Orlando City B vs. Toronto FC II: Final Score 3-1 as OCB Takes Big Step Toward Playoffs

Orlando City B (11-9-7, 44 points) earned a huge three points with a 3-1 win over Toronto FC II (11-12-4, 39 points) tonight at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee. Ignacio Gomez and Gustavo Caraballo scored first-half goals before Harvey Sarajian made it 3-0 in the 58th minute. Elias Khodri converted a penalty late, but it wasn’t enough for the visitors.

OCB Head Coach Eddie Wilding deployed the same starting lineup that cruised to a 4-1 win over Inter Miami II on Sept. 4. Tristan Himes was in goal, behind a back line of Clovis Archange, Nolan Miller, Landon Okonski, and Parker Amoo-Mensah. Justin Hylton and Gomez were the defensive midfielders, Caraballo, Sarajian, and Issah Haruna were the attacking midfielders, and Pedro Leao started up top.

The hosts were the better team from the opening whistle and fully deserved the win. They created more chances and better opportunities, taking a commanding lead just before the hour mark. They bunkered down in the final 10 minutes, allowing the visitors to control possession, and it took some good saves from Himes to avoid a nail-biting finish. But they come away with a huge result heading into the last game of the regular season.

The first chances came in the third minute when a poor pass by Amoo-Mensah for Himes went over the end line for a Toronto corner kick. While the visitors couldn’t create anything from the set piece, the eventual cross went just over Reid Fisher’s head. Richard Chukwu collected the ball, and Okonski headed away his cross.

Caraballo broke the other way with Sarajian and Leao. The attacker decided to play the ball to his left for Sarajian, who dribbled into the box and sent his shot just wide of the near post.

Toronto had another good chance in the seventh minute when Chukwu sent a dangerous ball to the back post where Damar Dixon was making a run. Fortunately, Archange reached the ball first, knocking it over the end line. The Young Lions cleared the ensuing corner kick, ending the attack.

Leao intercepted a bad ball out of the back by Toronto goalkeeper Adisa De Rosario. Rather than dribbling into the box, the striker sent an off-target pass toward Sarajian. Fortunately, it was also just beyond Gabriel Mikina’s reach. Caraballo took possession and sent a weak shot that didn’t cause any trouble for De Rosario.

The Young Lions opened the scoring in the 27th minute when Amoo-Mensah found Haruna with space, allowing him to enter the Toronto third of the field. While Leao was calling for a square ball, Haruna played a beautiful pass between a pair of defenders for Gomez’s well-timed run into the box. The midfielder’s second touch was a shot past De Rosario and inside the far post to give OCB the 1-0 lead.

Amoo-Mensah made a run to the end line in the 42nd minute before sending a cross to the back post. Leao had his back to the goal and attempted a bicycle kick, sending his attempt wide.

A minute later, the Young Lions doubled their lead. It started with an innocuous ball from Archange to Caraballo in the OCB half. The attacker dribbled into the Toronto third with no defender stepping up to challenge him. As he approached the top of the box, Caraballo took a touch inside and sent a gorgeous, curling shot past De Rosario and just inside the far post to make it 2-0.

Miller touched the ball off of Salaou’s foot in the third minute of stoppage time and Sarajian broke the other way. Caraballo sprinted down the field to provide support and Sarajian sent him into the Toronto box. The attacker opened up and attempted to curl the ball around De Rosario, but the goalkeeper got down to make a terrific save. However, Sarajian waited too long to make the final pass, causing Caraballo to be offside, so it wouldn’t have counted had it gone in.

It was a good first half by the hosts, who held the advantage in shots (7-2), shots on target (3-0), and passing accuracy (90.4%-90.1%). Toronto had more crosses (3-2) and corner kicks (4-1) in the first 45 minutes.

OCB had a great chance for a third in the 48th minute when Himes threw the ball long for Sarajian. The Young Lions had a two-on-one break with Leao to Sarajian’s right. However, as the defender closed him down, Sarajian tried to take it himself, lost possession, and ended up being called for a foul.

A minute later, Sarajian had the ball in the Toronto box with more defenders. This time, the attacker played it square for Caraballo, whose first touch sent it further right for Haruna. The midfielder settled and shot, but his attempt was deflected off target.

Toronto had a golden chance to get one back in the 54th minute when Marko Stojadinovic played Bryce Boneau in the OCB third of the field. Boneau’s first touch was a lovely pass for Jahmarie Nolan behind the back line. But, as the attacker prepared to open up for a shot, he tripped, softly touching the ball into Himes’ arms.

The Young Lions nearly scored a third in the 57th minute when Amoo-Mensah sent a fantastic cross beyond the far post. It was just over Dixon’s head where Okonski was waiting for it. The center back headed the ball toward the back post, forcing De Rosario to dive to his right to make a one-handed save.

Toronto quickly went the other way, losing the ball in the OCB third and allowing the Young Lions to build a counterattack. A give-and-go between Haruna and Gomez gave Haruna space to play the ball to Sarajian on the left. Stojadinovic was in a good defensive position, but Sarajian used his change of pace to create space for a shot, placing a left-footed shot from the left behind De Rosario and inside the right post to make it 3-0.

The goal seemed to spark Toronto as the Reds attempted to get back into the game to avoid being eliminated from playoff contention with one match remaining. In the 61st minute, Lucas Dawson dribbled through several OCB defenders before it was tapped off his foot. The ball went directly to Nolan at the top of the box, but his shot was over the target.

A minute later, Boneau winded through the OCB defense before playing the ball wide left for Fletcher Bank. Dixon came in from the right and tried to direct the ball on target but sent it over the crossbar. Bank created a chance for himself in the 65th minute, dribbling strongly down the left. The attacker had a step on Amoo-Mensah and found space for a shot, but he sent the attempt off target.

Wilding made his first substitution in the 66th minute, replacing Caraballo with Matthew Belgodere.

Stojadinovic received a pass from Boneau just inside the OCB half of the field in the 73rd minute and made a long run to the top of the box. The defender took a hard shot that Himes could only block wide. Toronto kept possession, eventually creating a cross for Dixon with nobody near him. The attacker’s first touch was a poor one, taking him inside and allowing Himes to close him down. By the time he was able to shoot, Himes was in an excellent position to make the save.

Wilding made two more changes during the 77th-minute hydration break. Brady Kendall and Nicolas Lasheras came on for Sarajian and Leao.

Kendall attempted to make his presence apparent in the 80th minute after receiving a pass from Haruna near the top of the Toronto box. The substitute took a touch before unleashing a right-footed shot that skipped wide of the target.

De Rosario tried to make something happen in the attack off the restart, sending a long ball into the OCB box. Dekwon Barrow had space and was behind the back line, but he couldn’t get enough on his header, allowing Himes to make the stop.

Toronto got a lifeline in the 83rd minute when Salaou found Fisher near the top of the OCB box. Belgodere challenged the center back, popping the ball up and towards the end line. It was a race bewteen Himes and Barrow to reach the ball with the Toronto attacker getting there first. As a result, Himes bundled him over from behind and referee Russell Miller pointed to the spot.

Khodri stepped up to take the spot kick. He sent Himes the wrong way, tucking the ball into the corner to make it 3-1.

In the 86th minute, a cross into the box went off Lasheras’ head, giving Toronto a great chance for a second. The deflection sent it over a group of players to Barrow and Khodri at the top of the six-yard box. Khodri was the one to get his head on the ball, sending his attempt over the crossbar.

Wilding made his two final changes in the 89th minute. Nicolas Torres and Caleb Trombino entered the contest, replacing Hylton and Haruna.

A poor touch by Kendall after receiving a pass from Archange in the 89th minute resulted in Stojadinovic taking possession. The defender carried the ball into the OCB third before firing from long distance right into Himes’ hands.

OCB put everyone behind the ball as the Young Lions tried to hold onto the two-goal lead. While Toronto controlled possession in the opposing half, the visitors couldn’t create any more shots, allowing the Young Lions to come away with the 3-1 win.

At full time, both teams had taken 14 shots and Toronto put one more on target (6-5). The visitors also attempted more crosses (12-5), won more corner kicks (6-3), and had better passing accuracy (88-7%-84.4%). But most of that was after OCB had a three-goal lead.

The Young Lions were struggling heading into the business end of the season. However, they responded from a five-game losing streak by winning their last three and putting themselves in a great spot to make the postseason.

The win puts OCB in eighth place on 44 points with every team having one game remaining. The Young Lions are only two points behind New England Revolution II for third and three points ahead of Huntsville City FC for 11th. As a result, they could finish anywhere from third to 11th, depending on what happens in the final game of the season.

That game will take place Sept. 20 at 2 p.m. when OCB hosts Atlanta United 2 at Oscoela County Stadium.