Orlando City B vs. Atlanta United 2: Final Score 2-1 as Young Lions Claim All Three Points With Last-Second Goal

It was a tight game between Orlando City B (8-11-4, 30 points) and Atlanta United 2 (5-8-8, 25 points) tonight at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee. A boring first half sprung into action early in the second. Patrick Weah gave the visitors the lead in the 48th minute before Thalles equalized in the 53rd minute. It looked to be heading for a shootout, but Shak Mohammed scored in the fifth minute of stoppage time to give the Young Lions the 2-1 win.

OCB Head Coach Manuel Goldberg made one change to the team that lost 2-1 to Columbus Crew 2 on Sunday afternoon. Justin Hylton replaced Dylan Judelson, making his first professional start.

The back line in front of goalkeeper Carlos Mercado was Tahir Reid-Brown, Thomas Williams, Hayden Sargis, and Riyon Tori. Colin Guske and Hylton were the defensive midfielders behind Mohammed, Justin Ellis, and Favian Loyola with Thalles up top.

The first half was difficult to watch as the chances were few and far between. Even when an attack was created, the shots ended up sailing high or wide. In fact, only one combined shot was on target during the first 45 minutes.

Things escalated quickly in the second half, with both teams scoring inside the first eight minutes. It didn’t end up being a high-scoring affair, but there was plenty of animosity between the players. Both teams had chances in the dying moments, and it was OCB’s top scorer who ended the game with a last-second goal to claim all three points.

Neither team was able to create any early chances as they looked to play the ball out of the back under pressure. The first chance didn’t come until the 12th minute when Toto Majub sent a curling ball into the box. Weah beat Williams to get his head on the ball, sending it over the target.

Two minutes later, OCB got its first chance when Loyola made a run across the top of the box. DD Sibrian did well to keep pace, but Loyola eventually created enough space for a shot. However, this one too was well over the top.

A strong run by Tori down the right and along the end line created a chance in the 16th minute when his pass to Ellis was tipped on to Hylton. The young attacker slipped as he shot, and his attempt was deflected over the crossbar.

The visitors cleared the ensuing free kick before Mohammed’s pass into the six was cleared over the end line for another corner. The attack finally ended when a foul was called on the Young Lions, allowing Atlanta to clear.

Dominik Chong Qui made a run to the top left corner of the OCB box in the 36th minute before taking a shot that Tori blocked out for a corner kick. However, the visitors were unable to create anything from the set piece.

On the other end, Loyola made a long run to the end line in the 38th minute with Chong Qui defending. The defender tried to knock the ball off Loyola, but it had already crossed the line. It didn’t matter anyway as the Young Lions couldn’t do anything with the ensuing corner kick.

Atlanta nearly had a chance in the 40th minute when Santiago Pita sent a cross to the back post where Weah and Williams were battling. Both players jumped for it with the ball going just over the pair.

The 41st minute saw the only first-half shot on target for either team. It came from Hylton after Ellis did well to shield his defender and find his teammate in the box. Hylton turned and shot, but didn’t get much on it, making for an easy save for Jonathan Ransom.

Cooper Sanchez tried to create a chance for Atlanta in the 45th minute with Williams in front of him. Hylton came in from behind to block the attempt out of play for an Atlanta corner kick. The ensuing set piece was taken short before a cross was sent into the box, but it sailed over the goal, creating no trouble for the OCB defense.

The final chance of the first half came in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Chong Qui sent a cross into the box for Weah with Williams and Sargis around him. Somehow, the ball fell nicely for Weah, but the attacker sent his shot from the top of the six-yard box over the target.

After 45 minutes of action, Atlanta had more shots (5-3) and crosses (4-2) and better passing accuracy (89.9%-86%). OCB had more corner kicks (3-2) and the half’s lone shot on target.

There was only one halftime change and it was a familiar one for Orlando City fans as Moises Tablante — now with Atlanta — entered the game for Gabriel Wesseh.

The visitors created a chance right off the kickoff when Chong Qui did well to beat Loyola before Tori blocked his cross out of play. The ensuing corner kick found the open head of Majub, who headed the ball down and towards goal. Mercado initially spilled the ball before falling on it. Salvatore Mazzaferro was closing in, ultimately fouling the goalkeeper to end the threat.

In the 48th minute, Atlanta took the lead when Sibrian sent Pita down the right. The forward sent a cross that was too close to Mercado, but the OCB goalkeeper only pushed it on. Meanwhile, Weah beat Williams and Sargis to the ball, letting it bounce off of him and in to give his team a 1-0 lead.

The Young Lions responded quickly, finding the equalizer in the 53rd minute. Guske intercepted the ball in the Atlanta half of the field and drove forward before finding Thalles to his right. The Brazilian striker sent his hard strike past Ransom and into the far corner to even the game at 1-1.

The Young Lions should’ve had a chance in the 59th minute when Mohammed found Hylton entering the box. The young midfielder immediately lost the ball, but the clearance went straight to Guske. The defensive midfielder quickly sent the ball to the left, where Mohammed was making a run. Using his pace, the forward beat Ryan Carmichael to enter the area and took a shot on goal, but it was right into the hands of Ransom.

The next time the ball exited play, Goldberg made his first change. Orlando City 2025 MLS SuperDraft selection Titus Sandy, Jr. came into the game for Hylton, making his professional debut.

In the 66th minute, Guske sent Sandy down the right before the substitute was fouled by Chong Qui just outside the Atlanta box. Loyola took the free kick, finding a wide-open Mohammed near the penalty spot, but the attacker was unable to get anything on the ball, sending it well wide as he fell to the ground.

The visitors had a chance in the 69th minute when a long ball was chested down by Weah for Sibrian making a run into the OCB third of the field. The defenders didn’t provide much resistance, allowing Sibrian to get a shot off, but it was right at Mercado, who made a relatively easy save.

Goldberg made two more changes in the 71st minute. Dyson Clapier and Gustavo Caraballo entered the game for Loyola and Thalles.

Tori made a long run down the left in the 75th minute, resulting in a give-and-go with Mohammed. The defender’s cross was blocked and he came up lame after the play. He was replaced a minute later during the hydration break by Judelson, OCB’s final substitution of the game.

Second-half substitute Adyn Torres played a square pass to Majub in the 85th minute. The defender’s second touch was a shot from long distance, but the ball kept rising, going over the crossbar. Atlanta kept possession in the OCB half, putting pressure on the back line with some quick passing. The ball eventually ended up with Javier Armas about 30 yards from goal. The second-half substitute took a shot that kept rising, going well over the target.

In the 88th minute, Chong Qui sent a dangerous cross into the box with teammates making runs into the six-yard box. It looked to be a dangerous chance for the visitors, but Williams did well to dive in and — facing his own goal — head the ball away.

Atlanta won a corner kick in the second minute of stoppage time, creating a late chance. The set piece found a wide-open Rodrigo Neri beyond the back post and the second-half substitute fired. However it was right at Mercado, who made the save.

OCB had one last chance in the fifth minute of stoppage time when Mercado played the ball short to Sargis, who sent it long down the field. It looked like Atlanta would easily take possession as Ronan Wynne left it for Ransom coming out to collect. However, the goalkeeper was late coming off his line and Mohammed kept sprinting, touching the ball past Ransom and sending it into the open net to give his team a very late 2-1 lead.

The referee allowed Atlanta to restart play, but blew the final whistle immediately after the kickoff and the Young Lions came away with a crucial win against their Southeast rivals.

At full time, Atlanta had the advantage in shots (13-8), crosses (9-6), corner kicks (4-3), and passing accuracy (89%-86.3%). Both teams put four shots on target, and Mohammed’s late strike was the difference.

The win ends OCB’s five-game winless run (0-4-1), dating back to the team’s 3-1 win over Carolina Core FC on July 13. It moves the Young Lions up to ninth in the Eastern Conference, two points behind NYCFC II and three behind Toronto FC II for the final playoff spots.

The Young Lions have just five games remaining in the regular season as they attempt to qualify for the postseason for the third straight year.

OCB will remain at home next weekend as the Young Lions host Crown Legacy FC at Osceola County Stadium on Aug. 31 at 7 p.m.