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Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. New York City FC II: Final Score 3-2 as Young Lions Find Rare Win at Home

The Young Lions overcame an early deficit and held off a late rally to win their first home game since May 26.

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7 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Orlando City B (6-6-9, 31 points) defeated New York City FC II (9-5-5, 34 points) 3-2 tonight at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee, picking up its first home victory since late May. Camil Azzam Ruiz gave the visitors the lead in the 23rd minute after having a penalty saved and putting in the rebound. However, Yutaro Tsuakda and Jhon Solis struck just before halftime to give their team a 2-1 lead and Shak Mohammed made it 3-1 in the 63rd minute. Ronald Arevalo got one back in the 85th minute, but it wasn’t enough as the Young Lions took all three points.

OCB made two changes to the team that played to a scoreless draw with Crown Legacy on Aug. 11. Thomas Williams was suspended after receiving two yellow cards and was replaced in the lineup by Luca Petrasso. Tahir Reid-Brown moved from left back to center back to create room for Petrasso at his natural position. Additionally, Favian Loyola entered the lineup for Wilfredo Rivera.

The back line in front of goalkeeper Carlos Mercado was Petrasso, Reid-Brown, Nabi Kibunguchy, and Alex Freeman. Imanol Almaguer and Colin Guske were the defensive midfielders behind Tsukada, Solis, and Loyola with Mohammed up top.

The Young Lions dominated the majority of this game. A mistake in the back by Reid-Brown resulted in a 23rd-minute penalty, enabling the visitors to take the lead. However, OCB continued to push and scored two goals in two minutes just before halftime to take the lead into the break. The hosts were also the better team in the second half and extended their lead to 3-1 when Mohammed redirected a ball into the box by Tsukada in the 63rd minute. NYCFC II was able to create more chances down two goals and got one back in the 85th minute but OCB held on for a much-needed win.

The visitors created the first shot of the game in the fifth minute when Jonathan Shore dribbled through multiple players to the top of the OCB box. The midfielder looked to beat Mercado, but Reid-Brown did well to get in front of the attempt, enabling the OCB goalkeeper to make an easy save.

The Young Lions got their first chance of the game in the 11th minute when Loyola dribbled towards the left side of the NYCFC II box and found Mohammed, who held up his run just enough to get behind the back line. Receiving the ball with some space, the forward’s second touch was a shot just wide of the near post.

In the 13th minute, Solis played the ball across the field for Freeman, who was sprinting down the right side. The right back kept the ball from exiting play, but Christopher Tiao did well to get back and knocked the ball out of play for the game’s first corner kick.

The ensuing set piece by Loyola went to the opposite side of the field for Tsukada. The midfielder’s cross into the box was headed away, but only to Loyola. Using some nifty footwork to lose his defenders, Loyola found Tsukada. The rookie dribbled inside and shot, but the ball skipped wide.

Tsukada had another chance in the 18th minute when he was played on the left by Solis. The midfielder cut inside to lose his defender and tried to hit the ball hard into the roof of the net. Unfortunately, he got under the ball, sending it over the crossbar.

A mistake by Reid-Brown in the 22nd minute resulted in the opening goal. Receiving a short pass back from Almaguer, the young center back was quickly pressured by Maximo Carrizo. The midfielder was in on goal, forcing Mercado to come out to challenge him. As the attacker went down, referee Mario Maric pointed to the spot, awarding the visitors a penalty. Fortunately, Kibunguchy and Reid-Brown were back, so it was only a yellow card for the OCB goalkeeper.

Azzam Ruiz stepped up to take the penalty with vuvuzelas blaring from the crowd. Mercado dove to his right, blocking the attempt. However, Azzam Ruiz was quick to react and put the rebound in to give NYCFC II a 1-0 lead.

Switching the field in the 24th minute, Loyola received a long pass on the right. The attacker did well to beat his defender before laying it off for Solis at the top of the box. Solis initially got the ball caught in his feet before getting it under control and shooting for the near post. NYCFC II goalkeeper Will Meyer was caught flat-footed, but the ball skipped just wide.

The Young Lions created more chances a minute later when Loyola’s pass down the right for Freeman was knocked out of play by Tiao. The ensuing set piece by Loyola was short to Solis, who gave it right back to Loyola. The attacker sent a low ball towards the near post, but Meyer got down to block it wide.

The second corner by Loyola was into the box and found the head of Solis. The midfielder redirected the ball right into the arms of Meyer, ending the attack.

In the 27th minute, Mohammed was taken down by Matthew Leong just outside the box, resulting in a booking for the NYCFC II center back. Tsukada went for goal on the set piece, but Andrew Baiera deflected it out of play for a corner kick.

The ensuing ball into the box was headed out but only to Freeman. The right back quickly put a shot on target, but it was blocked and the visitors were able to clear.

The Young Lions should have found their equalizer in the 34th minute, just after play resumed following a hydration break. Reid-Brown sent a long ball forward that got behind the NYCFC II back line. Mohammed ran onto the ball and touched it around Meyer. It should’ve been an easy finish, but a heavy touch forced him to chase after the ball. By the time he reached it, he had too tight of an angle and hit it off the outside of the near post.

OCB finally found its equalizer in the 45th minute and it came from an excellent individual effort by Tsukada. Receiving the ball on the left sideline from Petrasso, Tsukada used his quick change of pace to beat his defender and open up space. He cut inside and shot between Jonny Lopez and Shore. It was an excellent strike inside the near post that Meyer could do nothing about, tying the game at 1-1.

“When I get the ball out wide, I have strong confidence with one-v-one. So when I get the ball, I try to dribble and threw the meg,” Tsukada said about his goal. “And I saw Shak running behind, so he created space and then I used that space and then just finished it.”

It didn’t take long for the Young Lions to take the lead, doing so a minute into first-half stoppage time. Guske won possession when Tiao sent the ball forward. He played it to Solis who tried to chip the ball into the box for Loyola or Mohammed, who were making identical runs. As the pair of attackers ran into each other, Tiao headed it back out. However, Solis was the quickest to respond. The midfielder touched the ball inside and curled it around Meyer, leaving the NYCFC II goalkeeper frozen. The ball snuck inside the far post and the Young Lions had their first lead of the game.

“Very important,” OCB Head Coach Manuel Goldberg said about scoring the two goals just before halftime. “We were creating a lot of chances we couldn’t score. We made a mistake and they got a goal, but we kept trying. That was the good thing. We were able fortunately to get those two goals that changed the game for us.”

Despite trailing for most of the half, it was a dominant 45 minutes for the Young Lions. They had more shots (12-3), shots on target (4-2), and corner kicks (4-0). Meanwhile, NYCFC II had more crosses (4-2) and slightly better passing accuracy (90.9%-90.5%).

OCB nearly extended its advantage in the 48th minute when Solis sent the ball forward with the outside of his foot for Petrasso. The left back was making a long run into the NYCFC II half and Meyer came way out of his box to challenge him. Petrasso tapped the ball past the goalkeeper and appeared to be in on goal. Unfortunately, Lopez did well to get back with an excellent slide tackle, winning the ball before Petrasso could reach it.

In the 49th minute, Tsukada made a long run into the NYCFC II half before playing the ball to Loyola. The attacker continued the ball wide for Freeman, whose first touch was into the box for Tsukada. Rather than a strong strike, the midfielder tried to chip the ball over Meyer to the back post. The goalkeeper did well to stay on his line and caught the attempt without much trouble.

Loyola looked to get on the scoresheet in the 51st minute. Dribbling around his defender, he took a long-distance shot. He was aiming for the near post, but Meyer dove to his left and caught the attempt.

NYCFC II finally had another good chance in the 55th minute when quick passing enabled Arevalo to send Nicholas Kapanadze into the box. The halftime substitute got behind Freeman, but his touch was too heavy. Mercado came out to cut down the angle and Reid-Brown cleared it away.

OCB had a set piece chance in the 60th minute when Freeman sent Guske down the right and Tiao blocked the ball out for a corner kick. The ensuing ball by Loyola was to the back post where Kibunguchy was charging in. The center back slid in an attempt to redirect the ball on target but couldn’t get it on frame.

The Young Lions netted a third goal in the 63rd minute. Freeman took on Tiao after receiving a long ball across the field from Guske. Tiao defended Freeman well but was the last to touch the ball before it went out of play. Tsukada’s first touch from Loyola’s corner kick at the top of the box was towards goal. It looked like Meyer was there to catch it, but Mohammed met the ball first, redirecting it in to give OCB a commanding 3-1 lead.

A Reid-Brown mistake in the 65th minute nearly resulted in a second goal for NYCFC II. The center back received a back pass from Tsukada that was nearly identical to the one that resulted in the first-half penalty. Kapanadze pressured the defender and won possession, putting him in on goal. He sent the ball past Mercado and towards the far post but missed wide.

NYCFC II looked to break out in the 72nd minute, resulting in Carrizo sprinting down the field. The midfielder found Shore outside of the box and he took an ambitious shot from long distance. It was a good strike that forced Mercado to push it away, but the OCB goalkeeper handled it well.

Goldberg made his first changes in the 71st minute as Manuel Cocca and Justin Ellis entered the game for Reid-Brown and Mohammed. Two minutes later, Jackson Platts came on for Tsukada, who left with a goal and an assist.

The visitors got a goal back in the 85th minute when Pietro Elias made a strong run and played it forward for Kapanadze. The forward chested the ball down and laid it off for Arevalo, whose right-footed shot got behind Mercado and inside the post to make it 3-2.

In the first minute of second-half injury time, Shore received the ball on the right top corner of the box and took a shot at goal. Solis got in front of the attempt, deflecting it into the arms of Mercado. The OCB goalkeeper stayed down as the medical team came out to look at him. Goldberg took the stoppage to make his final change as Bernardo Goncalves came on for Petrasso.

In the fourth minute of stoppage time, Meyer sent a long ball into the OCB box that was headed out by Kibunguchy. Stevo Bednarsky took possession and Solis took him down from behind, giving the visitors a free kick just outside of the OCB box. Arevalo took the set piece but couldn’t get over it, sending the attempt over the top.

Tempers flared in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time after Platts flew in with a hard challenge on Lopez. Klevis Haxhari immediately took exception to the challenge, bumping Platts with his chest. Kapanadze came running in from the other side of the field and gave Platts a forearm to the face, receiving a straight red card for the action. Kapanadze didn’t help himself by kicking the ball at a group of OCB players while being escorted away by Bednarsky. Pushing and shoving continued, but the situation eventually calmed down.

The free kick by Arevalo into the box was headed away by Solis, ending the last chance for the visitors. After nearly nine minutes of stoppage time, Maric blew the final whistle and the Young Lions held on for the 3-2 win.

It was a deserved result for OCB, which had more shots (17-13), shots on target (7-5), and corner kicks (6-2). NYCFC II had more crosses (9-4) and better passing accuracy (88.8%-86%). The visitors made the game look much closer statistically once OCB went up 3-1 as they pushed to get back into the game.

“Of course, we are really happy that we were able to get the result. For us, this moment of the season is crucial,” Goldberg said about the performance. “So, very happy for that. And at the same time, we have a little bit of feeling of control in the game a little bit more and being able to do that.”

It’s been a struggle for the Young Lions since their best game of the season, a 5-0 win over Huntsville City FC on May 26. Tonight’s victory is just their second win and first home win since that game.

The Young Lions remain in 10th in MLS NEXT Pro’s Eastern Conference. However, they’re only two points behind New York Red Bulls II and Inter Miami II, which sit in the eighth and final playoff spot. They also have a game in hand on Red Bulls II.

OCB will look to build on this win in its next game when the Young Lions face Atlanta United 2 Friday night in Kennesaw, GA.

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Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Columbus Crew 2: Final Score 2-1 as Young Lions Win Season Opener

OCB opened its 2025 season with a victory, scoring twice before holding on for dear life in the second half.

Published

4 days ago

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March 9, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Orlando City B (1-0-0, 3 points) opened its 2025 MLS NEXT Pro season with a 2-1 win over Columbus Crew 2 (0-1-0, 0 points) tonight at Osceola County Stadium. Newcomer Dyson Clapier gave the Young Lions the lead in the 10th minute and Zakaria Taifi doubled the advantage just after the break. Crew 2 dominated possession after that and pulled a goal back late through Keesean Ferdinand, but it wasn’t enough, as OCB took all three points.

The first starting lineup of the season for the Young Lions consisted of Carlos Mercado in goal behind a back line of Tahir Reid-Brown, Thomas Williams, Jackson Platts, and Taifi. Dylan Judelson and Colin Guske were the defensive midfielders behind Clapier, Jhon Solis, and Shak Mohammed, with Justin Ellis up top.

OCB got off to an attacking start, trying to send Taifi down the right multiple times. But it was a Crew 2 throw-in that opened the scoring. In the 10th minute, Chase Adams received the throw and played a soft pass to Ferdinand in the Columbus box. Ellis jumped on the play, tipping the ball off of Ferdinand’s foot to Clapier, whose first touch was a rocket past Luke Pruter for the opening goal.

Columbus had its first decent attack in the 14th minute when Owen Presthus made a long run down the right. He sent a hard cross through the box looking for Tristan Brown, but it went all the way through.

It looked like OCB had a penalty in the 18th minute when Taifi did well to control a long pass and was taken down at the edge of the box. The referee initially pointed to the spot but ended up changing it to a free kick just outside of the 18, which was the correct decision.

Solis hit the free kick into the wall, and the ball bounced back to Taifi, who had been standing over it as well. His first touch was another shot, but it too was blocked.

A minute later, Solis found Taifi on the right and the defender sent a dangerous cross into the box. Clapier ran onto it and tried to turn it on goal with his first touch. However, he mishit the ball, ending the threat.

The visitors finally got their first shot of the game in the 27th minute when Austin Su  sent a hard, low shot towards goal. Fortunately, he sent it straight to Mercado, who had no trouble collecting it.

The Young Lions created a good buildup in the 37th minute when Ellis received the ball near midfield and sent it down the left for Reid-Brown. The left back found Clapier in the middle, who laid it back for Ellis making the trailing run. The striker’s first touch was a shot, but he didn’t hit it well, and it skipped wide.

It looked like Crew 2 might find an equalizer in the second minute of first-half stoppage time when Presthus sent Brent Adu-Gyamfi behind the back line and into the OCB box. His second touch was a shot, but Mercado did well to get down and block it, making a vital save.

After 45 minutes, OCB had more shots (5-4). However, Crew 2 had the advantage in attempts on target (2-1), corner kicks (2-0), crosses (5-2), and passing accuracy (89.2%-84.7%).

OCB made one change at halftime as Brazilian forward Thalles made his debut in purple, coming in for Clapier.

It didn’t take long for Thalles to get involved, as he nearly scored inside the first minute of the second half. The Brazilian was sent into the Crew 2 box and it looked like he had an open chance, but 15-year-old center back Gianmarco Di Noto came in from behind to knock it away.

The Young Lions went on another attack in the 48th minute, doubling their lead. Solis sent a long ball across the field to Taifi, who was making a run on the right. The right back chested the ball down and recontrolled it after the defender tried to tap it away. His third touch was a strong shot inside the near post, giving his team a 2-0 lead.

“I scored and I didn’t even see anything. All I did was point to my parents,” Taifi said. “My dad was working all day and he came from like two hours away to come. And I just wanted to give them all the thanks for the goal. And it feels amazing to win the game from that.”

“We talked a lot during the week about bringing out their individual best,” OCB Head Coach Manuel Goldberg said about Clapier’s and Taifi’s goals. “About everything. Technically, tactically. So this is the stuff we need. They have that ambition, that desire, and that helped them with the goals.”

Crew 2 nearly pulled one back in the 54th minute when Brown received the ball on the left side of the box. The midfielder tried to hit it into the roof of the net, but hit the woodwork.

Four minutes later, the Young Lions had trouble clearing the ball and Nicolas Rincon stuck his leg out to send the ball towards goal. Mercado did very well to dive to his left and make a one-handed save. The OCB starting goalkeeper was down briefly but was able to continue.

Solis tried to make it 3-0 in the 60th minute when Crew 2 goalkeeper Luke Pruter came well off his line. The ball was cleared before it reached the goal line, but only to Thalles not far away. The Brazilian attempted a bicycle kick, sending it wide.

Reid-Brown made a good run down the left in the 70th minute before cutting it back and finding Ellis at the top of the box. The striker took a touch inside before taking a hard right-footed shot. However, Su got in front of the attempt, blocking it wide.

As the ensuing corner kick was sent into the box, the referee called a foul on OCB. As a result, the Young Lions didn’t even get a chance from the set piece.

Goldberg made his second change in the 83rd minute as Clovis Archange came on for Reid-Brown.

A Taifi corner in the 85th minute found a head near the back post and was past Pruter, but cleared off the line. The follow-up attempt was right at Pruter, who made the save to end the threat.

The visitors finally got a goal back in the 88th minute when some quick passing sent Anthony Alaouieh down the left. The midfielder sent his pass back and diagonally through the box to a wide open Ferdinand, as the entire OCB defense had shifted to the other side. With nobody closing him down, it was an easy goal for the defender, sending the ball inside the far post.

The Young Lions immediately went the other way, looking to increase their lead back to two goals. Solis took a shot in the 89th minute from just outside the box that forced Pruter to dive and knock it wide.

The ensuing corner kick found Platts, who put his attempt on goal. But it was cleared off the line. The clearance went to Solis near the top of the box and the midfielder sent the follow-up attempt high and wide.

Crew 2 had another chance in the first minute of stoppage time when Guske was unable to clear a Columbus throw-in and Su took possession. The midfielder carried the ball to the end line and played it to the top of the six-yard box where Ferdinand was waiting. However, Mercado did well to get down to collect it.

Both teams attacked in the six minutes of second-half stoppage time, but the missed opportunity by Su was the final chance and OCB held on for the 2-1 win.

While Crew 2 had much more possession in the second half, it was OCB that created most of the chances. The Young Lions ended up with more shots (15-12), shots on target (7-5), and corner kicks (7-2). Meanwhile, the visitors had the advantage in crosses (8-3) and passing accuracy (89.6%-83%).

“Of course, first of all, very happy for the guys that we could get a win. It’s not easy to start off and starting off always like this is positive,” Goldberg said about the game. “The things we propose ourselves to do this match, we did. So we’re happy about that.”

“I feel like it was a great team performance. We really held it down,” Taifi said. “Had a little lapse of concentration at the end, but it doesn’t matter. We got the three points. So, it feels great to start with a win. Let’s go!”

The Young Lions continue their streak of season-opening wins, which dates back to the start of MLS NEXT Pro in 2022, making it four in a row. That matches the streak of four straight campaigns in which they opened the season with losses, dating back to the team’s inaugural season in 2016.

OCB will continue its season-opening homestand next Sunday night when the Young Lions host rival Atlanta United 2 at Osceola County Stadium.

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Orlando City B

Orlando City B Signs Two More Players Ahead of 2025 MLS NEXT Pro Season

OCB has signed teenage midfielder Noah Levis and Algerian center back Noham Abdellaoui to one-year deals.

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1 week ago

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March 5, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City B continues to build its 2025 MLS NEXT Pro roster, adding two more players to the squad. The club announced the signing of midfielder Noah Levis and defender Noham Abdellaoui to MLS NEXT Pro contracts this afternoon. Both deals are through the 2025 season with club options for 2026.

“Noah is an exciting young player that already brings a wealth of experience from Finland and Portugal,” Orlando City Vice President of Soccer Operations and Technical Director Ricardo Moreira said in a club press release. “He brings a lot of energy to the group both on and off the pitch and brings a ton of upside for us in having so much experience at his young age and still being at a point where he can develop his game further here in Orlando with us. We’re excited to have him here and look forward to starting the 2025 season.”

The Boston native joins OCB after playing in Greece, Finland, and Portugal. He initially joined the academy of Portuguese first-division side G.D. Estoril Praia before moving to Greece. He played for the Olympiacos academy and joined the AEK Athens academy in January 2022.

The 18-year-old midfielder moved to Finland in February 2024, joining Finnish second division side Mikkelin Palloilijat. He made 25 appearances for the side last year, recording two assists. The teenager has also appeared for the Finnish youth national team, making two friendly appearances for the U-17 side.

There were rumors back in December that the Lions would sign Levis to an MLS NEXT Pro deal. This announcement makes it official that the dual national has joined the club.

Abdellaoui, a 20-year-old Algerian, joins OCB after spending time in the youth setups of several European clubs, including French side Saint-Etienne and Italian Serie A sides U.S. Lecce and Genoa CFC. The center back has made 50 appearances at the academy level, scoring three goals and adding an assist for those clubs. Additionally, he won the Italian Primavera Championship with Lecce Primavera in the 2022-2023 season.

“Noham comes to us from some great academies in Europe that have a proven track record of developing great players — Genoa and Saint-Étienne — and we’re happy to have him with us now,” Moreira said in the club’s press release. “We’re expecting him to bring both leadership and experience to the group, despite his young age, and he’ll also provide great depth for us at his position.”

Abdellaoui has represented Algeria at the U-18 level internationally, appearing twice in international friendlies.

What It Means for Orlando City B

Levis is a central midfielder with some time playing on the right. He probably won’t start in the middle because that’s Jhon Solis’ spot, who appeared for the first team during preseason.

Favian Loyola and Shak Mohammed played on the right for OCB last season and both are still with the club. So one of those will probably be in that position to start the 2025 campaign, although Loyola has dealt with a thigh injury that has kept him on the availability report the first two weeks of the MLS season. However, Yutaro Tsukada was on the left last year and is out for the season with a knee injury. So there are opportunities for players to get into the team.

It’s still unknown what the full OCB roster will look like when the Young Lions take the field Sunday night at Osceola County Stadium. But Levis will probably be available off the bench for the Young Lions. Regardless, there will be chances for him to play this season and see if he’s a possibility for the first team in the future.

As for Abdellaoui, he has more of an opportunity to slide into the starting lineup. The primary center back pairing for OCB last season was Nabi Kibunguchy and Thomas Williams. While Williams remains with the club as a Homegrown, Kibunguchy’s contract ended following the 2024 season.

If Abdellaoui wants to start for the Young Lions this season, he’ll likely be competing with another Homegrown in Tahir Reid-Brown. While the 18-year-old didn’t get as much playing time as Williams last year, it’s expected he’ll see more this season.

An injury has kept Orlando City captain Robin Jansson out of the first two MLS games, forcing Williams to join the bench. With the Lions playing Saturday night in New York and the younger version at home Sunday night, Abdellaoui could make his debut if Williams stays with the senior team.

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Orlando City B

Orlando City B Signs Two Players Ahead of 2025 MLS NEXT Pro Season

OCB adds Brazilian forward Thalles on loan and signs 2024 SuperDraft selection Riyon Tori.

Published

2 weeks ago

on

February 27, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City B

Orlando City B had a busy Thursday, signing two players ahead of the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro season. The Young Lions acquired Brazilian forward Thalles on loan from Serie B side Botafogo-SP and signed Japanese midfielder Riyon Tori, a 2024 OCSC SuperDraft selection out of the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.

OCB has an option to buy Thalles from Botafogo at the conclusion of the player’s loan.

“Thalles is a young player that we were able to see play live in several U-20 tournaments in Brazil last year, and he made an impression on us as a goal scorer during his opportunities,” Orlando City Vice President of Soccer Operations and Technical Director Ricardo Moreira said in a club press release. “He’s very energetic as a player and is a versatile striker that can play over as a winger and create movement across the front of the attack. We’re excited to have him with us this year competing in Orlando.”

The 19-year-old Thalles is a native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He has scored nine goals and added an assist in 20 combined appearances with Botafogo’s first team and U-20 squad. The youngster should add firepower to an OCB attack that may be without Shak Mohammed at least until Duncan McGuire returns to the game day squad.

Tori, 23, was selected with the No. 83 overall selection in the third round of the 2024 MLS SuperDraft. The Lions took midfielders Jeorgio Kocevski and Yutaro Tsukada in that same draft — both of whom have gotten first-team minutes — as well as Pittsburgh midfielder Filip Mirkovic, who was never signed. Tori’s deal with OCB runs through the 2025 season.

“Riyon is a dynamic midfielder that we selected in the draft as an underclassman following our detailed scouting and analytics process and then brought into training with the group last summer,” Moreira said in a club press release. “His play style provides both bite and energy in the midfield, and he proved in his training stint last year that he has a good competitive drive and is ready to take that next step.”

Tori began his collegiate career at St. John’s University, playing sparingly over two seasons with the Red Storm. He only made eight appearances and five starts for a total of 505 minutes. He didn’t score any goals or record any assists, but took four shots in those two seasons. However, all four attempts were off target.

The Osaka, Japan native transferred to Charlotte for more playing time, playing the 2023 season in the American Athletic Conference. In his final collegiate season, Tori played and started 18 games, recording 1,328 minutes. The junior scored one goal and added two assists for four points and put one of his two shots on target.

The only Charlotte player to start all 18 games for the team that season, Tori was named United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-East Region and first-team all-conference. The possession-minded midfielder played at least 60 minutes in each game, helping his team to a conference championship.

Tori returned to college rather than sign a professional contract after being drafted as an underclassmen. Having sustained an injury training with Orlando City, he missed the first eight matches of the 49ers’ 2024 season, appearing in 10 games (seven starts). In his 536 minutes, he did not provide a goal contribution, attempting just one shot. Still, he was a First-Team All-AAC selection and a Second-Team All-East Region selection.

Prior to arriving in the United States, Tori captained Cerezo Osaka’s U-18 team and played for the club’s U-23 J. League team. Considered one of the top U-18 players in Japan, he toured England in 2019 with the Nike Next Hero project.

Along with OCB’s acquisition of winger Dyson Clapier on Tuesday, and the previous signings of Justin Ellis and Bernardo Rhein to MLS NEXT Pro contracts two weeks ago, it’s been a good month of roster building for the Young Lions as they solidify their squad ahead of the 2025 season as they bid for a third straight playoff appearance.

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