Orlando City B
Orlando City B vs. Columbus Crew 2: Final Score 2-1 as OCB Blows Late Lead
OCB threw away a 1-0 lead in the final 10 minutes, conceding twice to fall once again at Columbus Crew 2.
Orlando City B (7-11-4, 27 points) saw three points slip away late in a 2-1 loss to Columbus Crew 2 (4-13-4, 17 points) at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, OH. Tahir Reid-Brown gave the Young Lions the lead in the 49th minute before Kai Auvray equalized in the 80th minute and Cristian Ortiz scored the winner in the 90th minute.
The loss extends OCB’s winless streak to five games (0-4-1) and gives the Young Lions just one win in their last 10 matches as the free fall down the standings continues for Orlando City’s reserve side.
OCB Head Coach Manuel Goldberg made two changes to the team that drew 2-2 with Chattanooga FC on Aug. 9 and lost 4-2 in penalties. Hayden Sargis and Dylan Judelson entered the lineup for Jackson Platts and Bernardo Rhein.
The back line in front of goalkeeper Carlos Mercado was Reid-Brown, Thomas Williams, Sargis, and Riyon Tori. Colin Guske and Judelson were in the defensive midfield behind an attacking line of Shak Mohammed, Justin Ellis, and Favian Loyola, with Thalles up top.
The first half was slow, with neither team pressing or looking to attack much. As a result, the goalkeepers had an easy first 45 minutes. However, the game opened up when OCB broke the deadlock four minutes into the second half. It looked like the Young Lions would hold on for a crucial three points, but they imploded late, conceding twice in the final 10 minutes.
Neither team able to create anything in the attacking third of the field in the opening minutes of the match. However, despite never winning in Columbus, it was OCB that took the first shots of the game.
In the 10th minute, Ellis’ back heel sent Thalles behind the Crew 2 back line. The forward took a shot from a tight angle left of goal, sending the attempt straight to Crew 2 goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen. A minute later, Loyola found Mohammed on the left side of the Columbus box. OCB’s leading goal scorer shot but sent his attempt wide of the target.
On the other end, Columbus created its first chances of the game in the 12th minute. Cole Mwrowka fired from the top of the box, but Judelson was there to block it. The rebound went straight to Nico Rincon for another chance, but Guske stepped in front of the second attempt.
Columbus kept the ball in the OCB third, creating a set piece when Williams fouled Chase Adams. A quick free kick to Brent Adu Gyamfi saw the attacker find Adams entering the six behind Williams. However, it was a tight angle and Adams’ shot was into the outside of the net.
Mohammed was sent behind Quinton Elliot in the 25th minute and into the Crew 2 third of the field. Malcom Palacios — who came on in the 21st minute due to an injury to Gianmarco Di Noto — tried to put his body on Mohammed, but the forward continued on. Hagen got his foot to the shot from a tight angle, knocking the ball away.
A give-and-go between Anthony Alaouieh and Mrowka in the 31st minute saw Alaouieh get behind Tori and in on goal. He looked to curl the ball around Mercado, who had his near post covered, but the OCB goalkeeper did well to block the shot.
A quick break in the 44th minute saw Gyamfi find Mrowka near the top of the OCB box. The forward’s second touch was a shot on goal. However, Mercado did well to get down and collect the attempt without giving up a rebound.
After 45 minutes, Columbus had the advantage in shots (5-3), crosses (3-0), and passing accuracy (91.3%-87.1%). Meanwhile, both teams had two shots on target and neither team won a corner kick.
Crew 2 got the second half to an attacking start, creating the first chance in the 47th minute. Alaouieh was pushed to the end line before sending a low pass between two defenders to Gyamfi in the six-yard box. The attacker’s first touch was a shot on goal that Mercado blocked from short distance.
Neither team looked very dangerous in this game until OCB struck out of nowhere. Williams lifted a long ball behind the back line for Reid-Brown making a run down the left. Elliot and Keesean Ferdinand caught up to the left back, but Reid-Brown did well to use his body to keep possession. He placed the ball nicely around Hagen to give the Young Lions a 1-0 lead. It was the fullback’s second goal of the season.
On the other end, Crew 2 created a chance in the 51st minute. A flick forward to Gyamfi gave the attacker enough space to shoot from the top of the box. After a couple of touches, Gyamfi sent his attempt straight to Mercado.
Crew 2 players felt they should’ve had a penalty in the 55th minute when Elliot split a pair of defenders and went down in the box. Columbus Head Coach Federico Higuain threw his arms into the air, incredulous that Lauren Aldrich didn’t point to the spot. But there wasn’t much to the challenge, and play continued.
OCB had a chance to double the lead in the 62nd minute when Ellis sent Mohammed behind the Crew 2 back line. The forward was in on goal, but Palacios made a great tackle to send it out of play. The defender had to get it right, as a mistimed tackle would’ve been a penalty.
The first corner kick of the game by either team didn’t take place until after 62 minutes of play. Unfortunately, the Young Lions couldn’t do anything with their set piece as Crew 2 headed the ball away.
Play stopped in the 63rd minute when Mercado went down just outside of his box. Goldberg took the opportunity to make his first two changes of the game. Gustavo Caraballo and Dyson Clapier replaced Loyola and Thalles.
Columbus won its first corner kick of the game in the 67th minute when Williams knocked the ball out of play. The short corner resulted in a looping cross by Mrowka that was placed perfectly, finding Gyamfi just outside of the six-yard box. Gyamfi looked to be trying to head the ball towards goal, but it came off his chest instead and didn’t cause any trouble for Mercado.
A minute later, Ibrahima Sy received the ball outside the OCB box. The midfielder took a shot at goal, but Guske got in front of the attempt to block it away.
Higuain made a pair of attacking changes in the 70th minute while down a goal. Mrowka and Gyamfi were the most dangerous attacking players for Columbus but were taken off the field, replaced by Auvray and Kevin Gbamble. It turned out to be an inspired change.
Gbamble got his first chance at goal in the 74th minute when Sy found him in the OCB box. The attacker cut to his right to lose his defender and fired for the near post. Mercado was there to make the stop.
The teams headed to the sideline in the 77th minute for a hydration break, and OCB created a chance right off the restart. Ellis lifted the ball into the box for Mohammed, who turned his defender to shoot on goal. Unfortunately, his attempt was right at Hagen, who didn’t have any trouble with it.
Crew 2 immediately went the other way, finding the equalizer in the 80th minute. Alaouieh sent the ball forward into the OCB box for Auvray, who cut inside to lose Judelson, creating enough space for a shot. The attempt was past Mercado and inside the far post to even the game at 1-1.
Mohammed played the ball to the top of the box for Ellis in the 85th minute, but the young forward couldn’t control it. However, Tori took possession and was taken down by Auvray 20 yards out and directly in front of goal.
Caraballo and Ellis stood over the ball with Caraballo taking the free kick. He tried to curl the attempt into the top corner and had Hagen frozen to his goal line, but his shot went just wide of the left post.
As they did on their first goal, Crew 2 immediately went the other way, looking to take the lead. It was Auvray who received the ball at the top of the OCB box, looking for his second goal of the game in his Crew 2 debut. The attacker fired from the top of the box, but it was right at Mercado.
Goldberg used his second window and third change in the 89th minute to replace Judelson with Justin Hylton.
In the 90th minute, the hosts found their second goal. Gbamble sent a low cross into the six-yard box that Williams let roll past him, presumably assuming Mercado was there to collect. However, as Mercado stayed on his line, second-half substitute Ortiz beat Sargis to the ball, tapping it in to give Crew 2 a late 2-1 lead as the defensive mistake proved costly.
Before the game could restart, Goldberg made his final change. Ellis appeared to be limping off the field as he was replaced by Noah Levis.
In the seventh minute of stoppage time, Chris Rogers knocked the ball out for a last-chance corner kick for OCB. Clapier sent the set piece beyond the back post where Mercado, pushing forward, got his head to it. However, it was right into the arms of Hagen.
Crew 2 went the other way with Mercado sprinting back down the field to get back into his goal. While nobody tried to chip the goalkeeper, Ortiz took a shot from just outside of the box that was blocked by Sargis. Aldrich blew the final whistle immediately after the attempt, bringing an end to the game.
At full time, Columbus had the advantage in shots (14-6), shots on target (9-4), crosses (6-2), and passing accuracy (90.3%-86.7%). OCB had more corner kicks (3-2) but couldn’t create anything from them.
It’s a devastating loss for the Young Lions, who had a goal lead with just 10 minutes left. Three points would’ve moved them back above the playoff line, but they remain in 10th instead, two points behind FC Cincinnati 2 and NYCFC II, who sit in eighth and ninth, respectively.
Making matters worse, the loss comes against the worst team in the Eastern Conference. Crew 2 had lost six of its last seven games, with the only point coming in a 2-2 draw with New England Revolution II on Aug. 10. It’s Columbus’ first win since it defeated Carolina Core FC 1-0 on June 28.
Meanwhile, OCB still has yet to claim a point in Columbus with a record of 0-6-0 all-time.
The Young Lions have less than a week to shake off this disappointment as they return home Saturday night to face rival Atlanta United 2 at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee.