Orlando City B (2-2-3, 12 points) pulled off a last-second result today at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, IL, drawing 2-2 with Chicago Fire FC II (1-2-4, 10 points). The hosts took a 2-0 halftime lead through Dean Boltz and Darris Hyte before the Young Lions came storming back. An own goal by Chicago goalkeeper Owen Pratt and a header in the dying seconds by Nicolas Lasheras saw OCB get something from the contest.

The Young Lions then took a second point by winning the ensuing penalty shootout 4-2.

OCB Head Coach Eddie Wilding made three changes to the team that drew Carolina Core FC 2-2 on April 19. Titus Sandy, Jr., Yutaro Tsukada, and Ignacio Gomez entered the lineup, replacing Bernardo Rhein, Dominik Baczewski, and Matthew Belgodere.

The back line in front of goalkeeper Tristan Himes was Jaylen Yearwood, Sandy, Landon Okonski, and Parker Amoo-Mensah. Gomez and Dylan Judelson were the defensive midfielders behind Tsukada, Issah Haruna, and Gustavo Caraballo, with Pedro Leao up top.

OCB was the better team throughout the 90 minutes, but poor finishing and mistakes in the back cost them. A Boltz penalty and Hyte goal just before halftime gave the hosts a 2-0 lead at the break. But the Young Lions came out strong in the second half, dominating the 45 minutes. They outshot Chicago 7-1 in the final 45 minutes as the Fire desperately tried to hold onto the advantage. It looked like they would before a corner kick during the final attack was headed in by Lasheras, avoiding a tough loss.

The first significant moment in the game came in the fourth minute when Judelson fouled Hyte near the end line on the left side of the OCB box. The ensuing set piece was cleared out by Amoo-Mensah for the game’s first corner kick.

The set piece to the near post resulted in a collision between Jack Sandmeyer and Sandy. Both players went down and required medical attention. Neither player was able to continue with Sandmeyer being replaced by Emir Herrera and Sandy by Albright Chikamso.

OCB’s first chance of the game came in the 17th minute when Damian Nigg tripped Tsukada in the Chicago third of the field. The left wing took the set piece himself after earning it, curling it into the Chicago box. However, it was too close to Pratt, who had no trouble catching the ball.

Tsukada created another chance in the 21st minute and it should’ve been the game’s first goal. The midfielder made a strong run to the end line, creating enough space for a low cross to the near post where Gomez was making a run. The Argentine got his foot to the ball but was unable to redirect it on target, sending it wide of the left post.

Chicago’s first real chance of the game came in the 24th minute when Nigg sent a quality ball down the right for Damyan Villanueva. The attacker cut inside before shooting between Chikamso and Judelson. Villanueva curled the ball around Himes, aiming for the far post, but he sent the attempt wide.

OCB created a pair of chances in the 27th minute, starting with Tsukada’s curling ball into the box that Pratt beat Leao to. The hosts tried to play the ball out of the back, but a poor pass allowed the Young Lions to retake possession. Tsukada ended up with the ball again on the left and fired through Nigg. However, this attempt was right to Pratt.

The Fire got their first shot on target in the 30th minute when Hyte sent a cross into the box that was headed out by Okonski. Robert Turdean took possession inside the OCB box, finding striker Boltz. He used a nice touch to beat his defender and forced Himes into a quality save.

The ensuing corner kick was headed out, but only to Herrera, still in the box. The substitute’s first touch was a shot that sailed over the crossbar.

The Young Lions tried to play the ball out of the back, but Leao gave up possession just outside the box. OCB briefly won it back, but Okonski lost it again and Boltz was in on goal as Himes came out. The striker went down after contact with Himes and the referee pointed to the spot, awarding the hosts a penalty.

Boltz stepped up to the spot to take the penalty himself. He sent Himes the wrong way, calmly playing it in to give Chicago the 1-0 lead.

The Young Lions created an attempt in the 37th minute when Yearwood laid it off for Gomez 25 yards from goal. The young attacker shot from distance but his attempt curled high and wide of the target.

A minute later, Judelson sent a ball forward that Josue Pfrommer appeared to have covered. However, the left back played a weak ball for Pratt, allowing Caraballo to take possession. Pratt came off his line as Caraballo tried to chip him. The goalkeeper got a piece of the ball, sending it to Gomez, who put it on target. But Chris Cupps was in position to clear it away.

Again, Chicago failed to clear the ball, giving it back to OCB in the hosts’ own third of the field. Caraballo received it near the top of the box before Oscar Pineda fouled him. The Homegrown midfielder took the set piece, sending it wide of the near post.

The Fire went the other way, with Villanueva playing Hyte into the box. The midfielder cut his way to the end line before playing a cross that was blocked out by Okonski for a corner kick.

The ensuing set piece was sent to the near post, just over Boltz’s head. Unfortunately, Hyte got his foot to the ball, putting it past Himes and into the roof of the net, giving Chicago a commanding 2-0 lead.

Chicago had a chance to make it three in the 45th minute when Haruna took Turdean down in the OCB half of the field. The set piece into the box found Cupps’ head, but the center back sent the ball over the crossbar.

Boltz had a great chance to score his second of the game in the third minute of stoppage time when Turdean made a run to the top of the OCB box. The midfielder played Hyte to the top of the six, but Okonski got there first. Unfortunately, his short clearance went right to Boltz, whose first touch was a shot over the crossbar.

That was the last chance of the half by either team as OCB went into the locker room trailing 2-0. After 45 minutes, both teams had seven shots, with OCB putting one more on target (4-3). Chicago had more corner kicks (4-1) — with one resulting in a goal — while the Young Lions had more crosses (3-1) and better passing accuracy (87.1%-82.5%).

Wilding made one halftime change, replacing Gomez with Baczewski.

OCB had the first chance of the second half in the 48th minute when Judelson intercepted a Pfrommer pass out of the back. The defensive midfielder played it through Caraballo to Baczewski, who found Tsukada on the left. The midfielder cut inside to create space from Nigg before firing high and wide of the target.

The Young Lions got a goal back in the 51st minute after Boltz headed Tsukada’s free kick into the box over the end line. Tsukada sent his ensuing corner kick to the near post on the goal line. Pratt got his hands to it but knocked it into his own goal, cutting the deficit to 2-1.

Tsukada had a great chance to equalize in the 59th minute when Okonski sent him behind the back line. The midfielder was in on goal, but Pratt did well to come off his line, getting a hand to the chip. It went right back to Tsukada, who tried to put it on goal, but Omar Gonzalez cleared it out of play.

The ensuing corner kick was onto the top of the net, ending the attack.

Tsukada conceded possession in the 77th minute but was fouled as he chased after Chicago’s attacker. The set piece into the box was headed to the top of the 18, where Amoo-Mensah fired, but the shot was blocked out of play.

The ensuing corner kick landed on top of the net, allowing Wilding to make two more substitutions. Lasheras and Belgodere came on for Leao and Tsukada

Wilding made his final change of the game in the 90th minute, replacing Okonski with Brady Kendall.

OCB had one last chance in the dying seconds and the Young Lions took advantage. Amoo-Mensah received a pass into the box before sending a low cross in front of the goal. While nobody was making a run to the top of the six, Charles Nagle could only send the ball out of play for a corner kick.

Everybody was in the Chicago box for the last-second chance to equalize as Caraballo lifted the ball in. Lasheras got his head to it near the back post, putting his attempt in untouched to even the game at 2-2.

At full-time, OCB had the advantage in shots (14-8), shots on target (7-3), crosses (5-1), corner kicks (6-5), and passing accuracy (89.4%-84.4%). But it took a last-second desperation goal to get anything from the contest.

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

Conversions by Caraballo, Boltz, and Judelson led to the first significant moment of the shootout when Pineda hit the crossbar. Unfortunately, Baczewski was unable to give OCB the advantage, as his poor penalty was easily saved by Pratt.

Nigg and Kendall then converted on their attempts before Jhoiner Montiel shot a similar penalty to Bacewski’s, allowing Himes to make the stop. That gave Amoo-Mensah a chance to end the game and he did. The right back sent a hard shot past Pratt, ending the shootout and giving the Young Lions a second point.

While a loss would’ve had OCB out of the playoff places, the two points places the Young Lions sixth in MLS NEXT Pro’s Eastern Conference. They’re a point behind Atlanta United 2 for fifth and two points behind Philadelphia Union II and Columbus Crew 2 for third.

The Young Lions will return home a week from tonight as they host Crown Legacy FC at Osceola County Stadium.

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.

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.

*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.

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!