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Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Carolina Core FC: Final Score 2-2 as OCB Draws Lowly Core and Claims Extra Point on Penalties

OCB came back from a poor start to draw Carolina Core FC and take two points at home.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B/Mark Thor

Orlando City B (4-4-4, 18 points) returned to action tonight, drawing Carolina Core FC (1-6-3, 8 points) 2-2 at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee. The Young Lions got off to a horrible start, conceding a penalty by Facundo Canete in the seventh minute and a Papa Ndoye goal 10 minutes later. But they dominated the second 45 minutes, with Alex Freeman converting a penalty in the 72nd minute and Imanol Almaguer equalizing in the 86th minute. They won the penalty shootout 6-5, claiming two points on the night.

OCB Head Coach Manuel Goldberg made two changes to the team that lost 3-1 to Inter Miami II Sunday evening. Yutaro Tsukada was on the bench for this one and Wilfredo Rivera wasn’t in the team. They were replaced by Yeiler Valencia and Justin Ellis. The back line in front of goalkeeper Javier Otero remained the same, featuring Manuel Cocca, Thomas Williams, Nabi Kibunguchy, and Freeman. Colin Guske and Almaguer were the defensive midfielders behind Jhon Solis, Shak Mohammed, and Valencia with Ellis as the lone striker.

Despite being one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference, Carolina came out on the attack and put OCB on its heels. The hosts struggled to create anything offensively and didn’t even get a shot on target until the 35th minute. However, they played much better in the final 15 minutes of the first half and dominated the second 45 minutes. They were unlucky not to claim all three points and would’ve without a dreadful start to the game.

Carolina had the first attack inside the first minute when Jacob Evans played Joshua Rodriguez forward down the left. The attacker attempted a low cross into the box, but Williams was there to clear it out of play. The ensuing corner kick was towards the back post and met a Core head, but the attempt was over the crossbar.

The visitors felt as though they should’ve had a penalty in the third minute when Williams challenged Rodriguez as he entered the box. The Core attacker raised his arms, but referee Elvis Osmanovic didn’t agree.

The first chance for OCB came in the fourth minute when Valencia made a strong run along the end line and into the box. He was looking for a cross, but the ball was cleared out of play for a corner kick before he could get rid of it. The ensuing set piece by Almaguer found the head of Cocca, but the left back sent it wide of the far post.

It’s been a tough start to the season for Carolina Core, but the visitors took an unexpected lead in the seventh minute. Ndoye had the ball on the right and played it into the box for Rodriguez after Williams failed to follow his run. Otero came well off of his line, but Rodriguez got to the ball first. As a result, the OCB goalkeeper took down the attacker. Osmanovic immediately pointed to the spot and issued Otero a yellow card.

After Rodriguez was treated by the Carolina medical staff, Canete stepped up for the penalty. Otero dove to his right and Canete sent the ball the other way to give his team an early 1-0 lead.

Rodriguez continued to trouble the OCB back line in the 14th minute when he completed a nice turn to lose Kibunguchy. Dribbling towards goal, the attacker sent a low pass to the penalty spot. However, Williams was the only one there and cleared it away.

Carolina doubled its advantage in the 17th minute after Evans sent Canete down the left. Kibunguchy sprinted back to catch up with the midfielder, but Canete cut back as Kibunguchy slid past. The Argentinian played a perfect ball to the back post where Ndoye was making a run and the striker touched it in for a 2-0 Carolina lead.

The Young Lions had their second decent attack in the 20th minute when Evans fouled Guske on the Carolina side of the field. Almaguer sent the free kick into the box and Covi headed it out of play for a corner kick. The ensuing corner by Almaguer was to the top of the six-yard box where goalkeeper Alex Sutton, Cocca, and defender Christian Diaz collided. Carolina cleared but Diaz went down and required attention, resulting in a stoppage of play. In the meantime, Cocca and Covi began pushing before receiving a word from Osmanovic. No cards were given and play continued.

Mohammed looked to make something happen on his own in the 28th minute with a long run into the Carolina box. It looked as though he would get a strong shot off or set up a teammate in front of the goal, but sent a soft ball into the arms of Sutton instead.

In the 32nd minute, Solis tried to get OCB on the board with a run to the top of the box. He used a stepover to lose his defender and fired. Unfortunately, the shot was well high and wide of the target, ending the threat.

The first OCB shot on target came in the 35th minute when nobody stepped up to Valencia on the left. The midfielder decided to take a hard shot towards goal. It was a decent attempt, but was from a tough angle and distance, enabling Sutton to catch it.

OCB had another set piece attempt in the 40th minute when Solis out-muscled Derek Cuevas. The midfielder caught back up to Solis and pushed him down from behind in frustration, earning a yellow card for his trouble. Almaguer’s ensuing free kick met the head of Freeman, but the attempt was off target.

The Young Lions had another free kick in the Carolina third in the 43rd minute when Cocca made a strong run before being taken down by Canete. Almaguer sent the set piece towards the far post, but it was too strong and Sutton easily caught it.

In the third minute of first-half stoppage time, Freeman laid the ball off for Solis, who made a strong run into the box. The midfielder attempted a cross, but Sutton did well to get his foot to the ball, knocking it out of play. The ensuing corner kick was towards the back post, but nobody could get on the end of it.

The Young Lions had one last chance in the final seconds of the first half. Valencia made a run into the box from the left and sent a low cross to Freeman just outside of the six. The right back should’ve been able to redirect it on goal, but was leaning back and sent it over the target.

OCB had more shots (5-3) and corner kicks (3-2), and better passing accuracy (87.8%-81.2%) in the first half, but didn’t threaten Sutton, only putting one shot on target. Meanwhile, Carolina put two of its three shots on frame and scored twice to take a 2-0 lead at halftime.

The start of the second half was much better for the hosts, creating a chance inside the first minute. Receiving the ball from Mohammed, Cocca sent a curling cross towards the back post. The ball continued to drift as Sutton backpedaled. It looked as though it might actually get behind him and nestle inside the far top corner of the goal, but was just over the top.

The Young Lions had a second opportunity in the 49th minute when Cocca used some quick feet to beat Canete and was taken down, earning a free kick near the top of the Carolina box. The set piece by Cocca was off the wall and over the goal, but Osmanovic missed the deflection and gave the visitors a goal kick.

In the 51st minute, Cocca’s cross attempt was blocked out for a corner kick. The set piece was short, eventually ending at the feet of Almaguer. The OCB captain’s shot was between the legs of Canete, but right into the waiting arms of Sutton.

Valencia made a good run into the box in the 58th minute, beating Jathan Juarez, before Diaz knocked it out of play. Cocca got his head to the ensuing set piece, but the header was over the crossbar again.

The Young Lions created a pair of shots in the 61st minute as they continued to pressure the visitors. First, Mohammed turned Diaz and got a shot off, but sent it straight to Sutton. OCB quickly won back possession and set up a shot for Solis. Unfortunately, the midfielder’s curling attempt went just over the crossbar.

A long ball in the 62nd minute looking for Freeman was knocked out by Cuevas for an OCB corner kick. The ensuing set piece by Almaguer was volleyed by Williams just before it hit the ground. It was a good strike, but Sutton was up to the task, getting down to make the stop.

Three minutes later, Valencia took a shot from outside of the box. The midfielder touched the ball inside, setting up an attempt with his right foot. Canete got a slight deflection on it, enabling Sutton to collect it.

After not making any second-half substitutions against Miami, Goldberg made his first two against Carolina in the 67th minute. Zakaria Taifi and Majed Abdullah entered the game for Ellis and Valencia. While Abdullah for Valencia was a like-for-like change, Taifi came in at right back with Freeman moving forward into the midfield. Meanwhile, Mohammed shifted into the striker’s role with Ellis departing.

The constant attack by OCB paid off in the 72nd minute when a shot by Guske bounced off the arm of Evans. Osmanovic didn’t hesitate to point to the spot, giving the Young Lions a penalty. Freeman stepped up to take the spot kick, sending Sutton the wrong way and cutting the deficit in half.

The visitors spent most of the second half defending, but got a chance in the 74th minute through Canete. Receiving the ball on the right side of the box, nobody closed him down and the first-half goal scorer shot. However, it was right to Otero, who made an easy save.

OCB quickly went the other way and nearly equalized. Freeman made a long run into the Carolina box and shot, but it was blocked out for a corner kick. After the initial set piece was cleared away, Guske sent the ball to the top of the box. Kibunguchy headed the ball down and Williams got a touch to it, playing it forward for Freeman who was darting in from outside of the 18. Freeman stuck his foot out to send the ball towards goal, putting it just wide.

Carolina had a chance for a third in the 80th minute when Kibunguchy blocked Johnny Bazaes’ cross attempt for a corner kick. The ensuing set piece by Conete was over Otero and met the head of Kai Thomas. However, it was a little high for him too, resulting in his header going over the crossbar.

In the 83rd minute, Taifi made a long run out of the back, getting near the end line after a give-and-go with Freeman. He found Mohammed at the top of the box, but the forward didn’t get much on the ball. Fortunately, it went right to Abdullah near the back post. The substitute tried to backheel it in, but sent the attempt wide.

OCB finally found its equalizer in the 86th minute through its captain. Guske found Freeman just inside of the box and the defender-turned-midfielder quickly shot on goal. Sutton blocked the attempt, but the ball went straight to Almaguer. The midfielder didn’t waste any time, putting the ball in to even the game at 2-2.

“They really want to fight, right? We still need to fix some things to avoid suffering through some moments, but this made it clear that they wanted it and that’s really good,” Goldberg said about his team coming back from a two-goal deficit. “That’s really positive.”

“It tells that we don’t quit, man. We’re always determined to come out whatever the score is and just keep going and going and going,” Freeman said. “And it just tells that our team is full of spirit, good individuals that come and win any game we can.”

Carolina had a chance in the 89th minute when Bazaes sent a cross towards the back post. Cocca got to the ball first and tried to keep it in play, but the assistant determined it went over the line, giving Carolina a corner kick. The set piece by Canete found the head of Aryeh Miller on the far side, but his header was wide.

It appeared as though the Young Lions had found a winner two minutes into second-half stoppage time when Almaguer’s free kick went over the head of Sutton and was knocked in by Freeman. Osmanovic initially awarded a goal, but put his hand to his ear as he spoke with his assistant. It was eventually determined that Freeman handled the ball while controlling it, so a free kick was awarded to Carolina instead.

The Young Lions had one last chance seven minutes into second-half stoppage time when Almaguer sent a free kick into the box. Mohammed got the back of his head to it, sending it on goal, but Sutton blocked it out of play. The ensuing set piece was cleared and the final whistle blew.

OCB dominated the game statistically with the advantage in shots (25-7), shots on target (10-3), corner kicks (9-5), crosses (5-2), and passing accuracy (89.1%-80.4%). However, the poor start enabled Carolina to grab a point from the 90 minutes.

“It was a mixture of moments, right? We went through different ups and downs in the game. Started down, then going up,” Goldberg said about the performance. “But the good thing is that we showed good character. The points to improve are the early moments of the game in this case, right?”

“Obviously, the first half was a little slow for us. But I feel like throughout the second half we were able to get chances all game. And we were obviously able to just attack, attack, attack,” Freeman added. “Obviously, I feel like we got some wrong calls, but at the end of the day, we were still able to get the extra point in penalties. So I feel like our team overall did good to come back out.”

MLS NEXT Pro rules state that games tied after 90 minutes go to penalties to determine which team gets a second point. Before the shootout could start, Osmanovic issued a straight red card to Tsukada, who didn’t appear in the game, on the OCB bench. Per MLS NEXT Pro rules, Tsukada will miss the next meeting with Carolina on July 7.

The first three shooters scored before David Polanco stepped up. The Carolina substitute sent a poor penalty towards goal and Otero guessed right, blocking it away. Freeman had the next attempt, but Sutton was up to the task, making the stop with his left hand and keeping the visitors in the shootout.

Having already scored one penalty in the game, Canete stepped up to even it, but sent his attempt over the top of the goal. Once again, OCB had a chance to take a commanding advantage. This time it was Almaguer and he sent Sutton the wrong way, but his shot hit the crossbar.

The next eight penalty takers converted their kicks and Santiago Cambindo stepped up, looking to even it at 6-6 in the eighth round. However, the attempt wasn’t far enough towards the corner, enabling Otero to get his hand to the ball. As a result, OCB earned a second point from the game.

The two points puts OCB back in a playoff position, currently sitting in seventh. They’re tied with Columbus Crew 2 for sixth and one point behind NYCFC II for fifth.


The Young Lions will continue their three-game homestand Thursday night when they host Chattanooga FC at Osceola County Stadium.

Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Chattanooga FC: Final Score 2-1 as OCB’s Noah Levis Nets Late Winner

Noah Levis’ late goal sees OCB claim all three points against first-place Chattanooga FC.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Orlando City B (5-5-1, 17 points) appeared to be headed for a shootout against Chattanooga FC (8-2-2, 27 points) as the teams were tied 1-1 late in the match. But Noah Levis scored in second-half stoppage time to give OCB the win at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee.

Shak Mohammed gave the Young Lions the early lead before Steeve Louis Jean equalized just before halftime. Levis’ conversion lifted OCB to a much-needed win against the team at the top of the Eastern Conference.

OCB Head Coach Manuel Goldberg was forced into multiple changes for this game because Jackson Platts, Colin Guske, and Justin Ellis are away with the U-18 United States Men’s National Team. Goldberg replaced the trio of starters with Hardyen Sargis, Gustavo Caraballo, and Favian Loyola. Additionally, Javier Otero joined the second team for this game, replacing Carlos Mercado in goal.

The back line front of Otero was Tahir Reid-Brown, Sargis, Thomas Williams, and Zakaria Taifi. Riyon Tori and Jhon Solis were in the defensive midfield behind Bernardo Rhein, Loyola, and Caraballo with Mohammed up top.

Chattanooga got the first opportunity of the game in the sixth minute when Taifi blocked Milo Garvanian’s cross out for a corner kick. The ensuing set piece went off a visiting player and out for a goal kick, ending the threat.

On the other end, OCB took the first shot of the game in the eight minute. Loyola received a pass near the top of the box before playing it over to Reid-Brown, approaching on his left. Since no defenders stepped up to the left back, he fired from distance, sending his shot over the target.

The Young Lions nearly had a chance in the 11th minute when Taifi found Mohammed near the penalty spot. The forward tried to turn on the ball, but his first touch popped up too high. As a result, Farid Sar-Sar cleared the ball before Mohammed could shoot.

A minute later, OCB took advantage of a Chattanooga mistake to take the lead. Ethan Dudley played a seemingly innocuous pass into the center of the field for Nathan Koehler. But it was a poor pass and Loyola stepped up to intercept. The Young Lions were on a three-on-one break, so it was an easy pass to a wide-open Mohammed and the forward put it in to give the hosts an early 1-0 lead.

Tori and Darwin Ortiz came together in the 20th minute, resulting in both players going down. They required concussion tests and Ortiz was eventually booked for the challenge. While Tori was able to continue, Chattanooga was forced into a concussion substitution, replacing Ortiz with Daniel Mangarov.

In the 26th minute, Otero came off his line to punch a cross away. The clearance went to Louis Jean, who shot from just outside the box. However, the attempt was blocked before it reached the goal.

OCB quickly went the other way and Taifi found Mohammed in the box. The forward was looking to shoot, but he couldn’t find enough space. Instead, he played the ball across for Caraballo. The teenager took a shot at goal, but his attempt was also blocked.

Chattanooga tried to make something happen in the 34th minute from a free kick. Mangarov took the set piece, sending it towards the back post for Koehler. The center back tried to volley the ball and redirect it on goal, but he knocked it out of play instead.

Garvanian knocked Taifi down in the 39th minute, giving OCB a free kick in the Chattanooga third. Solis’ shot was blocked out for a corner kick, and Taifi’s ensuing set piece was back to Loyola. The first-team attacker dribbled forward before shooting from outside of the box, but it was right to Chattanooga goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic.

As Jakupovic attempted to punt the ball up the field, Mohammed stepped in front. The clearance was off Mohammed’s back and the OCB attacker was booked.

A flurry of activity by Chattanooga resulted in an equalizer in the 43rd minute. It started when Garvanian’s shot was blocked by Caraballo. The block went straight to Mangarov, approaching the end line. The substitute’s second touch was a shot from a tight angle that Otero blocked.

Chattanooga kept possession, resulting in a cross into the box. Otero came off his line and appeared to have an opportunity to catch it, but he punched it away with one hand. In a play similar to earlier in the game, it went to Louis Jean. Again, the Haitian fired from outside the box. However, this time he was directly in front of the goal, The hard shot went past Otero and in, evening the game at 1-1.

The visitors tried to take the lead in the 45th minute when Mangarov did well to shield Taifi from the ball. He played it back for Keegan Ancelin. The midfielder had space for a shot, but he couldn’t get around the ball, sending his attempt well wide.

The final chance of the first half came in the third minute of stoppage time. Taifi lost possession near the top of the Chattanooga box but got it right back. The right back turned to shoot, but he couldn’t get over the ball and sent his attempt way over the target.

After 45 minutes of play, Chattanooga had more shots (7-6) and crosses (6-2). OCB had better passing accuracy (85.2%-84.8%). Both teams ended the first half with two corner kicks, two shots on target, and a goal.

OCB tried to get the second half off to a quick start, nearly converting in the 47th minute. Mohammed did well to shield and turn his defender, getting a shot off towards the back post. The ball skipped past Jakupovic but wide of the far post.

In the 49th minute, Reid-Brown received the ball on the left, outside the box. The left back took a couple of steps forward before firing towards goal. His shot was on target but right into the arms of Jakupovic.

Mangarov tried to create something himself in the 50th minute, beating a couple of defenders to get into the box. He got a shot off, but Williams stuck his foot in and got a piece of it. As a result, the ball went straight to Otero.

Loyola nearly gave the Young Lions their second lead of the night with a long run in the 57th minute. He dribbled into the middle and shot from the top of the Chattanooga box but hit the left post. The rebound ended up with Rhein, but he was offside, ending the attack.

Caraballo took a chance at goal in the 60th minute when he received the ball on the right. The 16-year-old attacker had Taifi making an overlapping run, but he took the chance himself. The midfielder opened up and sent a shot towards the far top corner of the goal, sending his chance wide.

Chattanooga had a couple of opportunities in the 63rd minute, first when Callum Watson found Dudley at the top of the OCB box. Sargis got in front to block the attempt and the visitors maintained possession. Garvanian took the second attempt from the left, aiming for the back post. But he sent his attempt wide and OCB escaped the danger.

In the 67th minute, a long ball by Jakupovic was headed on by Tate Robertson for Peter Plougmand. Otero blocked the attempt that went to Mangarov at the top of the box. The attacker shot right at Otero, who made the stop.

Goldberg made his first change of the night in the 71st minute as Levis came on for Rhein.

Robertson played a dangerous ball to the back post in the 85th minute. He had multiple teammates in the box, but Sargis did well to head it away.

The Young Lions went the other way with Loyola carrying the ball to the top of the Chattanooga box before being taken down by Mangarov, who was booked for the challenge.

Solis was the only person standing over the ball, taking the free kick. However, he sent his shot straight into the wall. The rebound was sent forward for Tori, but the rookie was offside.

Goldberg made another change in the 88th minute, sending 17-year-old Justin Hylton on for his OCB debut, replacing Caraballo.

In the 90th minute, Mike Bleeker found Plougmand in the box. Chattanooga’s leading goal scorer laid it off for Mangarov at the top of the 18, but he couldn’t get anything on the ball, sending it harmlessly wide.

A minute later, OCB took its second lead of the night. Solis and Mohammed combined to send Loyola behind the Chattanooga back line. The attacker took a shot from the right side of the box, forcing Jukupovic into a one-handed save. It looked like the ball was going out of play, but Hylton saved it. He sent the ball towards the penalty spot, where Levis met it and converted to give the Young Lions a 2-1 lead.

“That talks very good about them because they are prepared,” Goldberg said about substitutes Hylton and Levis being involved in the goal. “They are ready. And sometimes it’s tough to play less, but here in the second team, you need to take every chance. We are happy that they took it.”

Goldberg made his final change in the second minute of stoppage time, replacing Loyola with Noham Abdellaoui.

Chattanooga won a corner kick in the third minute of stoppage time and everyone came up, including Jakupovic. OCB cleared with Reid-Brown carrying the ball down field. Without anyone in goal, the left back shot from his own half. Louis Jean sprinted towards his own goal, stopping the ball before it crossed the line, keeping it a one-goal game.

The visitors pushed forward once more, but they couldn’t create anything else, and the Young Lions came away with the win.

Both teams took 14 shots in this game, but OCB put one more on target (6-5). Chattanooga had the advantage in corner kicks (5-3), crosses (10-2), and passing accuracy (86.1%-84.5%), but it was OCB that scored the late goal to claim all three points.

“We are very happy for the win. But, most of all, that we were able to overcome a 3-0 loss (a week ago against Atlanta) beating the team that was top of the league,” Goldberg said. “So, that’s the stand out for us.”

“Obviously, it was a pretty difficult match versus the number one team in the league right now,” Loyola added. “So, it was a pretty hard match to go up front. I think our team played really well defensively and attacking. And, honestly, the mentality we had throughout the game was just amazing.”

OCB moves up to fifth in the Eastern Conference with the win, tied with NYCFC II, a point behind New England Revolution II, and two points behind Huntsville City FC after 11 games.


The Young Lions will take the field again Friday night when they travel to Alabama to face Huntsville City FC.

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Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Atlanta United 2: Final Score 3-0 as Young Lions Humbled by Atlanta, Selves

OCB falls to Atlanta United 2 in arguably the team’s worst performance of the season.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Orlando City B (4-5-1, 14 points) got an extra home game tonight due to a scheduling conflict in Georgia, but instead of taking advantage of not having to play Atlanta United 2 (2-2-6, 14 points) on the road, the Young Lions were humbled 3-0 in their own building. At least they can take some solace that it was a closed-door beatdown that fans couldn’t attend.

Atlanta took the early lead through Gabriel Wesseh’s conversion of a Carlos Mercado howler before Cayman Togashi scored on both sides of halftime.

This game was originally scheduled to take place in Kennesaw, GA, on Friday night. However, due to venue unavailability, it was moved to Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee. Despite playing in their home stadium, the Young Lions were the away team. Since Atlanta was the home team, OCB’s southeast rivals requested a closed-door game.

As if the two-day delay wasn’t enough, severe weather in the area delayed the game for nearly an hour, finally getting underway at 8:25 p.m. The rain made a difference in the game, as the players had trouble playing on the waterlogged pitch in the early moments.

OCB Head Coach Manuel Goldberg made one change to the team that came away with a 3-0 win over Inter Miami II on May 17. Gustavo Caraballo wasn’t in the team and was replaced in the lineup by Bernardo Rhein.

The back line in front of Mercado in goal was Tahir Reid-Brown, Jackson Platts, Thomas Williams, and Zakaria Taifi. Colin Guske and Riyon Tori were the defensive midfielders behind Rhein, Justin Ellis, and Jhon Solis with Shak Mohammed up top.

The game was pretty much over from the opening whistle. OCB rarely threatened and sent the ball well off target when it did. Meanwhile, Atlanta looked like the only team that wanted to play, constantly creating dangerous chances in the final third.

Atlanta went on the attack early and took advantage of an OCB mistake. Receiving a pass back from Platts, Mercado was out of his box, looking to play the ball up the field, but he sent it directly to Wesseh. Wesseh easily chipped the OCB goalkeeper, putting the ball in the empty net and giving his team the fourth-minute lead.

Javier Armas tried to beat Mercado from distance in the eighth minute, shooting for the far post from outside the box. It looked like Mercado got a hand to the ball, knocking it wide. But the referee gave a goal kick instead.

Guske played a quick free kick to Reid-Brown in the 21st minute, sending the left back to the end line. Mohammed made a run to the near post and Reid-Brown sent the ball in, but it was too close to Jonathan Ransom, who made the save.

In the 22nd minute, Armas found Nykolas Sessock making an overlapping run on his right. The right back had Cayman Togashi and Dominik Chong Qui making runs into the box and sent in a hard cross, but nobody could get on the end of it and the ball went all the way through the box.

Taifi won a corner in the 24th minute when his cross was blocked out of play by Braden Dunham. The right back took the set piece, sending it to the back post. Platts outjumped his defender to get his head to the ball, sending it just over the crossbar.

Atlanta had a series of corner kicks in the 28th minute. The second found the head of Salvatore Mazzaferro, who redirected the ball towards goal. It was on target but went off the shoulder of Reid-Brown. The ensuing corner was cleared, ending the extended attack.

Armas had the ball in a seemingly innocuous spot in the 31st minute. The Atlanta captain fired a shot on target from distance, but Mercado blocked it down and collected it.

OCB had one of its rare first-half chances in the 35th minute when Ellis found Mohammed making a run into the box. The forward took a touch towards the end line, slightly cutting down his angle before firing it into the arms of Ransom. That was the only OCB shot on target in the game.

On the other end, Armas found Wesseh on the right. The midfielder had plenty of space, taking a touch inside before attempting another long shot towards goal. This time it was too close to Mercado, who made the stop.

In the 38th minute, Chong Qui was making a run to the top of the box when Taifi met him. The ball popped in the air towards goal where Sessock was making a run. He nearly got to the ball before Mercado, but he couldn’t quite reach it and the OCB goalkeeper picked it up.

Solis tried to win the ball from Chong Qui in the 40th minute, ultimately tripping the midfielder and giving Atlanta a free kick. Armas stepped up to take the set piece, sending it to the far post. He had Mercado beaten, but the ball bounced off the woodwork, keeping the OCB deficit at 1-0.

Atlanta doubled its lead in the 45th minute from a free kick in its own third of the field. Chong Qui flicked Mazzaferro’s long set piece into the box. Platts and Togashi went after the ball, with Platts getting there first. But Togashi muscled the center back off the ball. Mercado had started to come out, but changed his mind when Togashi had possession. With the goalkeeper caught in no-man’s land, Togashi touched it around the OCB goalkeeper and into the once-again wide-open net to give Atlanta a commanding 2-0 lead.

After 45 minutes, Atlanta had the advantage in shots (9-5) shots on goal (4-1), corner kicks (3-2), and passing accuracy (85%-83.3%). OCB had more crosses (2-1), but the best chances were by the team in stripes.

Goldberg made one change at halftime. Rhein, who went down earlier in the first half, was replaced by Favian Loyola.

Atlanta continued its attack on the OCB goal out of the break, creating a chance in the 50th minute. Chong Qui dribbled towards the top of the box before firing. It looked like the shot might be on target, but Taifi stepped in front to block it.

In the 55th minute, Sessock dribbled into the box before laying the ball off for Armas. The attacker tried to lift the ball over Mercado, but couldn’t get it to come down, and it sailed over the crossbar.

Ransom cleared the ball way up field in the 57th minute. Mercado came out of his box, but Togashi beat him to it. The attacker chipped the ball over the OCB goalkeeper and it appeared to be going in, but Williams got back to knock it out of play, keeping the deficit at two goals.

Solis intercepted a pass at midfield in the 59th minute, heading the other way. The midfielder was pulled down by Armas before he could reach the ball, earning a yellow card. Solis took the free kick himself from a position in which he’s scored before. However, he sent this one directly into the wall.

Mohammed played the ball back for Loyola from the corner in the 61st minute. The halftime substitute lifted it into the box where Taifi was making a run. He went over the defender and got a head to it, sending it wide.

Solis had another chance from a corner kick in the 66th minute when Atlanta failed to clear the ball. The midfielder found a way through multiple defenders and had a good look at goal, but sent the shot over the top.

After receiving a pass from Platts, Loyola lost the ball to Cooper Sanchez in the 68th minute. Dribbling into the OCB third of the field, he found Togashi near the top of the box. Reid-Brown was there to defend, but Togashi spun to lose him and tucked the ball into the far bottom corner to make it 3-0.

In the 70th minute, Solis made a good, long run into the Atlanta half of the field. He played it centrally for Ellis, who quickly sent it on for Loyola. The first-team forward had a good look at the goal, but his shot went wide.

Solis tried to play Reid-Brown a long ball in the 72nd minute, but Sessock got their first, playing it back to his goalkeeper. However, Ransom was under pressure from Reid-Brown and played a terrible ball out of the back, sending it straight to Loyola. The goal was wide open, but Loyola sent the ball over the top.

Goldberg made two more changes in the 74th minute. Hayden Sargis and Diego Pareja came into the game for Guske and Platts.

Former OCB attacker Moises Tablante made a long run to the top of the OCB box in the 76th minute before being taken down by Williams. The center back protested the decision, but Atlanta had a free kick in a great position.

Armas stepped up to take the set piece and went for goal. It was a hard shot that fortunately went well over the crossbar.

A stoppage of play in the 78th minute gave Goldberg the opportunity to make his fourth change of the game. Noham Abdellaoui came on for Williams.

A long ball out of the back by Chong Qui in the 82nd minute found Wesseh across midfield. The forward beat the new center back pairing of Abdellaoui and Sarigs to get in on goal. As Abdellaoui caught up with the attacker, Wesseh shot. However, Mercado did well to come off his line and tip it wide.

It was a frustrating night for the Young Lions, which was on full display in the 88th minute when Solis played Reid-Brown down the left. Sessock did well to shield the OCB left back, winning a goal kick. Reid-Brown kicked the advertising board in frustration after being out-muscled by his smaller opponent, a perfect representation of the night for Orlando.

Mercado nearly made a costly error in the 90th minute when he played a ball out of the back directly to Adyn Torres. However, the Young Lions were able to win it back and draw a foul to avoid any more danger.

Wesseh received a pass at the top left corner of the box in the second minute of stoppage time. He was given plenty of space, so he took the shot himself, sending it wide of the far post.

A minute later, Ryan Carmichael made a run into the OCB box and sent a dangerous ball across the face of goal. Fortunately, nobody in black and red was close enough to get on the end of it and the ball went out of play.

That was the final chance for either team as Atlanta came away with a dominant 3-0 win. At full time, Atlanta had the advantage in shots (23-12), shots on target (7-1), and corner kicks (5-4). OCB had better passing accuracy (84.2%-80.1%) and both teams had five crosses.

It was an abysmal performance by OCB. Every player made costly mistakes, and the team failed to threaten the Atlanta goal. Even when defensive mistakes by the opposition gave the Young Lions a golden opportunity, they found a way to mess it up.

The Young Lions are currently in eighth place, barely above the red line. However, they’re now tied with Atlanta on points and only one point ahead of Chicago Fire II and Inter Miami II.


OCB will have to shake this one off and find a way to rebound when they host Chattanooga FC on June 1.

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Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Inter Miami II: Final Score 3-0 as Young Lions Dominate Herons At Home

Justin Ellis’ goal and two assists helped end a five-game winless run against the Herons.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B

Orlando City B (4-4-1, 14 points) returned home tonight and crushed Inter Miami II (3-6-1, 10 points) 3-0 at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee. Gustavo Caraballo gave the Young Lions the lead in the 19th minute before Shak Mohammed doubled the advantage in the 51st minute. But it was Justin Ellis’ night. The 18-year-old assisted the first two goals and converted a penalty in the 59th minute to cap off a remarkable game.

OCB Head Coach Manuel Goldberg made just one change from the team that lost 5-1 to Chicago Fire II on May 2. Jhon Solis returned to the starting lineup after his one-game suspension, replacing Juan Quevedo.

The back line in front of goalkeeper Carlos Mercado was Tahir Reid-Brown, Thomas Williams, Jackson Platts, and Zakaria Taifi. Colin Guske and Riyon Tori were the defensive midfielders behind Solis, Ellis, and Caraballo with Mohammed up top.

Miami got off to the stronger start in the first five minutes and it looked like it might be another long night for OCB. But that was the end of the threats by the opposition. The Young Lions seemed to wake up and dominated the rest of the game. The 3-0 scoreline is a fair result as OCB was by far the better team.

The visitors nearly took the lead in the fifth minute when Santiago Morales’ shot hit the post. The rebound went right back to the midfielder, who found Cesar Abadia-Reda to his left. The defender sent a second shot towards goal but hit it just wide of the near post.

A minute later, the Young Lions felt they should’ve had a penalty when Reid-Brown found Mohammed down the left. The attacker played the ball into the box for Caraballo, who went down after contact from behind. The OCB players and fans appealed for a penalty, but the referee disagreed.

Alejo Ristano pulled Ellis down in the 12th minute, giving the Young Lions a free kick near the top of the Miami box. Caraballo and Solis stood over the ball with Solis taking it. His set piece got through the wall, but Ivan Schmid had eyes on it the entire way, making for an easy save.

The Young Lions took the lead in the 19th minute when Mohammed found Ellis at the top of the Miami box. Caraballo was making a run, and Ellis chipped it in for the midfielder. The 16-year-old did well to control the ball and put it past Schmid to give his team the 1-0 lead.

It looked like OCB might double its advantage in the 22nd minute when the Young Lions broke forward on a four-on-two break. Mohammed played the ball to his right for Caraballo, who immediately tried to find Ellis in the middle of the field. However, the pass was behind the attacker and the Young Lions were unable to create a shot.

In the 39th minute, Abadia-Reda sent a dangerous cross through the OCB box, looking for Ricardo Montenegro. Fortunately, he wasn’t able to connect, because Mercado would’ve had little chance if the midfielder had redirected it on target.

OCB won a corner kick in the first minute of first-half stoppage time. The set piece found Williams near the top of the six-yard box with Giovanni Ferraina holding the center back, causing his header to go wide. Williams threw his arms up, feeling a penalty should’ve been called, but nothing came of it.

Both teams created three shots in the first 45 minutes, but OCB put two on target while Miami only put one on frame. While Miami had the edge in crosses (2-0), corner kicks (3-1), and passing accuracy (91%-87.8%), Caraballo’s 19th-minute strike gave the Young Lions that one-goal halftime lead.

Goldberg made a pair of halftime changes, possibly in preparation for Sunday night’s first-team game in Fort Lauderdale. Favian Loyola and Dylan Judelson came into the game for Guske and Caraballo.

OCB doubled its advantage in the 51st minute and it was created by Ellis again. The attacker received the ball at the top of the Miami box, and — similar to the first goal — chipped it forward. This time it was Mohammed making the run, playing it past Schmid to make it 2-0.

Miami looked to respond in the 56th minute when Idoh Zeltzer-Zubida found Morales in the box with some space. The midfielder’s second touch was a shot on goal, but Mercado was at his near post to collect it.

Things got even better for OCB in the 57th minute when Loyola made a run into the Miami box from the right and shot. Tyler Hall turned his back to the ball and it went off his arm. The referee immediately pointed to the spot, awarding OCB a penalty.

After setting up the first two goals, Ellis stepped up to take the spot kick. There was a delay while the referee made sure the players were outside the box. When his whistle blew, Ellis didn’t hesitate to take the attempt, putting it past a diving Schmid to make it 3-0.

“It was just the confidence that my teammates and the staff give me,” Ellis said about his goal and two assists. “Like the freedom that they give me. They tell me where to be and then I just execute.”

“He has a lot of determination in the last third. We tried to take advantage, he tried to take advantage with his teammates,” Goldberg said about Ellis’ performance. “He assisted twice and scored, so we are really happy for him.”

The Young Lions nearly made it 4-0 in the 63rd minute when Ellis made a good run into the box, and his pass split two defenders and found Taifi. The right back had his back to goal, so he laid it off to Mohammed instead. Mohammed quickly shot, but Schmid blocked it over the crossbar.

The ensuing corner kick was long, finding Platts beyond the back post. The center back sent the ball in front of goal with a teammate there, but it was cleared away.

OCB dominated the second half, but Miami created a chance in the 69th minute when Yuval Cohen got enough room from his defender to get a shot off. However, he sent the attempt well off target.

Immediately after the miss, Goldberg made his third change of the night, replacing Taifi with Hayden Sargis.

Ellis was looking for his third assist and fourth goal contribution in the 72nd minute when he played Mohammed behind the Miami back line. But this time the flag went up, ruling the striker offside.

Alejandro Flores forced Mercado into action in the 73rd minute with an ambitious shot from distance. The attempt was heading inside the near post, but Mercado did well to dive to his left and push the ball wide.

In the 76th minute, Mateo Saja was taken down just outside of the OCB box, giving Miami a free kick in a dangerous position. It was a fortunate play for the Young Lions because Saja was entering the box when he was taken down.

Before the set piece could be taken, Goldberg made another change as Bernardo Rhein came on for Ellis.

Morales sent the set piece towards goal. The ball went off Mohammed, sending it just wide of the target. The Young Lions cleared the ensuing corner kick and Miami was unable to get anything else from the attack.

Goldberg made his final change in the 85th minute as Noah Levis made his OCB debut, replacing Solis.

A free kick in the 89th minute resulted in a dangerous situation. Schmid came flying out for the set piece, running into Platts and flipping over the center back. The referee called Platts for a foul and both players went down. However, neither needed attention and both were able to continue.

Miami quickly went the other way and created a chance. There were multiple pink jerseys in the box as the low cross came in, but Mercado jumped off his line to collect it before anyone could put it on target.

In the final minute of stoppage time, Cohen wound up and shot from well outside the box. The attempt got through a pair of defenders, but Mercado had his near post well covered, smothering the ball. The final whistle blew before he could punt the ball away, securing the 3-0 win for the Young Lions.

Inter Miami II had the better statistical night with the advantage in shots (11-8), crosses (7-4), corner kicks (6-3), and passing accuracy (91%-86.6%). But both teams put five shots on target and OCB created much more dangerous situations.

“The first thing, to win the derby is great. So that’s the most important,” Goldberg said. “Apart from that, I think we did it in a good way, which is even better.”

“It was a great team performance,” Ellis added. “I think the defensive solidity gave us the confidence to score three goals, and it gave us the freedom to play for what we see and just use our talent.”

The win snaps a five-game winless run against Miami, during which the Young Lions went 0-3-2. Prior to tonight, the most recent OCB win came on May 25, 2023, a 1-0 win in Fort Lauderdale.


After a short stop at home, OCB will head back out on the road to face another rival in Atlanta United 2 Friday night in Kennesaw, GA.

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