Orlando City B vs. Chattanooga FC: Final Score 1-0 as Young Lions’ Winless Skid Reaches Eight Games

Orlando City B was second-best all night against a Chattanooga FC side that entered tonight’s match on a four-game losing streak. OCB (4-6-8, 24 points) rarely threatened goal and at times struggled to even gain possession in a 1-0 loss to Chattanooga FC (7-6-6, 31 points) at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, TN. Alex McGrath scored the game’s only goal for the hosts in the second half, as OCB played a good defensive game but simply offered nothing going forward.

OCB has now gone eight games since its last win (0-3-5) as the Young Lions see their playoff chances — though still alive — starting to dwindle.

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

The game began with a hard foul just seconds into the game when Andres Jimenez took out Almaguer on a challenge that likely would have drawn a yellow card had the game been more than a few seconds old. Luis Garcia Sosa then shoved Guske down from behind moments later. That set the tone for a half that saw 14 total fouls — nine from the hosts — while OCB ended up with more yellow cards (2-1) in the opening half.

Chattanooga winger Taylor Gray took the first shot of the match in the third minute, cutting in from the left and firing from distance, but Mercado wasn’t troubled with it and made an easy save. A minute later, the hosts should have taken the lead. Left back Joseph Perez lost Freeman and sent in a good cross through the six to McGrath at the back post. McGrath made a sliding lunge at the ball and made contact with it, but he somehow got under it and popped it over the net from point-blank range.

Freeman won a free kick on the right in the sixth minute, leading to OCB’s first attempt. Almaguer picked out Kibunguchy with his service, but the big center back got under it and popped it high over the net. Orlando City B quickly won another free kick straight out from goal, but Tsukada’s shot attempt refused to dip and sailed over the crossbar in the eighth minute.

Lynn and Perez were both booked in the 10th minute after some pushing and shoving that came from Perez pushing Lynn down from behind away from the ball. Lynn took exception, grabbing Perez and spinning him around. Both players were cautioned as Chattanooga continued trying to get under the Young Lions’ skin.

Gray tried his luck from the left again in the 14th minute from about the same spot and this time Mercado parried the shot wide to the left.

OCB’s best chance of the half came in the 17th minute when Solis played Freeman into the area. The fullback fired a shot but Farid Sar-Sar stuck out a leg and blocked it. OCB could do nothing with the ensuing corner.

Lynn nearly set himself up moments later, stealing the ball in the attacking third, but the ball got a bit too far away from the striker and goalkeeper Jean Antoine just beat him to the loose ball in the box.

Freeman broke in on goal in the 25th minute but as he approached goal, he was bumped hard by Duvan Viafara, and as a result he sent his shot into the outside netting.

Viafara then sent a weak header right to Mercado on a set piece in the 32nd minute. Mehdi Ouamri tried his luck from 30 yards out moments later, but it sailed over Mercado’s goal.

Freeman again got sent down the right in the 36th minute, but he just missed picking out the top left corner of the net, sending it just wide. After the restart, Rivera stole the ball and tried a shot from near the top of the area but he sent it well over the crossbar in the 37th minute.

Gray’s third effort from the left skipped through the box, narrowly missing Kibunguchy’s foot, and skipped just wide of the right post in the 43rd minute. Mercado then made a late save in stoppage time on a free kick Petrasso conceded near the corner of the box and the first half came to an end.

At the end of the first half, Chattanooga had a big advantage in possession, but I can’t tell you how big because MLS NEXT Pro doesn’t post it in their in-game stats. At one point, the broadcast showed OCB having only 36% of the ball and it didn’t change much from that point to halftime. The hosts also had the edge in shots (10-6), shots on target (4-0), and passing accuracy (90.9%-87.9%). OCB won the only corner of the first period.

Chattanooga kept on the pressure after the second-half kickoff, with long spells of attacking pressure, although the hosts didn’t generate many chances from having the ball. The first chance for Chattanooga came off a turnover by Solis in his own defensive half in the 49th minute. Jude Arthur took the ball away and quickly tried a shot from distance to try to catch Mercado napping, but the shot was off target.

Five minutes later, Mercado made a good save to deny McGrath, who beat Petrasso on a diagonal run from the right toward the middle of the box. Garcia-Sosa delivered an excellent through ball for the winger, who fired toward the net, but he couldn’t beat Mercado.

The OCB goalkeeper then punched away the ensuing corner kick cross but Almaguer failed to clear it further and Chattanooga regained possession, with McGrath firing again, only this time he send the shot wide.

The breakthrough came in the 57th minute as McGrath again beat Petrasso while cutting inside. This time he had the ball on his feet and fired a shot that was able to sneak in between Mercado’s outstretched arm and the right post to make it 1-0.

OCB players and coaches will feel hard done by for a no-call in the 63rd minute. Solis made a nice play to backheel a pass to Petrasso in the attacking penalty area. The left back changed direction and went down under heavy contact by the defense, as it appeared he’d had his ankle caught by a defender’s foot. Referee John Matto awarded no penalty, and the hosts cleared the danger. A yellow card was shown to the OCB bench as the team protested the decision.

The Young Lions pressed more numbers into the attack and won several corner kicks but could do nothing with them. Second-half sub Shak Mohammed sent a weak bouncer from a severe angle on the right at the goalkeeper, recording OCB’s first official shot on target of the night in the 71st minute.

Freeman had an opportunity on a corner kick in the 75th minute. The ball went through the box from left to right and Kibunguchy tracked it down and sent a cross to the back post. Freeman headed it toward the net and it was heading just wide of the left post but Antoine could take no chances and got a hand to it, conceding another corner. The ball was sent to Freeman at the near post on the ensuing set piece, but the fullback’s header was off target.

Minjae Kwak had two opportunities to put the game away for Chattanooga. The first came in the 83rd minute, with substitute Tahir Reid-Brown blocking it out for a corner kick. The hosts played the corner short and Kwak darted into the box and sent a shot toward the far post from the right. Mercado got a leg out just in time to make the save.

As time ran down, Orlando struggled to find a way through Chattanooga’s low block. Almaguer decided to take a shot from outside the area in the 87th minute, but his setup was so obvious the defense was easily able to step in front and block the effort. In the 89th minute, Favian Loyola made a magnificent darting run through four defenders in the box but could only send a weak shot at Antoine when he cleared the last man.

A weak header right to Antoine late in stoppage time was the last gasp as OCB dropped all three points.

Chattanooga finished with the advantage in shots (17-12), shots on target (8-2), and passing accuracy (88.1%-87.3%), while OCB ended the game with more corners (7-3). Even without the final stats in possession, it was clear that the hosts had much more of the ball, especially in the opening 15 minutes of the decisive second half.

OCB will continue its road swing next Saturday at Carolina Core FC in High Point, NC, at 7:30 p.m.