Orlando City B
Orlando City B vs. New York City FC II: Final Score 5-2 as OCB Suffers First Loss to NYCFC II
The Young Lions trailed from early on and could never quite get back on level terms, conceding two late goals in an ultimately lopsided loss.
Orlando City B (7-7-9, 34 points) played from behind for most of the match before falling 5-2 to New York City FC II (10-5-6, 39 points) at Belson Stadium in New York City this evening. Camil Azzam Ruiz gave the hosts the lead in the eighth minute and Andrew Baiera’s 31st-minute goal made it 2-0 at halftime. It was a back-and-forth second half with OCB goals by Imanol Almaguer and Alex Freeman being answered by Nicholas Kapanadze and Taylor Calheira. Baiera’s second goal in stoppage time put a cap on the game.
OCB deployed the same lineup that destroyed Atlanta United 2 Friday night 4-1. The back line in front of goalkeeper Carlos Mercado was Luca Petrasso, Thomas Williams, Nabi Kibunguchy, and Freeman. Almaguer and Colin Guske were the defensive midfielders behind Yutaro Tsukada, Jhon Solis, and Shak Mohammed with Wilfredo Rivera up top.
This game was originally scheduled for June 19 but was postponed until today. Despite being on a Wednesday, kickoff took place at 4:30 p.m. This was a game of two halves for the Young Lions. NYCFC II dominated the first 45 minutes and took a deserved two-goal lead into the break. But OCB came out a different team in the second half, putting the hosts under pressure. It looked at times as though the Young Lions would come back to equalize or take the lead but couldn’t find the last touch. That allowed NYCFC II to respond and come away with the win.
The hosts took the lead in the eighth minute from poor defending and an excellent run by Ronald Arevalo. Receiving a ball forward from Stevo Bednarsky, Arevalo kept possession after a push from Tsukada and avoided challenges by Petrasso and Almaguer. As Williams closed down on the attacker, blocking his ability to shoot, Arevalo laid it off for Azzam Ruiz, who beat Kibunguchy to the ball and slipped it past Mercado to make it 1-0.
The best first-half chance for OCB came a few minutes later when Petrasso was sent behind the back line with an aerial ball by Solis. The left back was free on goal and it didn’t appear as though any defenders would catch up with him, but Matthew Leong did well to get back. The defender slid in to block the shot, which also took a touch by NYCFC goalkeeper Will Meyer before leaving the box.
NYCFC II doubled its advantage in the 31st minute. It was another excellent individual effort, this time by Maximo Carrizo. After dribbling to the top of the box, Carrizo sent a hard pass to his right. He appeared to be looking for Arevalo, but Baiera took it instead. The defender split Freeman and Petrasso, putting it past Mercado to give the hosts a 2-0 lead.
OCB tried to respond in the 36th minute when Guske took possession of the ball. He dribbled through a defender and created enough space to get a shot off. Unfortunately, it was over the crossbar.
The Young Lions nearly had a great chance to get one back in the 41st minute when Mohammed sent a cross into the box from the end line. Solis was making a run into the six, but Samuel Owusu slid in and knocked the ball out of play before it could reach Solis.
The final first-half chance for OCB came in the second minute of stoppage time when Mohammed played the ball to Freeman on his right. Tsukada and Petrasso were making runs into the box and Freeman sent the ball in, but it was too close to Meyer, who caught the attempt.
It looked as though the hosts would make it 3-0 in the final minute of first-half stoppage time when Arevalo dribbled into the OCB third of the field. He played Azzam Ruiz forward and it appeared as though the attacker would net his second of the game. But Kibunguchy came flying in and blocked the attempt, ensuring Azzam Ruiz wouldn’t be able to put the ball into the corner of the goal.
After 45 minutes, NYCFC had more shots (9-4) and shots on target (4-2) and better passing accuracy (91.6%-85.7%). OCB had more corner kicks (3-1) and all of the crosses (4-0) since the hosts created their attacks by dribbling down the middle of the field.
Both teams created a chance inside the first five minutes of the second half. In the 48th minute, Kibunguchy made a surprising run down the right. The center back played the ball into the box for Rivera, who went down after some contact. However, no foul was called and the ball went through the box untouched.
NYCFC II had a chance in the 50th minute when Azzam Ruiz was sent behind the back line by Stevo Bednarsky. The defenders appeared to think Azzam Ruiz was offside, allowing him to get free on goal. Williams sprinted back to put some pressure on the attacker and he sent the attempt off target.
The Young Lions got a goal back in the 52nd minute when Almaguer and Solis combined. Receiving the ball from Mohammed, who had made a run down the right to the end line, Almaguer played a give-and-go with Solis. The return pass was a chip that was volleyed in by Almaguer to cut the deficit in half.
NYCFC II nearly had a golden opportunity to extend its lead in the 58th minute when Jonathan Shore found himself at the top of the six with nobody marking him. The pass found him, but Kibunguchy came flying in to knock the ball off of his foot. It was the second time the center back had saved an almost certain goal.
However, the hosts reclaimed their two-goal lead in the 69th minute from a terrible mistake by Kibunguchy. The center back received the ball in his own third and took his time looking for an outlet. In the meantime, Kapanadze came up behind him and took the ball right off his foot. Nobody was close to being able to close down the second-half substitute, enabling him to slip it past Mercado and giving NYCFC II a 3-1 lead.
The Young Lions nearly got one back off of the kickoff when Rivera’s ball was blocked out for a corner kick. The ensuing set piece found Almaguer at the top of the box and the OCB captain laid it off for Guske. It was an ambitious attempt by the academy product, but the shot was on target and forced Meyer to tip it over the top of the goal. Unfortunately, the Young Lions couldn’t create a shot from the second corner kick, enabling the hosts to clear.
OCB nearly found an incredible goal in the 76th minute when Solis sent a pass to Mohammed, who was making a diagonal run on the right. The attacker’s first touch appeared to be a cross, but it curled towards goal. The ball went over the outstretched arm of Meyer and hit the crossbar.
That was the last action before the second-half hydration break. During the stoppage, OCB Head Coach Manuel Goldberg made his first two changes. Justin Ellis and Favian Loyola came in for Rivera and Mohammed.
Immediately after the break, NYCFC II created a chance for a fourth goal. Jonny Lopez played Baiera into the right side of the box and the defender’s second touch was a shot on goal. Due to the pace on the ball, Mercado could only block it wide for a corner kick. The ensuing set piece was met by Calheira at the near post, but he sent the redirection wide.
The Young Lions kept the comeback alive in the 83rd minute when they cut the deficit back to one. It started when Solis played the ball across the field for Tsukada near the top of the box. Petrasso was overlapping the midfielder and Tsukada played him forward. Petrasso’s low cross went through Ellis, Owusu, and Meyer, ending up on the foot of Freeman right in front of the goal. Freeman had Christopher Tiao on his back, making it difficult to put the ball in. As a result, it sat on the goal line until the right back could get a final touch on it. Fortunately he did, making it a 3-2 game.
Goldberg made three more changes in the final five minutes as the Young Lions looked for an equalizer. Jackson Platts and Tahir Reid-Brown came on for Freeman and Petrasso in the 85th minute before Gustavo Caraballo replaced Almaguer in the 90th minute.
Unfortunately, OCB was unable to find the equalizer and the hosts put the game out of reach. Platts pulled back Tiao in the second minute of stoppage time, giving the hosts a free kick. Tiao laid on the ground for a while before getting up and play resumed. Despite the rule stating players must receive treatment after 15 seconds and exit for two minutes, the referee allowed him to continue.
Tiao’s set piece was headed by Platts to Guske in the middle of the field. However, the defensive midfielder was beaten to it by Kapanadze near the top of the box. Calheira received the header and nobody closed him down, enabling the substitute to shoot on goal. It was a low but accurate shot that left Mercado frozen, going into the corner and giving the hosts a 4-2 lead.
The fourth goal effectively put the game away, but NYCFC II scored a fifth for good measure. In the seventh minute of stoppage time, Julien Lacher sprinted down the right. As Lopez made a run to the top of the six, Baiera made a trailing run into the box. Three defenders converged on Lacher, forcing Kibungnuchy to track Lopez. As a result, Baiera was wide open near the penalty spot.
Mercado came back across his goal to close down Baiera, but the defender kept his composure. A simple touch to his right saw Mercado go down and it was an easy finish for his second goal of the game.
That was the final action of the contest as OCB fell 5-2 to NYCFC II. At full time, NYCFC II had more shots (16-11) and shots on target (8-5) and better passing accuracy (88.4%-87.7%). The Young Lions had more corner kicks (6-2) and crosses (9-0).
This is the first time OCB has lost to NYCFC II since the two teams first met in 2022. Before today, the Young Lions were 3-0-3 in six games against the MLS NEXT Pro Pigeons.
NYCFC II moves up to fourth in the MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference with the three points. Meanwhile, OCB remains in ninth, one spot below the last playoff position. It’s a difficult loss, but the Young Lions are only one point behind Chattanooga FC, two points behind Chicago Fire II and Inter Miami II, and three points behind Crown Legacy for fifth.
It’s a short break for OCB as the Young Lions return home Sunday night to face Huntsville City FC at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee.
Orlando City B
Orlando City B vs. Carolina Core FC: Final Score 2-2 (6-5) as Young Lions Squander Two-Goal Lead
OCB coughed up a two-goal, second-half lead to draw Carolina Core but earned a second point in the penalty shootout.
Orlando City B (2-2-2, 10 points) returned home tonight, drawing 2-2 with Carolina Core FC (0-3-3, 3 points) at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee. Gustavo Caraballo converted from the spot and Pedro Leao scored an excellent goal to give the Young Lions a 2-0 lead at the break. But a beautiful shot by David Diaz and a mistake by Tristan Himes that allowed Nolan Evers to score saw the game end in a 2-2 draw.
While the Young Lions should have earned all three points, they won the penalty shootout 6-5 to claim two points from the contest.
OCB Head Coach Eddie Wilding made two changes from the team that lost 3-1 to Chattanooga FC on April 11. Titus Sandy, Jr. and Leao entered the starting lineup for Jaylen Yearwood and Harvey Sarajian.
The back line in front of Himes in goal was Bernardo Rhein, Sandy, Landon Okonski, and Parker Amoo-Mensah. Issah Haruna and Dylan Judelson were in the defensive midfield behind Matthew Balgodere, Dominik Baczewski, and Caraballo, with Leao up top.
OCB was the better team in the first half and nearly had a three-goal lead at the break if not for a quality save by Carolina goalkeeper Nick Holliday. But a poor three-minute period in the second half allowed the visitors to score twice, evening the game. The Young Lions were unable to convert on a late breakaway without getting a shot off, and the game ended in a draw.
The first attack came in the third minute when Thomas Raimbault sent a dangerous cross into the OCB box that found Arnaud Tattevin’s head. The header popped into the air with an attacker charging in, but Himes did well to come out and claim it. A minute later, Jesus Ibarra and Tattevin combined to send Jair Caiza behind Okonski on the left. The left back had space for a shot, but hit the outside of the net.
OCB had its first chance in the sixth minute when Caraballo made a good move to get behind Caiza and into the Carolina box. Caiza slid in with a desperate attempt to win the ball, making contact with Caraballo, who went down. Referee Abou Diaye pointed to the spot, awarding the Young Lions a penalty.
Caraballo stepped up to take the spot kick himself. As Holliday dove to his left, Caraballo sent the ball the opposite direction to give OCB the early 1-0 lead.
In the 13th minute, Caiza sent a cross towards the OCB box that Caraballo deflected out for a corner kick. The first attempt was cleared out of play by Amoo-Mensah, giving Carolina a second chance. This one was headed towards the penalty spot, where Tattevin attempted a volley that went wide of the far post.
The Young Lions took their second shot in the 24th minute when Sandy played the ball squarely to Rhein about 30 yards from the goal. Rather than sending a cross into the box, Rhein fired from long distance, sending his attempt well high and wide of the target.
In the 32nd minute, Caraballo lifted a ball into the box that the defense headed away. It looked like the attack was over, but Judelson slid in with an excellent tackle on Ibarra to win it back. Sandy quickly played it to Amoo-Mensah, who tapped it forward for Baczewski. The midfielder’s pass was through Ricardo Montenegro for Leao, who spun to beat Santiago Yepes before sending his shot past Holliday, giving the Young Lions a 2-0 lead.
The visitors almost got one back in the 39th minute when Tattevin played Raimbault behind the OCB back line. The attacker was free on goal, but Himes did well to come off his line and block the attempt. The ball bounced out off Tattevin for a goal kick, ending the threat.
OCB nearly had a third in the 43rd minute when Belgodere reached the end line and sent a great cross to the top of the six-yard box where Leao was making a run. The striker got his header on target, but he hit the shot too central, where Holliday still had to make a good reaction save — which he did — to keep it 2-0.
The ensuing corner kick found Baczewski’s head as the midfielder made a near post run, but his attempt was wide.
Carolina led most of the statistical categories in the first half, including corner kicks (3-1), crosses (4-2), and passing accuracy (87.2%-86.2%). However, while both teams attempted six shots, OCB put more on target (3-2) and converted on two of those chances to take a 2-0 halftime lead.
The Young Lions created the first chance of the second half in the 56th minute when Caraballo played the ball through Sandy to Belgodere on the left side. Holliday blocked the midfielder’s shot to the near post. It fell right to Judelson just outside the six-yard box, but Evers blocked the defensive midfielder’s attempt, allowing Holliday to collect it.
Holliday tried to halt his throw out of the back, sending it towards the end line instead. Caiza ran it down and cleared the ball, but OCB retained possession. Leao received it near the top of the Carolina box and fired from 25 yards out, but it was right to Holliday.
In the 66th minute, Caiza dribbled into the box and shot, but Okonski blocked it. Carolina kept possession, resulting in a cross that found Tattevin’s head. However, the header attempt went wide of the right post.
Diaz made a run forward in the 70th minute, weaving through multiple defenders. He briefly lost possession before getting it right back and was able to get a shot off, but Himes did well to come out and block the attempt.
The Young Lions made their first two changes in the 71st minute, replacing Judelson and Leao with Caleb Trombino and Brady Kendall.
Carolina continued on the attack and it paid off as the visitors scored two quick goals. The first came in the 72nd minute from a seemingly innocuous throw-in. Diaz received a short pass before dribbling past Trombino and sending a curling shot beyond the reach of Himes and inside the far post to cut OCB’s lead in half.
In the 75th minute, Raimbault sent a free kick into the box that Himes tipped out of play. The goalkeeper looked to have secured the ensuing corner kick, but he spilled it in his own six-yard box. Evers quickly knocked it in to even the game at 2-2.
Wilding made two more changes in the 80th minute, replacing Amoo-Mensah and Caraballo with Yearwood and Nicolas Bobea Torres.
Belgodere tried to find a winner in the 87th minute when he lost his defender on the left and fired towards the near post. But Holliday had it covered and made the easy save.
OCB’s final change came in the 88th minute when Toryn Penders made his professional debut, replacing Baczewski.
Himes’ long throw out of the back in the first minute of second-half stoppage time nearly resulted in the winning goal. It was too far ahead of Rhein, but he sped past Nelson Martinez to win the ball. The left back was in on goal and had space to shoot on either side of Holliday, but the defender crossed it into traffic to his right instead. That allowed the retreating defenders to clear the ball, ending a golden opportunity for a late winner without so much as a shot.
The clearance stayed in the Carolina third and was controlled by Trombino. The second-half substitute found Bobea Torres near the top of the box, but his shot was blocked.
The Young Lions kept possession and worked the ball to the right, where Penders took possession. The young attacker dribbled into the box and fired for the near post, hitting the outside of the net.
That was the final chance for either team as the game ended in a 2-2 draw. At full time, OCB had more shots (15-12), with both teams putting six on target. OCB also had better passing accuracy (86.1%-84.8%) while Carolina ended the game with more crosses (9-3) and corner kicks (6-3).
Per MLS NEXT Pro rules, each team earned a point and the game went to penalties to see which side would get a second.
The shootout featured some excellent penalties, as the first five shooters for each team converted, sending the shootout into extras. OCB’s first five shooters were all second-half substitutes, with Penders, Yearwood, Trombino, Kendall, and Bobea Torres scoring, only to see Carolina Core level each time through Tim Zeegers, Yepes, Caiza, Anthony Sumo Jr., and Mohamed Diakite.
After OCB’s sixth shooter, Sandy, put the ball under Holliday’s arm to make it 6-5, Dyllan John hit the right post. As a result, the Young Lions took two points from the game.
A win would have seen OCB jump into a tie with Atlanta United 2 for fourth in the Eastern Conference. Instead, the Young Lions sit in eighth, tied for sixth in points with Chattanooga and New England Revolution II. OCB has a game in hand on four of the teams ahead in the conference standings.
The Young Lions will look to regroup and get Wilding his first victory as they head out on the road, facing Chicago Fire FC II a week from today.
Orlando City B
Orlando City B Off to Strong Start to 2026 Season
The Young Lions are getting results early in the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro campaign.
I think it is important that I open with an apology, because a week ago I wrote about how Orlando City needed to improve its league-worst defense, and then the Lions went to Nashville and somehow were unable to improve upon a 3.00 goals-against average. After the 5-0 shellacking in Tennessee Orlando City’s goals-against average now sits at 3.40, with 17 goals allowed through five games. That is somehow not the worst five-game run during any individual season in club history, as the 2018 Lions matched the year by allowing 18 goals during a five-game stretch during their nine-game losing streak (those were fun times), but allowing 17 goals in a five-game stretch is the kind of start to a season that makes a (drinking-age) fan want to pour themselves a stiff drink.
Or the whole bottle.
Speaking of drinking, if you have not been watching Orlando City B this year, you have been missing out on some epic “drunk OCB” matches, including the most recent game on Sunday (a 4-4 Junior Tropic Thunder match against Inter Miami II) about which our The Mane Land PawedCast host Michael Citro said that “there has never been a drunker OCB game than this (one).” Drunk games, in this context, just means matches where crazy things happen with no rhyme or reason, and you never know what is going to happen next.
The Young Lions are off to a start full of both drunk games and positive results, as unlike the senior team, they have earned more points than games played and have an offense that looks like it is among the best in the league.
| Metric* | MLS NEXT Pro Avg. | OCB | MLS NEXT Pro Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points Earned | 1.5 | 2.0 | T-6 |
| Shots | 13.5 | 19.8 | 1 |
| Shots on Target | 5.2 | 8.8 | 1 |
| Big Chances Created | 2.4 | 4.5 | 1 |
| Goals | 1.7 | 2.5 | 5 |
*All metrics are on a per-game basis
Part of the reason these games might be so “drunk” is that OCB is both scoring and allowing 2.5 goals per game, so the Young Lions and their opponents are taking shots all game long, creating the possibilities for wild comebacks and last-gasp goals. The main reason though is that OCB’s offense is stacked, with five top quality players to fill the attacking spots at the top of its standard 4-2-3-1 lineup.
OCB has generally gone with Gustavo Caraballo, Harvey Sarajian, and Yutaro Tsukada out on the wings, Justin Ellis as the center attacking midfielder and Pedro Leão as striker, though Leão did not play in one game and Logan Tsopanoglou got the start in his absence. Tsukada has been above average when he played, but the standouts have been Caraballo, Ellis, Leão, and Sarajian.
| Metric | Caraballo | Ellis | Leão | Sarajian |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Age | 17 | 18 | 19 | 21 |
| Goal Contributions (G+A) | 4 | 5 | 2 | 5 |
| Key Passes | 8 | 12 | 5 | 11 |
| FotMob Rating (out of 10) | 7.64 | 8.01 | 7.44 | 8.33 |
| Goal Contributions Rank | 8 | 5 | 28 | 5 |
| Key Passes Rank | 14 | 2 | 51 | 3 |
| FotMob Rating Rank | 39 | 14 | 71 | 4 |
The counting numbers in the table are a little misleading for Leão, as he has played one fewer game than the others, and Caraballo, who despite appearing in all four OCB games, has played fewer minutes than the other three. However, even with fewer minutes played, both Caraballo and Leão are already contributing to OCB’s excellent offense, especially Caraballo, whose goal contributions per 90 minutes ranks fifth, while Ellis and Sarajian rank 15th and 16th, respectively.
The current age of each player is also noted in the table above, and Caraballo, Ellis, and Leão are all younger than 20.9, which is the average age of the top 25 players in MLS NEXT Pro FotMob ratings through four games. According to transfermarkt.com, OCB has used the fifth-youngest set of players through the first four games, and with young players always come ups and downs and the propensity for games to bounce around all over the place like a ball on a roulette wheel, like in the comebacks from multiple goals down against Carolina Core and Inter Miami II.
Those backs and forths are what our The Mane Land team refers to as the “drunk OCB” games, and when you combine the crazy types of games with players of precocious skill and potential, the games are definitely worth watching. The senior Lions are inevitably going to start playing better, but for now the best men’s team to watch in Orlando is OCB. Just like Orlando City, OCB is off this weekend, but several current and former Young Lions will be with their youth national teams during the international break — another sign of the solid pipeline of talent that is ready to flow into the first team.
Tahir Reid-Brown and Colin Guske have already played more than 140 minutes for Orlando City this season, and Zakaria Taifi (64), Tsukada (18), and Leão (6) also have all seen the field. The senior team’s bench is generally made up of at least three or four players who primarily play with OCB, and even with the acquisition of Antoine Griezmann crowding the list of attacking players, Caraballo and Ellis will likely play some minutes with the first team this season.
Go ahead and (Makers) mark your calendars for OCB’s next game on April 11 and prepare to settle in for a happy hour and a half of soccer that may not be of the same top shelf quality as an MLS game but never fails to entertain.
Vamos Orlando…City B!
Orlando City B
Orlando City B vs. Inter Miami II: Final Score 4-4 (4-2) as OCB Completes Improbable Comeback
OCB came back from a three-goal deficit to draw Inter Miami II at Inter&Co Stadium, then took the extra point in the shootout.
Orlando City B (2-1-1, 8 points) played to an enthralling draw tonight against Inter Miami II (0-2-2, 2 points) at Inter&Co Stadium. The visitors took a commanding 2-0 lead inside five minutes and had a 4-1 lead shortly after halftime. But OCB came storming back to even the game 4-4 in stoppage time. The Young Lions then won the penalty shootout to claim the extra point.
OCB interim coach Julian Vergara made four changes from the team that defeated Carolina Core 3-2 on March 14. Tristan Himes, Tahir Reid-Brown, Yutaro Tsukada, and Pedro Leao returned from the first team, replacing Juan Rojas, Nicholas Lasheras, Gustavo Caraballo, and Logan Tsopanoglou.
The back line in front of Himes in goal was Bernardo Rhein, Reid-Brown, Titus Sandy, Jr., and Jaylen Yearwood. Dylan Judelson and Dominik Baczewski were in the defensive midfield behind Tsukada, Justin Ellis, and Harvey Sarajian with Leao up top.
This was a game of missed opportunities for OCB. Both teams had several bad giveaways, but Miami was able to turn those into goals. Meanwhile, OCB struggled to find the back of the net. The Young Lions put themselves in a three-goal hole before they came storming back to tie it up, but they’ll wonder what could’ve been if they’d converted some of the golden opportunities in the both halves, including three shots with the goalkeeper out of the net that didn’t go in.
The visitors struck early when a heavy touch by Yearwood on a Miami throw-in allowed Naej Desravins to reach it first. The midfielder played it wide for Preston Plambeck, who guided the ball around Himes and inside the far post to give Miami an early 1-0 lead.
It didn’t take long for the team in pink to double its advantage and it came from an OCB attack. In the fifth minute, Sarajian outran the Miami defense to reach a long Judelson pass. After a brief hesitation, his shot was too close to Max Ponikarovsky, who made the save with his left hand.
Miami immediately broke the other way with Plambeck sending a long ball forward for Idoh Zeltzer-Zubida. Reid-Brown got in front of the attacker, but Zeltzer-Zubida created enough space for a shot. The midfielder sent a curling ball over Himes and inside the far post to make 2-0 just five minutes into the game.
The Young Lions finally got their second shot of the game in the 16th minute when Tsukada made a run down the left and sent a cross to the near post for Leao. The Brazilian beat his defender to it and flicked the ball on target, but Ponikarovsky was there to catch it.
On the other end, the Herons felt they should’ve had a penalty when Theo Vorenkamp found Diego Rey in the OCB box. Himes came out to collect but missed the ball. Rey went down with contact and threw his arms up, appealing for a penalty. However, referee Aleja Calume decided it wasn’t enough to point to the spot.
The Young Lions nearly took advantage of a Miami mistake in the 23rd minute when Leao intercepted a poor pass from Desravins to Samuel Basabe. The striker used his body to shield Basabe and get into the box, but Ponikarovsky came off his line to take the ball off of Leao’s foot, ensuring he couldn’t get a shot off.
In the 34th minute, Tsukada had the ball taken off him but the heavy touch went right to Rhein. The left back quickly played it to Leao at the top of the box and, after controlling it, the forward put a shot on target. Unfortunately, it was a weak attempt that caused no trouble for Ponikarovsky.
As Miami attempted to play the ball out of the back, OCB took possession of a poor pass. Ellis played the ball wide left for Tsukada, who found Leao making a run into the box. The Brazilian tried to guide the ball inside the far post but put it wide.
A minute later, Miami again failed to play the ball out of the back, giving it away to Judelson. The midfielder quickly sent it forward for Ellis, who found Leao entering the box. The Brazilian’s first touch was past Ponikarovsky, cutting the deficit in half.
Unfortunately, it didn’t last long. In the 38th minute, Sandy played an inaccurate long ball by Miami back to Himes. The goalkeeper sent a short pass to Reid-Brown on his left, but the defender misplayed it, allowing Alejandro Flores to take possession. He played the ball across the box where Rey flicked it on for Plambeck. The forward put it in to make it 3-1.
In the 42nd minute, Rhein received a long switch on the left. He sent a beautiful ball to the top of the six that fell to Leao, who was looking for a brace. The Brazilian redirected it on target but sent it right to Ponikarovsky. Two minutes later, Rhein had a similar chance for himself. Ellis backheeled the ball to Sarajian on the left and the midfielder sent a cross to the penalty spot, where Rhein was making a run. The young defender’s first touch was a shot that went right into Ponikarovsky’s arms.
In the 44th minute, Judelson sent a long ball left for Sarajian. Ponikarovsky came off his line to clear the ball, but his defender got to it first. Trying to play it out for a throw-in, he knocked the ball off Sarajian. The ball went to Leao with the goalkeeper getting there first. But he couldn’t control it and Ellis took possession. With the goalkeeper out of the play, Ellis shot. Unfortunately, Tyler Hall got in front of the goal to block it. Ellis then beat his defender for another chance, but he again sent it right at Hall, who kept it out of the net.
OCB created more chances than Miami in the first 45 minutes, ending the half with more shots (9-6), shots on target (7-3), and corner kicks (3-1). But Miami had better passing accuracy (82.2%-74.9%). The difference between the teams was that Miami made the Young Lions pay for their mistakes in the back and OCB struggled to do so.
Miami was forced into an unusual substitution at halftime. Ponikarovsky was taken off in a concussion change, replaced in goal by Alex Padilla.
OCB started the second half the way it ended the first half, giving the ball away in its own end. A weak pass by Reid-Brown was taken by Rey, who fired on target. Himes was there to make the stop.
In the 49th minute, Miami scored a fourth when Zeltzer-Zubida took possession of the ball near midfield. The attacker made a long run down the right, getting behind the OCB back line and playing the ball past Himes to make it 4-1.
Judelson took a strong shot in the 53rd minute that forced Padilla to tip it over the crossbar. The ensuing corner was headed out, but Sarajian was there to take possession. The midfielder made a nice move to the end line and played a good ball in front of goal, where Ellis was behind the back line to tap it in and make it a 4-2 game.
Tsukada tried to get another one back in the 53rd minute when he dribbled across the top of the Miami box and fired an off-balance shot after some contact. It wasn’t clear if the attempt was on target, but Padilla dove to collect it anyway. That was Tsukada’s final touch as Vergara made his first two changes in the 57th minute, replacing Tsukada and Yearwood with Parker Amoo-Mensah and Caraballo.
Play restarted with a free kick for OCB that Caraballo played short to Ellis. After taking a couple of touches forward, Ellis fired a shot that was caught by Padilla.
In the 60th minute, Caraballo put a strong shot towards goal that Padilla palmed away. A poor clearance allowed OCB to keep possession in the Miami half, which ended up with Sarajian on the left. He played it to Rhein, who made an overlapping run before sending Ellis into the six-yard box. There was a collision before the ball went wide and a foul was called on Ellis.
OCB got back into the game in the 68th minute with some quick passing at the top of the Miami box. Rhein, Leao, and Ellis combined to get the ball to Carabllo who did well to finish past Padilla, cutting the deficit to 4-3.
In the 79th minute, OCB failed to clear the ball, enabling Miami to take possession in the box. It ended up with Alejo Ristano, who looked like he would give Miami another two-goal lead, but Himes did well to come off his line and block the attempt.
On the other end, Caraballo was fouled by Mario Stoka, giving OCB a free kick in the opposing third. The teenager went for goal on his own, sending his shot just wide of the near post.
The Young Lions won the ball back on the goal kick, allowing Rhein to send Sarajian behind the Miami back line. He dribbled around Padilla and fired on the empty net, but his shot hit the near post.
In the 84th minute, Rey was sent through and it looked like he would have a free shot on goal. However, Sandy got in front of the shot to deflect it wide. OCB cleared the ensuing corner kick, keeping the deficit at one.
The game turned even more in the 87th minute when Padilla went off injured. Having already replaced their starting goalkeeper at halftime, the Herons put the gloves on defender Ristano. Additionally, since they had already used all three substitutions windows, the visitors would end the game with 10 men.
Vergara used his second window and third substitution in the 90th minute as OCB searched for an equalizer. Caleb Trombino, who scored the late equalizer against Carolina, replaced Judelson.
Giving the Young Lions even more motivation, the fourth official showed 13 minutes of stoppage time.
In the first minute, Ellis dribbled across the top of the Miami box before firing on goal. However, a defender got in front before it reached Ristano, deflecting it wide.
The ensuing corner went to the far side of the box where Rhein took possession. The left back fired at the near post, but Ristano blocked it wide for his first save.
Caraballo took the second corner kick and it was one to remember. The midfielder curled his set piece delivery over the outstretched arms of Ristano and inside the far post for an Olimpico, completing the comeback and tying the game at 4-4.
Playing against 10 men and an outfield player in goal, OCB continued to push for a late winner. The Young Lions thought they might have taken the lead in the sixth minute of stoppage time when Rhein sent Belgodere down the left. Caraballo was wide open to tap the ball in, but Belgodere was judged to be offside on the initial ball forward.
Ristano was forced into his second save in the seventh minute when Rhein found Ellis in the box. The attacker sent the ball wide for Belgodere, who gave it right back. Ellis spun and fired, but Ristano blocked it wide with his leg, keeping the game tied. Caraballo took the ensuing corner kick and attempted another Olimpico, but this one hit the outside netting behind the near post.
Despite being down a man, Miami had a chance for a winner in the 10th minute of stoppage time when Zeltzer-Zubida sent a long pass to Plambeck on the left side. Creating space for a shot and looking for a hat trick, Plambeck fired for the near post, forcing Himes to block it away.
A minute later, OCB had a chance when Ellis dipped his shoulder to turn on his defender before sending Sarajian into the Miami box. As the defense closed in on him, the attacker found Belgodere open to his left. The teenager’s first touch was a shot, but Rondell White got in front just in time to block the attempt.
Vergara made his final substitution in the 12th minute of stoppage time, replacing Sandy with Lasheras.
Shortly after, the final whistle blew. At full time, OCB had more shots (27-14), shots on target (17-7), and corner kicks (9-7). Miami had slightly better passing accuracy (79%-78.7%) and both teams recorded seven crosses.
Per MLS NEXT Pro rules, each team earned a point and the game went to penalties to see who would get a second.
Rey and Caraballo began the penalties with excellent finishes. After Basabe sent Himes the wrong way, Ristano nearly saved Ellis’ attempt. He got in front of the shot, but the ball slipped under him and in.
That was what OCB needed, because Himes saved Zeltzer-Zubida’s panenka and, after Sarajian made it 3-2, Joseph Convers sent his attempt over the crossbar.
Amoo-Mensah stepped up and placed his penalty well to secure the second point for the Young Lions.
This game can be considered a point lost or two points gained. OCB created more chances than Miami and could’ve come away with all three points had it converted one more. However, being down 4-1 early in the second half, the Young Lions came all the way back to pull out the draw.
In the end, while both teams will probably feel as though they should’ve come away with all three points, they’ll both be pleased to get something from the contest.
The two points moves OCB into sixth in MLS NEXT Pro’s Eastern Conference with eight points from four games. They’re tied on points with New York Red Bulls II for third, two points behind New England Revolution II for second, and four points behind the league-leading Crown Legacy FC.
The Young Lions now have an extended break as they return to the field on April 11 against Chattanooga FC in Tennessee.
Lion Links: 4/24/26
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