Connect with us

Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Huntsville City FC: Final Score 5-0 as OCB Dominates at Home

OCB scored a season-high five goals in a dominant shutout win over Huntsville City FC.

Published

on

Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Orlando City B (4-3-3, 16 points) scored a season-high five goals in a dominant 5-0 win over winless Huntsville City FC (0-7-3, 3 points) tonight at Osceola County Stadium. Jhon Solis, Yutaro Tsukada, and Shak Mohammed gave the Young Lions a 3-0 lead before late substitute Yeiler Valencia scored a brace — his first two OCB goals.

Manuel Goldberg made two charges to the starting lineup that lost 4-3 in Columbus on May 15. Javier Otero and Tsukada returned to the second team, replacing Carlos Mercado and Favian Loyola. The back line in front of Otero was Manuel Cocca, Thomas Williams, Nabi Kibunguchy, and Alex Freeman. Imanol Almaguer and Colin Guske were the defensive midfielders behind Tsukada, Mohammed, and Solis, with Wilfredo Rivera up top.

OCB dominated this game from the opening kickoff. The Young Lions should’ve put the game away in the first half, but missed several clear-cut scoring opportunities. The Young Lions were much more clinical in the second half, scoring four of their five goals.

The Young Lions had the first chance of the game in the sixth minute. Solis sent Freeman down the right and the right back caught up to the ball before it exited play. His cross was well over the head of Rivera, but landed at the foot of Tsukada on the far side of the box. The rookie midfielder was looking for the far post on his shot but missed wide.

The visitors had their first chance of the game in the ninth minute when Jonathan Bolanos was sent long down the right. The midfielder beat Williams to the ball and his first touch was a shot, but it was right at Otero.

OCB quickly went the other way and created a chance of its own. It was Tsukada again with the shot, setting up the opportunity on his own. Creating space at the top of the box, he was looking to beat Huntsville City goalkeeper Benjamin Martino to the near post, but the shot was wide. Martino appeared to have the post covered anyway, so it was unlikely to produce a goal.

The Young Lions took the lead inside the first 15 minutes for the third consecutive game. In the 12th minute, Tsukada took on Faiz Opande, twisting and turning the defender before finding Solis in the center of the box. It was a simple finish by Solis, who only had to touch it in to give OCB the 1-0 lead.

Solis nearly scored a second two minutes later after a turnover by Huntsville City on the visitors’ own side of the field. Rivera anticipated the pass and stepped in front of it, sprinting forward with Solis to his right. Rivera played it to the midfielder, whose first touch should’ve been a shot. However, he tried to dribble around Martino, enabling defenders to get back and win the ball.

The Young Lions felt they should’ve had a penalty in the 22nd minute when Solis attempted to chip the ball between two defenders to Rivera making a run behind the back line. It hit a defender and appeared to be a possible handball, so Solis threw his arms up claiming a penalty. However, referee Gerald Flores didn’t agree. Freeman ended up with the ball and went down in the box, but that too didn’t interest Flores.

In the 26th minute, Mohammed sent a cross into the box from the left. Rivera looked like he would turn it on goal, but let it go to Solis behind him. The midfielder’s first shot was on target, but right at Martino, who blocked it away. The block went right to Freeman for a second shot, but the fullback didn’t get enough on it, and it was stopped by Martino.

The Young Lions had another good chance in the 28th minute when a foul on the Huntsville City side of the field gave them a free kick. Almaguer and Rivera stood over it, with Almaguer taking the set piece. It was headed down in the box by Cocca in front of goal with Mohammed and Freeman making runs. However, Martino was the first to reach it, ending the threat.

Freeman tried to set up Mohammed at the top of the Huntsville City box in the 31st minute and it should’ve been a second goal. The right back laid it on a tee for the attacker and Mohammed’s first touch was a shot, but he sent the attempt over the top.

That was the last play before Flores called for a hydration break due to the high temperature. When play resumed, Almaguer stole the short goal kick and shot for the far post. Unfortunately, he missed wide.

OCB had nearly all of the chances in the first half, with Huntsville City unable to create anything in the final third. However, a foul just outside of the OCB box in the 37th minute gave the visitors their first good opportunity. It didn’t result in anything as Kibunguchy headed the ball away without a shot being taken.

In the 40th minute, quick passing by Tyler Pasnik and Bolanos saw the latter play Forster Ajaga through. The striker was behind the back line and attempted to curl it inside the far post, but missed wide.

A minute later a similar play occurred when Tomas Ritondale played the ball to Oliver Wright and Ajaga was sent through again. However, the flag went up on this one for offside as Ajaga was just a bit early on his run.

Almaguer forced Martino into a save in the 42nd minute after Tsukada laid it back to him. It was a quality strike by Almaguer, who put it on target. Martino did well to block it away, giving the Young Lions a corner kick. The ball ended up back in the box and was headed down where Mohammed should’ve gotten his foot on it. He couldn’t control it enough to get a shot off and Huntsville City cleared.

Wright found Pasnik for the visitors in stoppage time at the top of the box and the midfielder took a shot at goal. He had a good look but it was a weak attempt and made for an easy save for Otero.

A minute later, Rivera took an unexpected shot from distance. The forward has taken similar attempts this season and put this one on target, but Martino caught it. That was the last chance of the half as the Young Lions went into the break with a 1-0 lead.

It was a dominant first half by OCB which finished with the advantage in shots (11-3), shots on target (6-2), corner kicks (3-0), and passing accuracy (88%-84.7%). While they led at the break, it was a disappointing 45 minutes, as the Young Lions had several opportunities to take a commanding lead.

OCB was much more clinical in the second half, and it started almost immediately after the restart.

In the 47th minute, Mohammed found Tsukada, who dribbled inside and was taken down as he played it forward for Rivera. After ensuring there was no advantage, Flores blew for a foul just outside of the box. Tsukada and Rivera stood over the ball with Tsukada taking it. The midfielder sent a shot inside the near post before Martino could get to it, giving the Young Lions a 2-0 lead.

“I have confidence with free kicks because I’ve scored two so far,” Tsukada said about his goal. “So I had the confidence and I just needed to smash it. It went well, so I’m so happy with that.”

Huntsville City had its first second-half chance in the 50th minute when Ajago won a corner kick. Isaiah Johnston sent the set piece to the near post, where Ajago was making a run. The striker got his head to the ball but sent it into the outside of the net.

In the 62nd minute, Solis sent a lovely ball forward for Mohammed. The attacker dribbled inside, looking for space for a shot, and decided to leave it for Rivera coming the other way. Rivera took a shot from distance, his second of the game, but it was right into the arms of Martino.

The Young Lions scored a third in the 65th minute when Solis took the ball away in the Huntsville City half and played Freeman forward on the right. Freeman sent a great ball in front of goal, where Mohammed beat Sangwa. It was a simple tap-in by Mohammed, who has now scored in four consecutive games and has five in the last six games.

Goldberg made his first substitution in the 69th minute as Justin Ellis came on for Rivera. During the change, Williams went down, apparently with a cramp. Kibunguchy signaled that Williams should be substituted, but the center back was able to continue. However, since it wasn’t a head injury, OCB had to play a man down for three minutes.

In the 76th minute, Guske played a long ball across the field for Freeman, but the Homegrown fullback couldn’t control it. Flores took the stoppage to pull the players off for the second half hydration break. OCB made two changes during the stoppage, replacing Tsukada and Solis with Valencia and Favian Loyola

It didn’t take long for Valencia to make his mark on the game. His pressure on Opande in the 80th minute caused a turnover. Opande recovered well, forcing Valencia to turn back and look for a teammate. However, with nobody near him, Valencia turned the defender and took a shot on goal. It was a tight angle, but he beat Martino to the far post for his first OCB goal, extending OCB’s lead to 4-0.

Shortly after the goal, Goldberg made his final two changes. Majed Abdullah and Zakaria Taifi came into the game for Freeman and Mohammed.

In the 84th minute, OCB won a free kick and it nearly resulted in another immediate impact by a substitute. Almaguer sent the set piece into the box, where Abdullah was left unmarked. He got his head to the ball in an attempt to redirect it on goal, but sent it over the top.

Huntsville City tried to get one back in the 87th minute when a shot by Bolanos was blocked out for a corner kick. Pasnik received a short set piece and dribbled into the box, shooting from a tight angle. Otero got down to block it out of play for a second corner kick. The visitors weren’t able to create another shot as a foul call in the box enabled the Young Lions to clear it away.

In the 89th minute, Bolanos sent a dangerous cross in front of goal where Jones was open. The midfielder turned the ball on target, forcing Otero into his best save of the night.

The Young Lions made it five on the other end in the 90th minute, and it was the two late substitutes combining. Loyola played a gorgeous long diagonal ball to Valencia. Sangwa tried to cut off the pass, but missed it. As a result, Valencia was able to take a similar shot to his first goal, putting it inside the far post to give his team a 5-0 lead.

The crowd chanted for more goals and the Young Lions nearly gave them one in stoppage time. Abdullah attempted to find space for a shot in the box, but it was cleared away. Ellis collected it and took a long-distance attempt, but it was right to Martino.

OCB ended the game with the advantage in shots (21-9), shots on target (13-4), and passing accuracy (89.7%-86%). The visitors had more crosses (4-3) and both teams had three corner kicks.

“Every game is a lot of learning for us because we had some chances in the first half that we were not able to score,” Goldberg said about the game. “And we know that with that start, the important thing is that the team stays positive in the second half, continues with the positive energy, and finds the goals instead of the other way around.”

It’s been a road-heavy schedule early in the season for the Young Lions. Even their first home game wasn’t a true home game, as they played at the IMG Academy in Bradenton. They’re taking advantage of the friendly confines of Osceola County Stadium, winning their last two games in Kissimmee.

The team has also seen offensive improvements in recent weeks. After scoring three goals against Atlanta United 2 in the season opener, the team has only scored multiple goals in one of the next six games. With the five goals today, the Young Lions have now scored at least three in each of their last three games, primarily coming from Mohammed, Tsukada, and Rivera.

“With time and with work, stuff starts to function,” Goldberg said about the production. “The level of the team is very even, so anybody that goes in and out is able to play. So that’s really good for us.”

“Wilfredo, Shak, and me, we combine with each other well,” Tsukada added. “It comes from, I think, the head coach Manu.”


The three points sees OCB finish the weekend in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, a point out of fourth, and three points out of third. The Young Lions will look to build on this win next Sunday evening when they travel south for a rivalry clash with Inter Miami CF II.

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

on

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

Orlando City B

Orlando City B Announces Roster Status Following 2024 MLS NEXT Pro Season

Only three OCB players are still under MLS NEXT Pro contracts for the 2025 season.

Published

on

Image courtesy or Orlando City B

Orlando City B announced the roster status of its players following the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season. Most of the team was made up of players on first-team and academy contracts, so little of the squad will change. However, the club has updated the status of players on MLS NEXT Pro deals.

Of the 10 players on MLS NEXT Pro contracts in 2024, six saw their deals expire at the end of the year. Those players include forwards Wilfredo Rivera and Yeiler Valencia; midfielders Imanol Almaguer and Diego Pareja; and defenders Manuel Cocca and Nabi Kibunguchy.

“First, I want to start by thanking all of the players who are leaving us at the end of this year. Their hard work and dedication has continued to push this club even further forward, and we are grateful for all they’ve done,” Orlando City SC Vice President of Soccer Operations and Technical Director Ricardo Moreira said in a club press release. “This was another year of progress for Orlando City B with the team qualifying for the playoffs for the second-straight year, and we saw a lot of growth among the players, especially in their own individual development, which is our ultimate goal. Heading into 2025, we have high goals for OCB and are excited to reset and begin the work to reach the next steps in this project.”

While the majority of the players are out of contract, three are still under MLS NEXT Pro deals for 2025. Those players are midfielders Gustavo Caraballo and Jhon Solis and defender Zakaria Taifi.

Additionally, the club announced earlier today that Colin Guske — who was also on an MLS NEXT Pro deal — has signed a Homegrown Player contract with the first team. He’ll likely be a regular with OCB next season.

What It Means for Orlando City B

While the contracts have expired on six players, that doesn’t mean their time in Orlando is over. Rivera was on a first-team Homegrown contract in 2023 and the club didn’t pick up his option. He was subsequently signed to OCB for the 2024 season. He’s only 21 years old and has signed short-term deals with the first team, so he could still return next season.

Rivera is one of the more likely players out of contract to return in 2025. Perhaps the least likely to return is Kibunguchy, who will be 27 when the 2025 season starts. Almaguer took over the captaincy in 2024 after the departure of Juninho, and the club could keep him around for his leadership qualities. However, OCB could also make the same decision it did after 2023 and hand off the armband to someone else, possibly Solis.

Regardless of the decisions made on these players, the 2025 OCB roster will be made up primarily of players on first-team contracts and academy players. The youngest probably won’t be signed to professional contracts, allowing them to maintain their college eligibility. As a result, the majority of the roster will return and we’ll see new up-and-coming talent next season.

Post-2024 Orlando City B Player Contract Statuses

(Current club players in italics)

  • Imangol Almaguer — Out of Contract
  • Gustavo Caraballo — Under Contract
  • Manuel Cocca — Out of Contract
  • Colin Guske — Signed to First Team
  • Nabi Kibunguchy — Out of Contract
  • Diego Pareja — Out of Contract
  • Wilfredo Rivera — Out of Contract
  • Jhon Solis — Under Contract
  • Zakaria Taifi — Under Contract
  • Yeiler Valencia — Out of Contract

Continue Reading

Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Chicago Fire FC II: Final Score 1-1 (5-4) as Young Lions Eliminated in Penalties

The teams that finished fourth and fifth in the Eastern Conference drew 1-1 and needed spot kicks to determine who advanced.

Published

on

Image courtesy of Orlando City B

With both teams finishing 11-8-9 this season, the only difference between the 2024 Orlando City B and Chicago Fire FC II regular seasons was that the Fire went 5-4 in their penalty shootouts, while the Young Lions went 4-5 in theirs. That one extra point gave Chicago home-field advantage in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals for the matchup between the teams.

As a result, the two sides met at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, IL, where they battled to a hard-fought 1-1 draw through 90 minutes and extra time, before the hosts won a penalty shootout — 5-4, naturally — to send OCB home.

The Young Lions could have claimed their first-ever postseason victory thanks to a goal by Jack Lynn in the first half, but a massive mistake allowed David Poreba to equalize just before halftime.

The Fire’s lone goal should never have happened. Leading by a goal on the road — and already in first-half stoppage time — OCB center back Nabi Kibunguchy made an ill-advised decision to take a rare foray up the field, where he turned the ball over, leading to the transition goal that ultimately forced extra time and penalties.

OCB Head Coach Manuel Goldberg fielded a strong lineup, with Carlos Mercado in goal behind a back line of Luca Petrasso, Thomas Williams, Kibunguchy, and Alex Freeman. Imanol Almaguer and Colin Guske started in central midfield behind an attacking line of Yutaro Tsukada, Jhon Solis, and Shak Mohammed, with Lynn up top.

The first half was nearly all Chicago, as the Young Lions struggled to connect passes and break through the Fire’s pressure. The few times OCB got forward, the play broke down due to poor passes or heavy touches.

The first half chance fell Chicago’s way in the sixth minute on a cross in from the right. Luka Prpa did well to get his head on it but Freeman did enough defensively to prevent a clean header. Prpa’s effort sailed over the bar. Two minutes later, Kibunguchy did well to block a shot by Christian Koffi, deflecting it out for a corner. Mercado misplayed a high cross in on the set piece, but the heavy service sailed beyond everyone and bounced out for a goal kick.

The Fire put together a string of corner kicks in the middle of the opening half but OCB dealt with them, eventually using one of them to get forward in transition. The clearance of a corner kick led to a long ball forward for Tsukada. After a wayward touch, Tsukada tracked the ball down, patiently waited for support, and then sent a beautiful pass to Lynn as he was reaching the last defender. That put the striker in behind and he calmly chipped Fire keeper Jeffrey Gal to give OCB a 1-0 lead against the run of play in the 24th minute.

The goal was Lynn’s first-ever professional postseason strike and just OCB’s second playoff goal ever. It was also OCB’s first shot attempt of the match.

Seconds after the goal, Mercado got run into by Poreba after scooping up a deflected cross. The OCB goalkeeper needed several minutes of treatment before continuing. Poreba was booked for the unnecessary foul.

The goal allowed OCB to finally settle into the game more. The Young Lions started to see more of the ball, and even had some brief spells of possession in the attacking third. Freeman sent Mohammed down the right side of the box in the 34th minute, but the winger’s centering pass was deflected by a defender and dribbled in for Gal to collect it.

Omari Glasgow blasted a shot wide of the left post after an OCB turnover in its own defensive half, as no one closed him down about 25 yards out.

Mohammed sent a weak shot right at Gal in the 37th minute. OCB then couldn’t pay off a couple of set pieces. Solis had an excellent opportunity to double the lead in the 44th minute, working his way into the top of the area on the right. He blasted a shot with his left foot, but sent it right at Gal, who caught it and hung on. That missed opportunity was costly, as it allowed the Fire to pull level moments later.

Chicago pulled even just before the break on a play that shouldn’t happen in a pickup game, let alone in the playoffs. Kibunguchy decided to go wandering forward in possession and then got himself into traffic. That allowed the Fire to dispossess him from behind and break forward in transition with numbers. The ball ended up on the left with Koffi, who centered it MLS NEXT Pro Golden Boot winner Poreba, who blasted his first touch past Mercado to make it 1-1 in the first minute of first-half stoppage time.

It was an inexcusable error for a veteran defender to make and gave the Fire a goal on their first shot to hit the target.

The Young Lions got forward quickly after the restart and won a free kick near the right sideline. A player was knocked down after the delivery into the box while the ball was pinging around amongst the bodies, but the referee wasn’t interested in making a call and the Fire broke the other way. Guske ended up with the ball in his own end with plenty of space to pass back to Mercado. Instead, he seemed to think the ball might go out for a goal kick, but the young midfielder was dispossessed and compounded the problem by committing a foul, giving the hosts a dangerous free kick.

Prpa played the set piece short to Koffi in the box. Koffi quickly blasted a shot that hit the woodwork and bounced out, nearly giving his team the lead at the death of the first half. A few seconds later, the whistle for halftime blew.

At the break, Chicago had the advantage in shots (7-4), corners (6-0), and possession (56%-44%). OCB passed slightly more accurately (88.3%-87.7%) and put more shots on target (3-1).

Chicago resumed its possession dominance out of the break and fashioned a great chance in the 49th minute. Koffi had the ball on the left and sent a good ball across to Glasgow at the back post. Glasgow, who shook free from an inattentive Petrasso, blasted a shot on the volley but sent it wide of the right post.

Freeman got into the box moments later but tried to play through two defenders with an open Mohammed to his left. His first shot was blocked and the fullback’s second effort was deflected out for OCB’s first corner of the match, but the young Lions could do nothing with it.

Guske toe poked an off-line pass back to Almaguer in the 54th minute, giving the midfielder a look at goal. Almaguer blasted the shot but Jean Diouf blocked it in front. A few minutes later, a promising attack started by Petrasso ended up with a cross to Mohammed, who turned down an open shooting opportunity to try to force a pass to a well-covered Lynn. The ball was knocked away but only to Freeman, who won a corner. Kibunguchy got a head to the high service but got well under it in the 58th minute.

Chicago created some nervy moments for the OCB defense just past the hour mark as a couple of fortuitous bounces led to a shot from a bad angle that went wide and a dangerous cross that was eventually cleared. Second-half sub Wilfredo Rivera then was fouled from behind in midfield without a call, allowing the Fire to break in transition, where they won a corner. The initial set piece cross was cleared but Diego Konincks got his head to the recycled cross, flicking it well wide of the left post in the 67th minute.

Freeman won another corner in the 71st minute with a shot from a tight angle that may have been going wide, but Gal made sure. On the set piece, Gal absolutely robbed Lynn on a header in front, getting across to knock it onto the roof of the net.

The game opened up after that and each team was forced to make huge saves. The ensuing corner was cleared and Chicago broke in transition. The Fire had numbers and took a shot from the right inside the box that seemed to change directions, but Mercado made a vital save to keep the game tied.

The Fire won a corner in the 74th minute and generated two chances from close range, including a diving header by Konincks, but the OCB defense cleared both shots off the line at the near post.

A minute later, OCB broke down the left on a good play to spring Petrasso. The Young Lions had favorable numbers but Petrasso had no path to get the ball to Lynn. Instead, he cut inside onto his right foot and sent a shot on target that hit Gal’s foot and trickled wide of the left post. Gal didn’t know much about the save, looking for the shot to to to his left, but it was an important one in the 75th minute.

The Young Lions again did nothing with their corner, allowing Chicago to counter. Glasgow had space outside the area and fired wide.

In the 83rd minute, Koffi got forward on the left, cut inside, and sent a good shot toward the near post. Mercado was able to make the save.

Favian Loyola got free for a shot in the first minute of stoppage time but blasted his shot right at Gal. Two minutes later, Tahir Reid-Brown had a chance from outside the area but it was blocked by the defense.

OCB could do nothing with a couple of late set pieces, and the game headed to 30 minutes of extra time.

Chicago had the advantage in shots (18-14), passing accuracy (86.9%-84.1%) and corners (9-8). The Young Lions put more shots on target through the 90 minutes plus injury time (8-5).

The pace of the game slowed in extra time, with both teams seeming to tire but also fearing making a mistake. After a couple of speculative balls into the box from both teams, the first good look of the extra session fell to Guske on the left. The OCB midfielder tried an inside-out shot but sent it just wide of the left post and into the outside netting in the 97th minute.

The best chance of the first half of extra time fell to Chicago after a poor giveaway in the OCB end gave the Fire a transition chance. Koffi cut inside from the left onto his right foot and the Chicago winger sent a blast off the outside of the left post in the 102nd minute.

That was it for the scoring opportunities in the first 15 minutes of extra time.

After the restart, the Young Lions survived a scramble in the 111th minute after another defensive zone turnover. Chicago sent a dangerous cross through the area but OCB was able to clear.

Yeiler Valencia won a free kick near the right corner of the box in the 112th minute, giving OCB an opportunity. Loyola went for goal with a left-footed blast, but he missed the target completely. OCB was similarly wasteful with another set piece in the 116th minute. Opting to go for goal from 30 yards out, Rivera sent a bouncer on target but with little pace on it, the shot didn’t trouble Gal, who made an easy save.

Neither side mustered much more than that in the second half of extra time, and the match went to penalties to determine who advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

OCB shot first and Freeman was the first to step to the spot. David Poreba answered for Chicago, blasting it into the right bottom corner. Valencia also used a stutter-step approach and sent Gal the wrong way, restoring OCB’s advantage. However, Harold Osorio leveled the shootout again, making it 2-2 after two rounds.

Rivera pushed OCB back out in front with another goal. Mercado then guessed correctly on Peter Soudan’s attempt, but it got under his diving effort at the post to make it 3-3. Reid-Brown made it four out of four for OCB, but 16-year-old Vitaliy Hlyut held his nerve and answered, essentially sending the spot kicks to sudden death.

Loyola’s stutter-step approach turned out to be one too many for the Young Lions, who nearly all tried some kind of tricky runup rather than using precision, as his jump-stop-kick attempt hit the right post. Diouf scored to give Chicago a perfect shootout and a spot in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

OCB had its chances, and could have won this match, but Gal made some big saves and the Young Lions made a critical error at a key point in the game to give the hosts some help.


That concludes OCB’s 2024 season. It was a good second half, but the team had been one of the league’s best clubs down the stretch, so a quick playoff exit is no doubt going to sting for a while.

Continue Reading

Trending