Orlando City B
Orlando City B vs. Atlanta United 2: Final Score 4-1 as Young Lions Blast Atlanta
The Young Lions’ offensive explosion continued with four more in a decisive road win at Atlanta United 2.

Four different Young Lions scored as Orlando City B routed Atlanta United 2 by a 4-1 final score at Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw, GA. OCB (7-6-9, 34 points) won its second straight game and now has scored seven goals in its last two matches with the win in Atlanta (6-10-5, 26 points).
Yutaro Tsukada picked up where he left off last weekend with another goal and an assist to go with the one of each he had against New York City FC II last weekend. Imanol Almaguer, Luca Petrasso, and Shak Mohammed also scored for OCB before Noble Okello spoiled the shutout in the second half.
Manuel Goldberg’s starting lineup included Carlos Mercado in goal behind a back line of Petrasso, Thomas Williams, Nabi Kibunguchy, and Alex Freeman. Almaguer and Colin Guske started in central midfield behind an attacking line of Tsukada, Jhon Solis, and Mohammed, with Wilfredo Rivera up top.
Solis produced the game’s first scoring chance by slipping a ball into the box for Tsukada’s run. The winger faked a shot with his right, faked a move left, and then fired a right-footed shot toward the left side. However, it hit the post and stayed out in the fourth minute.
The next good chance came in the 11th minute and it again involved Solis and Tsukada. Solis took a pass down the left channel from Tsukada and picked out Rivera in the box. The forward tried a first-time chip shot toward the back post but it landed on top of the net.
The Young Lions broke through four minutes later. A good ball in from Petrasso on the left was flicked on goal by Tsukada. Jayden Hibbert made the initial save but the ball came right back to Tsukada, who sent his shot into the roof of the net to make it 1-0 in the 15th minute.
Atlanta had its first dangerous attacking spell after OCB’s goal, swarming forward with intense pressure and counterpressure. Rodrigo Neri fired a shot at the top of the area but Williams was there to block it. OCB survived a couple of corner kicks and finally broke the pressure.
Tsukada made a brilliant move in the 20th minute to send Petrasso down the left. The fullback sprinted down the flank and spotted Mohammed breaking free on the right but his cross was just a foot or two beyond his reach.
Javier Armas tried a shot from about 30 yards out in the 22nd minute but it was well off target. A minute later, OCB had a chance on an even longer shot.
Rivera stole the ball at midfield and spotted Hibbert off his line. The forward unleashed a shot from extreme range that would have beaten Hibbert but it sliced just wide to the right.
Both teams nearly scored in the 30th minute, with Solis taking the ball away in the penalty area but before he could gather it and fire on goal with Hibbert out of position, he was bundled over from behind by Efrain Morales. Despite his shouts for a penalty, none was given.
Atlanta went the other way and Nick Firmino was dispossessed at the top of the OCB area, but three Young Lions failed to clear and the ball was picked up there by Armas, who dribbled deftly through all of them and fired just wide of the left post.
It was a costly miss, because the Young Lions doubled their lead eight minutes later. Freeman had the ball on the left and found Almaguer at the top of the area just left of the middle. The midfielder blasted a shot into the upper right corner to make it 2-0 in the 38th minute.
Dominic Chong-Qui lost Freeman at the other end in the 43rd minute and broke in on the left side, but he shot his attempt into the outside netting of Mercado’s goal. Seconds later, the Young Lions struck again.
Solis did well to slip the ball behind the Atlanta back line to a streaking Petrasso. With one defender back and Mohammed on his right, Petrasso took the shot himself with his left foot, slotting it home to make it 3-0 in the 43rd minute.
Atlanta closed the half with a flurry of shots in stoppage time. Guske made a mistake and let up when he thought the ball was over the sideline. Chong-Qui never stopped and got in down the left again but his shot was wide once again. Moments later, Alan Carleton got to the top of the area and fired but Kibunguchy got just enough of a block to send it just wide of the left post.
After the ensuing corner kick was partially cleared, a late attempt by Armas was a weak effort that Mercado was able to scoop up, ending the half.
Atlanta had much more of the first-half possession, although the MLS NEXT Pro website doesn’t list possession numbers in its stats. The hosts also attempted more shots (9-8), won more corners (4-1), and passed more accurately (89.5%-85.1%), but OCB put more shots on target (5-1) and made most of those count.
Atlanta nearly scored just after the second-half kickoff. Matias Gallardo was left all alone and put in a good cross to Neri, who was also left all alone. The header was on goal but Mercado made a terrific diving save to keep the hosts off the board. Atlanta couldn’t pay off a pair of corner kicks in the wake of Neri’s chance.
Okello tried a shot from about 30 yards out in the 51st minute. It was a good, hard shot but Mercado was able to get down to make the save.
Mohammed took a pass from Freeman and scored a minute later but he was offside on the play. That led to a quick goal kick and Williams gambled and lost going for a pass, allowing Neri to get in behind. It appeared Neri would have a breakaway but Kibunguchy was able to get over and bail Williams out with a good defensive play.
Rivera sent a shot just inches over the crossbar in the 54th minute as the back-and-forth second half continued. No matter, as the Young Lions put a fourth on the board three minutes later, anyway.
Rivera unlocked the defense with a pass that sent Tsukada down the left. With one defender back, Tsukada faked a move and unselfishly found Mohammed, who fired in OCB’s fourth goal of the match in the 57th minute. It was Mohammed’s 10th goal of the season.
Almaguer did well in the 66th minute to hold his ground and block a shot by Gallardo. The hosts pulled a goal back moments later, however. Second-half sub Stephen Hurlock freed himself up and fired a shot that the defense deflected wide. Okello got his head to the ensuing corner kick and put it in the bottom left corner to make it 4-1 in the 69th minute.
Solis turned the ball over trying to switch play in the 75th minute, igniting the Atlanta break. At the end of the counterattack, Gallardo sent his shot high over the bar.
Solis freed himself up in the 78th minute and went for goal, but Hibbert was able to dive to his left to catch it.
Stll in the 78th minute, Atlanta came right back down with a pair of shots but Armas’ effort was blocked and Guske blocked Firmino’s attempt seconds later.
Gallardo hit the left post in the 82nd minute after being left at the top of the box with too much space. Two minutes later, a good ball found Jacob Williams alone in front of goal. The Atlanta attacker sent his header off target but based on the spot of the restart, the flag must have come up anyway.
OCB finally created a good chance in the 85th minute with Freeman slipping second-half sub Justin Ellis in but Hibbert came out to close down the shot and made a vital save. Favian Loyola, another second-half sub, did well to set up fellow substitute Bernardo Goncalves in the 90th minute but Hibbert again made a strong save.
The Young Lions saw out the five minutes of stoppage time, and then some, with Mercado finishing the game with a point-blank save.
The hosts finished with the advantage in possession, shots (21-14), corners (8-2), and passing accuracy (89.6%-87.3%), but Orlando City B got more shots on target (10-5) and was far more clinical with its opportunities.
The win, at least temporarily, pushes OCB into the eighth and final playoff position in the Eastern Conference, pending other results this weekend. OCB is tied on points with seventh-place Crown Legacy but the North Carolina-based club holds the tiebreaker on wins.
The Young Lions will be back on the road Wednesday when they visit New York City FC II Wednesday at 5 p.m.
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.

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.
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.

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.
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.

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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