said about his goal. “And then getting behind was important for me.”

The visitors had their first opportunity in the eighth minute when Omar Valencia sent a cross into the OCB box. It was headed out by Cocca, but only to Steven Sserwadda outside of the box. The midfielder sent the bouncing ball towards goal, but missed wide of the target.

New York had a second attempt in the 10th minute when Guske won the ball from Rafael Mosquera, but immediately lost possession. Frank Ssebufu quickly shot for the far post but missed wide.

In the 16th minute, Mohammed nearly scored his second of the night when Rivera forced Juan Gutierrez into a turnover by pressing him. The ball bounced right to Mohammed who only had Stokes in front of the goal. However, the striker slipped while attempting to shoot, sending the ball into the outside of the net.

Red Bulls II almost had a chance in the 21st minute when a poor tackle attempt by Kibunguchy enabled Mohammed Sofo to enter the box. Fortunately, Kibunguchy recovered well, catching up to the attacker and clearing the ball out of play. It took four consecutive corner kicks, but the final one went all the way through the box, enabling the Young Lions to clear the danger.

On the other end, OCB should’ve had a third goal when Solis dribbled to the end line and found Tsukada in the middle of the box. However, the midfielder took too many touches, enabling the New York defense to recover and win possession. Making matters worse, Tsukada had Mohammed open but couldn’t find him.

The Young Lions got their third goal in the 34th minute from a set piece. It started when Tsukada made a long run down the left and was pushed over by Bento Estrela, earning him a yellow card. Tsukada took the free kick, which deflected off a defender, catching Stokes going the wrong way and giving OCB a 3-0 lead.

Tsukada’s second of the night was an important goal, coming after a number of defensive third turnovers threatened to allow New York back into the match.

The Young Lions then created another set piece near the New York box in the 39th minute when Rivera cut back and won a foul from Gutierrez. Cocca and Tsukada stood over the ball with Cocca taking the set piece. However, his free kick was well over the target and never caused any concern for Stokes.

In the 43rd minute, Omar Valencia sent a cross towards the back post that met the head of Ssebufu, jumping over Williams. The header was over the crossbar, but New York won the goal kick back with its press and created another chance for Ssebufu. The midfielder’s second shot was further off target, missing wide.

In the final minute of first-half injury time, Sullivan’s ball into the box was cleared out by Kibugnuchy but only to Mosquera. The forward used some nifty footwork to cut back and lose Guske before getting off a shot. However, Williams got his body in the way and blocked the attempt, enabling the Young Lions to take a 3-0 lead into halftime.

After 45 minutes, New York had more shots (8-7), corners (5-2), and crosses (6-2) than the hosts, but OCB had more shots on target (3-2) and better passing accuracy (89.8%-85.7%). Most importantly, all of OCB’s shots on frame went in as the Young Lions took a three-goal lead into the break.

Goldberg made two changes at halftime, one defensive and one offensive. Abdi Salim replaced Williams at center back and Justin Elliis replaced Rivera in the attack.

Red Bulls II created the first chance of the second half in the 51st minute when Kasule drew a foul just outside of the OCB box. Three attackers stood over the ball, but it was Sofo who took the set piece. However, he sent it directly into the wall, enabling OCB to clear.

The visitors found their first goal of the night in the 55th minute when Sofo dribbled across the box. Guske charged in with an ill-advised challenge from behind, taking down the attacker. Referee Russell Miller immediately pointed to the spot, awarding New York a penalty.

Kasule stepped up to take the penalty, doing so with confidence. As Mercado dove to his right, Kasule put the spot kick into the opposite top corner. It was an excellent penalty that Mercado couldn’t have reached even if he had guessed correctly. As a result, the OCB lead was cut to 3-1.

In the 63rd minute, Tsukada attempted to take on a double team consisting of Sullivan and Sserwadda after receiving a long ball by Cocca. Sullivan defended the midfielder well, winning the ball and tapping it to Sserwadda. However, Cocca quickly won it back and took a shot towards the far post. There was no way Stokes was going to reach the attempt, but the shot missed just wide.

The Young Lions felt they should’ve had a penalty in the 65th minute when Tsukada received a long ball forward from Guske. He played it inside for the oncoming Mohammed, who slipped while attempting to send his first touch inside the far post. The ball bounced off of Gutierrez and the OCB players thought it was a hand ball, but Miller determined otherwise.

Sofo attempted an ambitious shot in the 69th minute that would’ve been the goal of the season. It started when Sserwadda chipped the ball into the box for Kasule. The New York goal scorer found Sofo in the middle and the attacker turned and volleyed the ball. However, he wasn’t able to get over it, sending the attempt over the target.

Tsukada made an excellent run into the New York box in the 71st minute and nearly scored a fantastic goal. He had one man to beat, but Aidan O’Connor stood tall and made the stop as the last defender. Almaguer took control of the clearance and found Tsukada, again defended by O’Connor. The midfielder went down and OCB felt a penalty should have been called, but Miller only told Tsukada to get up.

Shortly after the play, Goldberg made his third change of the game as Favian Loyola replaced Solis.

New York nearly cut the deficit to one in the 74th minute when quick passing saw Tanner Rosborough with the ball on the right. The second-half substitute sent a low cross that went just past the sliding Salim and found Sofo right in front of goal. Mercado hadn’t been challenged much in this game, but stood his ground and blocked the shot.

OCB’s fourth substitution came in the 77th minute during the second-half hydration break, with Diego Pareja entering the game for Guske.

In the 80th minute, a mistake in the OCB box nearly resulted in a second goal for New York. It began with an innocuous free kick by Cocca back to Mercado. The goalkeeper sent a short pass forward to Almaguer, but the OCB captain couldn’t control it. Rosborough got to the ball first and played it over for Sofo, who took a shot. Fortunately, Mercado was there to make the stop.

An 81st-minute free kick in OCB’s own half nearly ended in a fourth goal when Almaguer played it forward for Freeman and the defender sent Loyola down the right. The substitute made a perfect pass between two defenders to Mohammed, sending the forward into the box. Mohammed attempted to guide the ball inside the far post with his first touch, but missed wide.

Freeman had a chance in the 84th minute when Loyola, after a give-and-go with Mohammed, played the ball into the middle of the field for Ellis. Rather than taking it himself, Ellis laid it off for Freeman making an overlapping run. The right back attempted a shot from a tight angle, but missed wide of the far post.

On the field for less than 10 minutes, Pareja went down in the 85th minute and required attention. Instead of going down a man while trying to keep the lead, per MLS NEXT Pro rules for lengthy injuries, Goldberg made his final substitution, replacing Pareja with Taifi.

Red Bulls II had a great chance at a second in the 88th minute when a ball across the box was just missed by Kasule and ended up with Juan Mina. The substitute sent the ball back across, which Mercado blocked with his leg. However, it only went to Rosborough right in front of goal. He tried to turn and put a shot inside the post, but missed wide.

The fourth official showed seven minutes of stoppage time and New York continued its attack. In the third minute, Sserwadda found Curtis Ofori at the top of the OCB box. The first touch by Ofori was a shot towards goal that sailed just over the crossbar. That was the last chance for the visitors as the Young Lions held on for the 3-1 win.

New York created more chances than OCB, ending the game with more shots (19-12) and shots on target (5-4). The Red Bulls also had more corners (6-4) and crosses (15-7). Meanwhile, the Young Lions had better passing accuracy (88.4%-85.5%).

The game was won on two early goals, a reversal from what OCB has been dealing with this season. The Young Lions have conceded inside the first 11 minutes in four of their first seven games and inside the first 10 minutes in their last two. Rather than being put on the back foot early, they put the opposition in that position tonight, something Goldberg was happy about.

“It was good to hit the first punch today. So finally we were able to overcome that,” Goldberg said about scoring early. “We were getting scored on in the first minutes, now we were able to reverse that. So that’s a really good point. It feels really good, mainly for them, because they had the attitude that we’ve been talking about. They did it by themselves. It was them. They are the protagonists. They are the ones responsible for the things. For the good things. So, very happy for that.”

The win is OCB’s first at home this season (1-2-0). That includes the game against Inter Miami II at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, which was officially a home game. The three goals equals the most the Young Lions have scored in a game this season, with the other being their 3-2 win away to Atlanta United 2 on March 16 in the season opener.

OCB is off this weekend before hitting the road with another weekday matchup. This one will be an afternoon affair at Columbus Crew 2 Wednesday, May 15 at noon.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Carolina Core FC: Final Score 2-2 (6-5) as Young Lions Squander Two-Goal Lead

OCB coughed up a two-goal, second-half lead to draw Carolina Core but earned a second point in the penalty shootout.

Published

10 hours ago

on

April 19, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Justin Glatt

Orlando City B (2-2-2, 10 points) returned home tonight, drawing 2-2 with Carolina Core FC (0-3-3, 3 points) at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee. Gustavo Caraballo converted from the spot and Pedro Leao scored an excellent goal to give the Young Lions a 2-0 lead at the break. But a beautiful shot by David Diaz and a mistake by Tristan Himes that allowed Nolan Evers to score saw the game end in a 2-2 draw.

While the Young Lions should have earned all three points, they won the penalty shootout 6-5 to claim two points from the contest.

OCB Head Coach Eddie Wilding made two changes from the team that lost 3-1 to Chattanooga FC on April 11. Titus Sandy, Jr. and Leao entered the starting lineup for Jaylen Yearwood and Harvey Sarajian.

The back line in front of Himes in goal was Bernardo Rhein, Sandy, Landon Okonski, and Parker Amoo-Mensah. Issah Haruna and Dylan Judelson were in the defensive midfield behind Matthew Balgodere, Dominik Baczewski, and Caraballo, with Leao up top.

OCB was the better team in the first half and nearly had a three-goal lead at the break if not for a quality save by Carolina goalkeeper Nick Holliday. But a poor three-minute period in the second half allowed the visitors to score twice, evening the game. The Young Lions were unable to convert on a late breakaway without getting a shot off, and the game ended in a draw.

The first attack came in the third minute when Thomas Raimbault sent a dangerous cross into the OCB box that found Arnaud Tattevin’s head. The header popped into the air with an attacker charging in, but Himes did well to come out and claim it. A minute later, Jesus Ibarra and Tattevin combined to send Jair Caiza behind Okonski on the left. The left back had space for a shot, but hit the outside of the net.

OCB had its first chance in the sixth minute when Caraballo made a good move to get behind Caiza and into the Carolina box. Caiza slid in with a desperate attempt to win the ball, making contact with Caraballo, who went down. Referee Abou Diaye pointed to the spot, awarding the Young Lions a penalty.

Caraballo stepped up to take the spot kick himself. As Holliday dove to his left, Caraballo sent the ball the opposite direction to give OCB the early 1-0 lead.

In the 13th minute, Caiza sent a cross towards the OCB box that Caraballo deflected out for a corner kick. The first attempt was cleared out of play by Amoo-Mensah, giving Carolina a second chance. This one was headed towards the penalty spot, where Tattevin attempted a volley that went wide of the far post.

The Young Lions took their second shot in the 24th minute when Sandy played the ball squarely to Rhein about 30 yards from the goal. Rather than sending a cross into the box, Rhein fired from long distance, sending his attempt well high and wide of the target.

In the 32nd minute, Caraballo lifted a ball into the box that the defense headed away. It looked like the attack was over, but Judelson slid in with an excellent tackle on Ibarra to win it back. Sandy quickly played it to Amoo-Mensah, who tapped it forward for Baczewski. The midfielder’s pass was through Ricardo Montenegro for Leao, who spun to beat Santiago Yepes before sending his shot past Holliday, giving the Young Lions a 2-0 lead.

The visitors almost got one back in the 39th minute when Tattevin played Raimbault behind the OCB back line. The attacker was free on goal, but Himes did well to come off his line and block the attempt. The ball bounced out off Tattevin for a goal kick, ending the threat.

OCB nearly had a third in the 43rd minute when Belgodere reached the end line and sent a great cross to the top of the six-yard box where Leao was making a run. The striker got his header on target, but he hit the shot too central, where Holliday still had to make a good reaction save — which he did — to keep it 2-0.

The ensuing corner kick found Baczewski’s head as the midfielder made a near post run, but his attempt was wide.

Carolina led most of the statistical categories in the first half, including corner kicks (3-1), crosses (4-2), and passing accuracy (87.2%-86.2%). However, while both teams attempted six shots, OCB put more on target (3-2) and converted on two of those chances to take a 2-0 halftime lead.

The Young Lions created the first chance of the second half in the 56th minute when Caraballo played the ball through Sandy to Belgodere on the left side. Holliday blocked the midfielder’s shot to the near post. It fell right to Judelson just outside the six-yard box, but Evers blocked the defensive midfielder’s attempt, allowing Holliday to collect it.

Holliday tried to halt his throw out of the back, sending it towards the end line instead. Caiza ran it down and cleared the ball, but OCB retained possession. Leao received it near the top of the Carolina box and fired from 25 yards out, but it was right to Holliday.

In the 66th minute, Caiza dribbled into the box and shot, but Okonski blocked it. Carolina kept possession, resulting in a cross that found Tattevin’s head. However, the header attempt went wide of the right post.

Diaz made a run forward in the 70th minute, weaving through multiple defenders. He briefly lost possession before getting it right back and was able to get a shot off, but Himes did well to come out and block the attempt.

The Young Lions made their first two changes in the 71st minute, replacing Judelson and Leao with Caleb Trombino and Brady Kendall.

Carolina continued on the attack and it paid off as the visitors scored two quick goals. The first came in the 72nd minute from a seemingly innocuous throw-in. Diaz received a short pass before dribbling past Trombino and sending a curling shot beyond the reach of Himes and inside the far post to cut OCB’s lead in half.

In the 75th minute, Raimbault sent a free kick into the box that Himes tipped out of play. The goalkeeper looked to have secured the ensuing corner kick, but he spilled it in his own six-yard box. Evers quickly knocked it in to even the game at 2-2.

Wilding made two more changes in the 80th minute, replacing Amoo-Mensah and Caraballo with Yearwood and Nicolas Bobea Torres.

Belgodere tried to find a winner in the 87th minute when he lost his defender on the left and fired towards the near post. But Holliday had it covered and made the easy save.

OCB’s final change came in the 88th minute when Toryn Penders made his professional debut, replacing Baczewski.

Himes’ long throw out of the back in the first minute of second-half stoppage time nearly resulted in the winning goal. It was too far ahead of Rhein, but he sped past Nelson Martinez to win the ball. The left back was in on goal and had space to shoot on either side of Holliday, but the defender crossed it into traffic to his right instead. That allowed the retreating defenders to clear the ball, ending a golden opportunity for a late winner without so much as a shot.

The clearance stayed in the Carolina third and was controlled by Trombino. The second-half substitute found Bobea Torres near the top of the box, but his shot was blocked.

The Young Lions kept possession and worked the ball to the right, where Penders took possession. The young attacker dribbled into the box and fired for the near post, hitting the outside of the net.

That was the final chance for either team as the game ended in a 2-2 draw. At full time, OCB had more shots (15-12), with both teams putting six on target. OCB also had better passing accuracy (86.1%-84.8%) while Carolina ended the game with more crosses (9-3) and corner kicks (6-3).

Per MLS NEXT Pro rules, each team earned a point and the game went to penalties to see which side would get a second.

The shootout featured some excellent penalties, as the first five shooters for each team converted, sending the shootout into extras. OCB’s first five shooters were all second-half substitutes, with Penders, Yearwood, Trombino, Kendall, and Bobea Torres scoring, only to see Carolina Core level each time through Tim Zeegers, Yepes, Caiza, Anthony Sumo Jr., and Mohamed Diakite.

After OCB’s sixth shooter, Sandy, put the ball under Holliday’s arm to make it 6-5, Dyllan John hit the right post. As a result, the Young Lions took two points from the game.

A win would have seen OCB jump into a tie with Atlanta United 2 for fourth in the Eastern Conference. Instead, the Young Lions sit in eighth, tied for sixth in points with Chattanooga and New England Revolution II. OCB has a game in hand on four of the teams ahead in the conference standings.

The Young Lions will look to regroup and get Wilding his first victory as they head out on the road, facing Chicago Fire FC II a week from today.

Continue Reading

Orlando City B

Orlando City B Off to Strong Start to 2026 Season

The Young Lions are getting results early in the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro campaign.

Published

4 weeks ago

on

March 26, 2026

By

Image of the OCB squad before the team's game March 8, 2026 vs. Chicago Fire II.
Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Justin Glatt

I think it is important that I open with an apology, because a week ago I wrote about how Orlando City needed to improve its league-worst defense, and then the Lions went to Nashville and somehow were unable to improve upon a 3.00 goals-against average. After the 5-0 shellacking in Tennessee Orlando City’s goals-against average now sits at 3.40, with 17 goals allowed through five games. That is somehow not the worst five-game run during any individual season in club history, as the 2018 Lions matched the year by allowing 18 goals during a five-game stretch during their nine-game losing streak (those were fun times), but allowing 17 goals in a five-game stretch is the kind of start to a season that makes a (drinking-age) fan want to pour themselves a stiff drink.

Or the whole bottle.

Speaking of drinking, if you have not been watching Orlando City B this year, you have been missing out on some epic “drunk OCB” matches, including the most recent game on Sunday (a 4-4 Junior Tropic Thunder match against Inter Miami II) about which our The Mane Land PawedCast host Michael Citro said that “there has never been a drunker OCB game than this (one).” Drunk games, in this context, just means matches where crazy things happen with no rhyme or reason, and you never know what is going to happen next.

The Young Lions are off to a start full of both drunk games and positive results, as unlike the senior team, they have earned more points than games played and have an offense that looks like it is among the best in the league.

Metric*MLS NEXT Pro Avg.OCBMLS NEXT Pro Rank
Points Earned1.52.0T-6
Shots13.519.81
Shots on Target5.28.81
Big Chances Created2.44.51
Goals1.72.55

*All metrics are on a per-game basis

Part of the reason these games might be so “drunk” is that OCB is both scoring and allowing 2.5 goals per game, so the Young Lions and their opponents are taking shots all game long, creating the possibilities for wild comebacks and last-gasp goals. The main reason though is that OCB’s offense is stacked, with five top quality players to fill the attacking spots at the top of its standard 4-2-3-1 lineup.

OCB has generally gone with Gustavo Caraballo, Harvey Sarajian, and Yutaro Tsukada out on the wings, Justin Ellis as the center attacking midfielder and Pedro Leão as striker, though Leão did not play in one game and Logan Tsopanoglou got the start in his absence. Tsukada has been above average when he played, but the standouts have been Caraballo, Ellis, Leão, and Sarajian.

MetricCaraballoEllisLeão Sarajian
Current Age17181921
Goal Contributions (G+A)4525
Key Passes812511
FotMob Rating (out of 10)7.648.017.448.33
Goal Contributions Rank85285
Key Passes Rank142513
FotMob Rating Rank3914714

The counting numbers in the table are a little misleading for Leão, as he has played one fewer game than the others, and Caraballo, who despite appearing in all four OCB games, has played fewer minutes than the other three. However, even with fewer minutes played, both Caraballo and Leão are already contributing to OCB’s excellent offense, especially Caraballo, whose goal contributions per 90 minutes ranks fifth, while Ellis and Sarajian rank 15th and 16th, respectively.

The current age of each player is also noted in the table above, and Caraballo, Ellis, and Leão are all younger than 20.9, which is the average age of the top 25 players in MLS NEXT Pro FotMob ratings through four games. According to transfermarkt.com, OCB has used the fifth-youngest set of players through the first four games, and with young players always come ups and downs and the propensity for games to bounce around all over the place like a ball on a roulette wheel, like in the comebacks from multiple goals down against Carolina Core and Inter Miami II.

Those backs and forths are what our The Mane Land team refers to as the “drunk OCB” games, and when you combine the crazy types of games with players of precocious skill and potential, the games are definitely worth watching. The senior Lions are inevitably going to start playing better, but for now the best men’s team to watch in Orlando is OCB. Just like Orlando City, OCB is off this weekend, but several current and former Young Lions will be with their youth national teams during the international break — another sign of the solid pipeline of talent that is ready to flow into the first team.

Tahir Reid-Brown and Colin Guske have already played more than 140 minutes for Orlando City this season, and Zakaria Taifi (64), Tsukada (18), and Leão (6) also have all seen the field. The senior team’s bench is generally made up of at least three or four players who primarily play with OCB, and even with the acquisition of Antoine Griezmann crowding the list of attacking players, Caraballo and Ellis will likely play some minutes with the first team this season.

Go ahead and (Makers) mark your calendars for OCB’s next game on April 11 and prepare to settle in for a happy hour and a half of soccer that may not be of the same top shelf quality as an MLS game but never fails to entertain.

Vamos Orlando…City B!

Continue Reading

Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Inter Miami II: Final Score 4-4 (4-2) as OCB Completes Improbable Comeback

OCB came back from a three-goal deficit to draw Inter Miami II at Inter&Co Stadium, then took the extra point in the shootout.

Published

4 weeks ago

on

March 22, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Justin Glatt

Orlando City B (2-1-1, 8 points) played to an enthralling draw tonight against Inter Miami II (0-2-2, 2 points) at Inter&Co Stadium. The visitors took a commanding 2-0 lead inside five minutes and had a 4-1 lead shortly after halftime. But OCB came storming back to even the game 4-4 in stoppage time. The Young Lions then won the penalty shootout to claim the extra point.

OCB interim coach Julian Vergara made four changes from the team that defeated Carolina Core 3-2 on March 14. Tristan Himes, Tahir Reid-Brown, Yutaro Tsukada, and Pedro Leao returned from the first team, replacing Juan Rojas, Nicholas Lasheras, Gustavo Caraballo, and Logan Tsopanoglou.

The back line in front of Himes in goal was Bernardo Rhein, Reid-Brown, Titus Sandy, Jr., and Jaylen Yearwood. Dylan Judelson and Dominik Baczewski were in the defensive midfield behind Tsukada, Justin Ellis, and Harvey Sarajian with Leao up top.

This was a game of missed opportunities for OCB. Both teams had several bad giveaways, but Miami was able to turn those into goals. Meanwhile, OCB struggled to find the back of the net. The Young Lions put themselves in a three-goal hole before they came storming back to tie it up, but they’ll wonder what could’ve been if they’d converted some of the golden opportunities in the both halves, including three shots with the goalkeeper out of the net that didn’t go in.

The visitors struck early when a heavy touch by Yearwood on a Miami throw-in allowed Naej Desravins to reach it first. The midfielder played it wide for Preston Plambeck, who guided the ball around Himes and inside the far post to give Miami an early 1-0 lead.

It didn’t take long for the team in pink to double its advantage and it came from an OCB attack. In the fifth minute, Sarajian outran the Miami defense to reach a long Judelson pass. After a brief hesitation, his shot was too close to Max Ponikarovsky, who made the save with his left hand.

Miami immediately broke the other way with Plambeck sending a long ball forward for Idoh Zeltzer-Zubida. Reid-Brown got in front of the attacker, but Zeltzer-Zubida created enough space for a shot. The midfielder sent a curling ball over Himes and inside the far post to make 2-0 just five minutes into the game.

The Young Lions finally got their second shot of the game in the 16th minute when Tsukada made a run down the left and sent a cross to the near post for Leao. The Brazilian beat his defender to it and flicked the ball on target, but Ponikarovsky was there to catch it.

On the other end, the Herons felt they should’ve had a penalty when Theo Vorenkamp found Diego Rey in the OCB box. Himes came out to collect but missed the ball. Rey went down with contact and threw his arms up, appealing for a penalty. However, referee Aleja Calume decided it wasn’t enough to point to the spot.

The Young Lions nearly took advantage of a Miami mistake in the 23rd minute when Leao intercepted a poor pass from Desravins to Samuel Basabe. The striker used his body to shield Basabe and get into the box, but Ponikarovsky came off his line to take the ball off of Leao’s foot, ensuring he couldn’t get a shot off.

In the 34th minute, Tsukada had the ball taken off him but the heavy touch went right to Rhein. The left back quickly played it to Leao at the top of the box and, after controlling it, the forward put a shot on target. Unfortunately, it was a weak attempt that caused no trouble for Ponikarovsky.

As Miami attempted to play the ball out of the back, OCB took possession of a poor pass. Ellis played the ball wide left for Tsukada, who found Leao making a run into the box. The Brazilian tried to guide the ball inside the far post but put it wide.

A minute later, Miami again failed to play the ball out of the back, giving it away to Judelson. The midfielder quickly sent it forward for Ellis, who found Leao entering the box. The Brazilian’s first touch was past Ponikarovsky, cutting the deficit in half.

Unfortunately, it didn’t last long. In the 38th minute, Sandy played an inaccurate long ball by Miami back to Himes. The goalkeeper sent a short pass to Reid-Brown on his left, but the defender misplayed it, allowing Alejandro Flores to take possession. He played the ball across the box where Rey flicked it on for Plambeck. The forward put it in to make it 3-1.

In the 42nd minute, Rhein received a long switch on the left. He sent a beautiful ball to the top of the six that fell to Leao, who was looking for a brace. The Brazilian redirected it on target but sent it right to Ponikarovsky. Two minutes later, Rhein had a similar chance for himself. Ellis backheeled the ball to Sarajian on the left and the midfielder sent a cross to the penalty spot, where Rhein was making a run. The young defender’s first touch was a shot that went right into Ponikarovsky’s arms.

In the 44th minute, Judelson sent a long ball left for Sarajian. Ponikarovsky came off his line to clear the ball, but his defender got to it first. Trying to play it out for a throw-in, he knocked the ball off Sarajian. The ball went to Leao with the goalkeeper getting there first. But he couldn’t control it and Ellis took possession. With the goalkeeper out of the play, Ellis shot. Unfortunately, Tyler Hall got in front of the goal to block it. Ellis then beat his defender for another chance, but he again sent it right at Hall, who kept it out of the net.

OCB created more chances than Miami in the first 45 minutes, ending the half with more shots (9-6), shots on target (7-3), and corner kicks (3-1). But Miami had better passing accuracy (82.2%-74.9%). The difference between the teams was that Miami made the Young Lions pay for their mistakes in the back and OCB struggled to do so.

Miami was forced into an unusual substitution at halftime. Ponikarovsky was taken off in a concussion change, replaced in goal by Alex Padilla.

OCB started the second half the way it ended the first half, giving the ball away in its own end. A weak pass by Reid-Brown was taken by Rey, who fired on target. Himes was there to make the stop.

In the 49th minute, Miami scored a fourth when Zeltzer-Zubida took possession of the ball near midfield. The attacker made a long run down the right, getting behind the OCB back line and playing the ball past Himes to make it 4-1.

Judelson took a strong shot in the 53rd minute that forced Padilla to tip it over the crossbar. The ensuing corner was headed out, but Sarajian was there to take possession. The midfielder made a nice move to the end line and played a good ball in front of goal, where Ellis was behind the back line to tap it in and make it a 4-2 game.

Tsukada tried to get another one back in the 53rd minute when he dribbled across the top of the Miami box and fired an off-balance shot after some contact. It wasn’t clear if the attempt was on target, but Padilla dove to collect it anyway. That was Tsukada’s final touch as Vergara made his first two changes in the 57th minute, replacing Tsukada and Yearwood with Parker Amoo-Mensah and Caraballo.

Play restarted with a free kick for OCB that Caraballo played short to Ellis. After taking a couple of touches forward, Ellis fired a shot that was caught by Padilla.

In the 60th minute, Caraballo put a strong shot towards goal that Padilla palmed away. A poor clearance allowed OCB to keep possession in the Miami half, which ended up with Sarajian on the left. He played it to Rhein, who made an overlapping run before sending Ellis into the six-yard box. There was a collision before the ball went wide and a foul was called on Ellis.

OCB got back into the game in the 68th minute with some quick passing at the top of the Miami box. Rhein, Leao, and Ellis combined to get the ball to Carabllo who did well to finish past Padilla, cutting the deficit to 4-3.

In the 79th minute, OCB failed to clear the ball, enabling Miami to take possession in the box. It ended up with Alejo Ristano, who looked like he would give Miami another two-goal lead, but Himes did well to come off his line and block the attempt.

On the other end, Caraballo was fouled by Mario Stoka, giving OCB a free kick in the opposing third. The teenager went for goal on his own, sending his shot just wide of the near post.

The Young Lions won the ball back on the goal kick, allowing Rhein to send Sarajian behind the Miami back line. He dribbled around Padilla and fired on the empty net, but his shot hit the near post.

In the 84th minute, Rey was sent through and it looked like he would have a free shot on goal. However, Sandy got in front of the shot to deflect it wide. OCB cleared the ensuing corner kick, keeping the deficit at one.

The game turned even more in the 87th minute when Padilla went off injured. Having already replaced their starting goalkeeper at halftime, the Herons put the gloves on defender Ristano. Additionally, since they had already used all three substitutions windows, the visitors would end the game with 10 men.

Vergara used his second window and third substitution in the 90th minute as OCB searched for an equalizer. Caleb Trombino, who scored the late equalizer against Carolina, replaced Judelson.

Giving the Young Lions even more motivation, the fourth official showed 13 minutes of stoppage time.

In the first minute, Ellis dribbled across the top of the Miami box before firing on goal. However, a defender got in front before it reached Ristano, deflecting it wide.

The ensuing corner went to the far side of the box where Rhein took possession. The left back fired at the near post, but Ristano blocked it wide for his first save.

Caraballo took the second corner kick and it was one to remember. The midfielder curled his set piece delivery over the outstretched arms of Ristano and inside the far post for an Olimpico, completing the comeback and tying the game at 4-4.

Playing against 10 men and an outfield player in goal, OCB continued to push for a late winner. The Young Lions thought they might have taken the lead in the sixth minute of stoppage time when Rhein sent Belgodere down the left. Caraballo was wide open to tap the ball in, but Belgodere was judged to be offside on the initial ball forward.

Ristano was forced into his second save in the seventh minute when Rhein found Ellis in the box. The attacker sent the ball wide for Belgodere, who gave it right back. Ellis spun and fired, but Ristano blocked it wide with his leg, keeping the game tied. Caraballo took the ensuing corner kick and attempted another Olimpico, but this one hit the outside netting behind the near post.

Despite being down a man, Miami had a chance for a winner in the 10th minute of stoppage time when Zeltzer-Zubida sent a long pass to Plambeck on the left side. Creating space for a shot and looking for a hat trick, Plambeck fired for the near post, forcing Himes to block it away.

A minute later, OCB had a chance when Ellis dipped his shoulder to turn on his defender before sending Sarajian into the Miami box. As the defense closed in on him, the attacker found Belgodere open to his left. The teenager’s first touch was a shot, but Rondell White got in front just in time to block the attempt.

Vergara made his final substitution in the 12th minute of stoppage time, replacing Sandy with Lasheras.

Shortly after, the final whistle blew. At full time, OCB had more shots (27-14), shots on target (17-7), and corner kicks (9-7). Miami had slightly better passing accuracy (79%-78.7%) and both teams recorded seven crosses.

Per MLS NEXT Pro rules, each team earned a point and the game went to penalties to see who would get a second.

Rey and Caraballo began the penalties with excellent finishes. After Basabe sent Himes the wrong way, Ristano nearly saved Ellis’ attempt. He got in front of the shot, but the ball slipped under him and in.

That was what OCB needed, because Himes saved Zeltzer-Zubida’s panenka and, after Sarajian made it 3-2, Joseph Convers sent his attempt over the crossbar.

Amoo-Mensah stepped up and placed his penalty well to secure the second point for the Young Lions.

This game can be considered a point lost or two points gained. OCB created more chances than Miami and could’ve come away with all three points had it converted one more. However, being down 4-1 early in the second half, the Young Lions came all the way back to pull out the draw.

In the end, while both teams will probably feel as though they should’ve come away with all three points, they’ll both be pleased to get something from the contest.

The two points moves OCB into sixth in MLS NEXT Pro’s Eastern Conference with eight points from four games. They’re tied on points with New York Red Bulls II for third, two points behind New England Revolution II for second, and four points behind the league-leading Crown Legacy FC.

The Young Lions now have an extended break as they return to the field on April 11 against Chattanooga FC in Tennessee.

Continue Reading

Trending