Orlando City B vs. New England Revolution II: Final Score 3-0 as Young Lions a No-Show in New England

Orlando City B put up no fight whatsoever in a flat, docile road performance against New England Revolution II. The Revs (7-4-5, 30 points) smothered the Young Lions (7-8-3, 26 points) with their press, and OCB had no answer for Gevork Diarbian, who scored a brace to lead Revs II to a 3-0 win over OCB at Gillette Stadium. Alex Monis added a third goal late for the hosts, who were never challenged on the day.

OCB Head Coach Manuel Goldberg’s lineup included goalkeeper Carlos Mercado behind a back line of Tahir Reid-Brown, Thomas Williams, Jackson Platts, and Riyon Tori. Colin Guske and Dylan Judelson were in the defensive midfield behind an attacking line of Bernardo Rhein, Justin Ellis, and Gustavo Caraballo, with Shak Mohammed up top.

The hosts dominated play from the jump, with OCB unable to do anything with New England’s high press. Even with time on the ball, there were several passes straight to the opposition in the game’s first quarter of an hour. The Young Lions had no answer for pressure anywhere on the pitch, with Mohammed and Ellis getting surrounded the few times OCB worked the ball into the attacking half.

OCB’s only shot attempt of the opening half took place early, and never reached the target. Caraballo cut inside from the right and fired, but Victor Souza blocked it out front. The rest of the half was all Revolution II.

Souza got loose on a corner kick for a free header at the near post, but the defender’s glancing shot went wide of the left post in the 10th minute. Malcolm Fry whipped in a dangerous cross in the 11th minute, but Mercado got a piece of it. Before the Revs could pounce, Guske was fouled in front, ending the attack.

Allan Oyirwoth missed just inches wide of the right post from the top of the area in the 15th minute after a Platts turnover in his own defensive third gave the hosts a quick counter opportunity.

The hosts broke through three minutes later. It started when Ellis was dispossessed in the attacking half. Platts had a chance to break up the play, but his touches of the ball were heavy, handing possession right back. Fry found Diarbian, who cut in and fired just inside the left post from the right to open the scoring in the 18th minute.

OCB gave the ball right back after the restart, with New England winning multiple set pieces but doing nothing with them. Oyirwoth had a go in the 23rd minute that Judelson blocked. A minute later, Souza’s header attempt was off target. Souza sent a right-footed shot off frame two minutes later.

Reid-Brown had a rough half, and the worst moment was his foul in the box on Fry in the 27th minute, giving Revs II an opportunity to double the lead. Domingo Dias took the penalty, but Mercado guessed correctly, dove to his right, and made a vital save to keep it a one-goal game.

Revs II kept coming, with Tori blocking a Diarbian shot in the 38th minute. Platts blocked another Diarbian shot in the 42nd minute. He was down in some discomfort after the shot, but he was able to continue.

OCB won a late corner opportunity, but the cross into the box was straight at New England goalkeeper Donovan Parisian, finally giving him something to do in the match.

The stats at halftime reflected New England’s domination. Revs II had the advantage in shots (11-1), shots on target (3-0), and corners (5-1). OCB had the edge in passing accuracy (92%-84.6%), mainly because most of the time the Young Lions had the ball was in their own defensive third, passing back and forth among the defenders and goalkeeper. To say OCB was fortunate not to be down multiple goals after 45 minutes would be an understatement.

Hayden Sargis replaced Platts at halftime along the OCB back line.

Nothing much changed in the second half, although the Young Lions at least managed more than one shot attempt.

Williams got his head onto a corner kick cross in the 50th minute, but the attempt never threatened goal. New England broke the other way in transition, leaving Guske to deal with Diarbian, but the midfielder could not match the Revs II attacker’s pace and committed a foul inside the box, handing the hosts their second penalty of the match. Guske was fortunate to not pick up a second yellow in addition to surrendering the penalty.

This time, Diarbian took the spot kick and beat Mercado, who once again guessed correctly, to make it 2-0 in the 51st minute.

OCB had a little attacking possession after the second goal but did little with it. Rhein managed a shot from the left side near the top of the box in the 55th minute but sent it a few yards wide of the right post. Two minutes later, OCB took the ball away in the attacking third for a rare transition opportunity, but Mohammed grew impatient with his options and fired his shot into the shins of Hesron Barry, the defender right in front of him.

Revs II came back the other way immediately and created a good chance, but Liam Butts sent his shot wide from the middle of the box.

Goldberg made a triple substitution in the 63rd minute, ending a frustrating day for Guske, Ellis, and Mohammed. Thalles, Favian Loyola, and Dyson Clapier replaced them.

As New England looked to see out the match, OCB found more of the ball, but the Young Lions continued to struggle to find cracks in the hosts’ defense. Javaun Mussenden blocked Rhein’s shot in the 71st minute, and Caraballo’s effort was blocked by Gabriel Dahlin two minutes later.

Things got worse for OCB in the 78th minute when a simple ball over the top down the right found Damorney Hutchinson, who basically just stood on the ball in front of Williams while teammates arrived in the area. He eventually passed to the onrushing Monis, who took a quick step sideways to lose Judelson and scored to make it 3-0.

OCB should have at least scored a consolation goal in the 83rd minute. Rhein got the ball on the right side and did well to pick out Clapier at the left post. With a gaping net in front of him, Clapier sent his shot well off target.

As time wound down, the only drama remaining was whether OCB would register a shot on target in the match. The Young Lions did that through a generous ruling by the statistician in stoppage time. Reid-Brown got to the end line and sent what appeared to be a hard cross straight at the goalkeeper at the near post. He was credited with OCB’s only shot on target of the match, and seconds later, the final whistle put a mercy killing to the game.

In the end, New England finished with the advantage in shots (15-8), shots on target (6-1), and corners (7-3). OCB passed more accurately (92%-85.3%).

It was one of OCB’s worst performances since becoming an MLS NEXT Pro team, and only Mercado’s penalty save and some poor finishing in front kept the 3-0 scoreline from bulging to a much more embarrassing final tally. OCB’s eight shot attempts were from non-threatening positions except for Clapier’s, and the Young Lions got about what they deserved from their performance in this match.

The Young Lions will next be in action Friday on the road at Huntsville City.