Orlando City B
Orlando City B vs. Chicago Fire II: Final Score 1-0 as OCB Is Shut Out Again on Road
OCB falls on the road again to a struggling team, this time to Chicago Fire II.
Orlando City B (7-5-2, 24 points) fell on the road again, this time to Chicago Fire II (4-5-4, 16 points), 1-0 in Bridgeview, IL. Charlie Ostrem’s 24th-minute header was the difference as the Young Lions fall to 2-5-0 away from Osceola County Stadium.
OCB Head Coach Martin Perelman made four changes to the lineup that crushed FC Cincinnati 2 last weekend. Starting goalkeeper Javier Otero is on international duty with Venezuela, replaced by Dominic Pereira. First-team left back Luca Petrasso played last weekend as he returned from injury and was replaced in the lineup by Franco Perez. Thomas Williams and Juninho also were out of the lineup tonight with Zakaria Taifi and Alejandro Granados taking their places.
The back line in front of Pereira consisted of Perez, Nabi Kibunguchy, Taifi, and Alex Freeman. Imanol Almaguer, Granados, Cristian Medina, and Shak Mohammed were in the midfield with Jack Lynn and Jhon Solis starting up top.
This was a poor performance offensively and defensively for OCB. Especially in the first half, the Young Lions struggled to handle the Chicago press, conceding possession in their own third on several occasions. On the other end, they had trouble putting shots on frame, often putting relatively open chances well over the target.
The Young Lions created the first decent chance of the game in the fifth minute when Perez won the ball from Henrique Gallina near midfield. Approaching the Chicago box, the left back found Lynn to his left in a one-on-one situation with Andreas Ueland. Lynn attempted to find enough room for a shot, but Ueland did well to stay in front and blocked the eventual attempt.
The Young Lions felt they should’ve had a free kick in a dangerous position in the ninth minute when Solis found Freeman making a run down the right. Freeman got behind Ostrem and there was contact with OCB’s right back going down, but referee Peter Bernardy determined that it wasn’t enough for a foul.
Chicago had its first decent chance in the 11th minute when Freeman cleared out a cross for the game’s first corner kick. After the first attempt was cleared out, the second bounced right along the top of the six-yard box. It was there for someone to get on the end of, bouncing just over the head of Kibunguchy, but went all the way through.
In the 14th minute, Granados found Perez making a long run on the left. It looked as though Perez would send a cross into the box, but he decided to shoot from a tight angle instead. Chicago goalkeeper Jeffrey Gal was there to block the attempt at his near post and caught the rebound.
A poor pass by Almaguer off an OCB throw-in in the 16th minute gave Chicago a good opportunity. It was intercepted by Javier Casas, whose pass was flicked on by Victor Bezerra for former Orlando City MLS SuperDraft pick Jonathan Dean. It appeared as though Dean had space for a shot, but it was blocked by Taifi.
Despite OCB having the best early chances, it was the hosts that took the lead in the 24th minute. Receiving a chip forward from Richard Fleming, Dean sent a cross to the back post where fellow outside back Ostrem was charging in. It was a defensive mistake, as Almaguer left his man for Freeman, who had left Ostrem to cover the inside run. As a result, Ostrem was left wide open at the far post and headed the ball past Pereira to give Chicago a 1-0 lead.
In the 32nd minute, Taifi did well to get in front of a cross and clear it out of the box. Unfortunately, it went right to Gallina, who took a long attempt at goal. It was on target, but Pereira did well to make a diving save, blocking it out for a corner kick. The ensuing corner by Casas found the head of Dean, but the header was over the crossbar.
A minute later, a pass back from Taifi to Pereira nearly gave Chicago another great opportunity. The goalkeeper casually accepted the ball but was pressured by Bezerra. The striker won it just outside of the OCB box, but Pereira was able to recover, blocking Bezerra’s cross out of play.
In the 38th minute, OCB turned the ball over again on a throw-in in the Lions’ own third of the field, providing a great opportunity for the hosts. Pressure by Casas resulted in Medina turning the ball over to Bezerra. Quick passing by Alex Monis and Gallina allowed the latter to find Fleming behind the OCB defense. But Pereira did well to come off his line and block the shot over the crossbar.
Lynn made a good run behind Noah Egan in the 44th minute and Solis found him. It looked as though Lynn would have an open shot on goal, but Ueland came sliding in from behind and blocked the attempt out for a corner.
Chicago cleared the ensuing set piece, but OCB re-entered the box and won a second corner kick. This time it fell to the foot of Kibunguchy, but his attempt was well over the goal. That was the last chance of the half as the Young Lions went into the break down 1-0.
At halftime, OCB had more possession (54.4%-45.6%), but Chicago led in most statistical categories. The hosts had more shots (8-5), shots on target (4-1), corners (8-2), and crosses (7-6). Both teams completed 81.6% of their passes in the first half of play.
The first second-half chance for either team came in the 50th minute when Solis made a run towards the top of the Chicago box and found Perez to his left. The left back had enough time to take a shot, but it was blocked by Egan.
The hosts had another chance to double their advantage in the 60th minute when Ostrem threw the ball in to Casas and received it right back. The defender sent a cross into the box and Fleming beat the defenders to it. It was a charging header, but he couldn’t get over it and the ball sailed over the crossbar.
In the 68th minute Freeman conceded a corner kick. Casas took the set piece and found the head of Fleming near the top of the six-yard box. The midfielder was aiming for the far post but put it wide of the target.
Immediately following the chance, Perelman made his first two changes of the game, bringing on Favian Loyola and Cristofer Acuna for Mohammed and Lynn.
The Young Lions had a chance in the 72nd minute when Loyola made a run and played it forward for Acuna. The substitute was challenged by a defender, but kept possession. He attempted to chip Gal with the outside of his right foot and the ball went over the Chicago goalkeeper, but it went wide of the far post.
After setting up an opportunity, Loyola had one for himself in the 74th minute. The forward attempted to beat Gal with a strong shot towards the far post, but the goalkeeper did well to get his hand to the ball and knock it wide.
In the 80th minute, Almaguer found Freeman making a run behind the Chicago defense. The right back reached the ball before it went out of play and sent a dangerous cross into the box. Acuna was making a run and got to the ball just before Gal, but the goalkeeper stayed in front of the shot and made the save.
The Young Lions had another opportunity in the 82nd minute, when Luka Prpa fouled Acuna near the top of the Chicago box. Perez stepped up to take the set piece and went directly for goal, but it never challenged Gal, going high.
Almaguer tried a long attempt from well outside of the box in the 85th minute but hit it well over the target. The game’s final shot came in the 88th minute when Solis was sent long by Granados. The midfielder looked like he would go at Egan one-on-one, but shot instead. Egan was right in front of him and blocked it away.
In the end, OCB had more possession (55.8%-44.2%) and better passing accuracy (80.8%-76.2%). Both teams had 12 shots, but Chicago had more shots on target (6-3), corners (9-6), and crosses (11-10).
The struggles on the road continue for the Young Lions. After their opening game win over Philadelphia Union II, they lost three consecutive away from Kissimmee. It looked like they might be turning that trend when they beat Inter Miami CF II, but they’ve now lost their last two away matches to teams well down the Eastern Conference standings and failed to score in either game. In addition to falling for the second time in three games to teams near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, this is the first time OCB has lost to Chicago in three games.
The loss also sees OCB fall from third to fourth, a point behind Columbus Crew 2. The Young Lions are only a point ahead of New York Red Bulls II and two points ahead of New York City FC II, with both teams having games in hand.
The Young Lions have a longer break before their next game as they’ll look to bounce back on June 28 when they return home to face Philadelphia Union II.
Orlando City B
Orlando City B vs. Chicago Fire FC II: Final Score 2-2 (4-2) as Young Lions Storm Back to Draw, Win Shootout
The Young Lions came from two goals down to tie the game and earn two of the three available points in Chicago.
Orlando City B (2-2-3, 12 points) pulled off a last-second result today at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, IL, drawing 2-2 with Chicago Fire FC II (1-2-4, 10 points). The hosts took a 2-0 halftime lead through Dean Boltz and Darris Hyte before the Young Lions came storming back. An own goal by Chicago goalkeeper Owen Pratt and a header in the dying seconds by Nicolas Lasheras saw OCB get something from the contest.
The Young Lions then took a second point by winning the ensuing penalty shootout 4-2.
OCB Head Coach Eddie Wilding made three changes to the team that drew Carolina Core FC 2-2 on April 19. Titus Sandy, Jr., Yutaro Tsukada, and Ignacio Gomez entered the lineup, replacing Bernardo Rhein, Dominik Baczewski, and Matthew Belgodere.
The back line in front of goalkeeper Tristan Himes was Jaylen Yearwood, Sandy, Landon Okonski, and Parker Amoo-Mensah. Gomez and Dylan Judelson were the defensive midfielders behind Tsukada, Issah Haruna, and Gustavo Caraballo, with Pedro Leao up top.
OCB was the better team throughout the 90 minutes, but poor finishing and mistakes in the back cost them. A Boltz penalty and Hyte goal just before halftime gave the hosts a 2-0 lead at the break. But the Young Lions came out strong in the second half, dominating the 45 minutes. They outshot Chicago 7-1 in the final 45 minutes as the Fire desperately tried to hold onto the advantage. It looked like they would before a corner kick during the final attack was headed in by Lasheras, avoiding a tough loss.
The first significant moment in the game came in the fourth minute when Judelson fouled Hyte near the end line on the left side of the OCB box. The ensuing set piece was cleared out by Amoo-Mensah for the game’s first corner kick.
The set piece to the near post resulted in a collision between Jack Sandmeyer and Sandy. Both players went down and required medical attention. Neither player was able to continue with Sandmeyer being replaced by Emir Herrera and Sandy by Albright Chikamso.
OCB’s first chance of the game came in the 17th minute when Damian Nigg tripped Tsukada in the Chicago third of the field. The left wing took the set piece himself after earning it, curling it into the Chicago box. However, it was too close to Pratt, who had no trouble catching the ball.
Tsukada created another chance in the 21st minute and it should’ve been the game’s first goal. The midfielder made a strong run to the end line, creating enough space for a low cross to the near post where Gomez was making a run. The Argentine got his foot to the ball but was unable to redirect it on target, sending it wide of the left post.
Chicago’s first real chance of the game came in the 24th minute when Nigg sent a quality ball down the right for Damyan Villanueva. The attacker cut inside before shooting between Chikamso and Judelson. Villanueva curled the ball around Himes, aiming for the far post, but he sent the attempt wide.
OCB created a pair of chances in the 27th minute, starting with Tsukada’s curling ball into the box that Pratt beat Leao to. The hosts tried to play the ball out of the back, but a poor pass allowed the Young Lions to retake possession. Tsukada ended up with the ball again on the left and fired through Nigg. However, this attempt was right to Pratt.
The Fire got their first shot on target in the 30th minute when Hyte sent a cross into the box that was headed out by Okonski. Robert Turdean took possession inside the OCB box, finding striker Boltz. He used a nice touch to beat his defender and forced Himes into a quality save.
The ensuing corner kick was headed out, but only to Herrera, still in the box. The substitute’s first touch was a shot that sailed over the crossbar.
The Young Lions tried to play the ball out of the back, but Leao gave up possession just outside the box. OCB briefly won it back, but Okonski lost it again and Boltz was in on goal as Himes came out. The striker went down after contact with Himes and the referee pointed to the spot, awarding the hosts a penalty.
Boltz stepped up to the spot to take the penalty himself. He sent Himes the wrong way, calmly playing it in to give Chicago the 1-0 lead.
The Young Lions created an attempt in the 37th minute when Yearwood laid it off for Gomez 25 yards from goal. The young attacker shot from distance but his attempt curled high and wide of the target.
A minute later, Judelson sent a ball forward that Josue Pfrommer appeared to have covered. However, the left back played a weak ball for Pratt, allowing Caraballo to take possession. Pratt came off his line as Caraballo tried to chip him. The goalkeeper got a piece of the ball, sending it to Gomez, who put it on target. But Chris Cupps was in position to clear it away.
Again, Chicago failed to clear the ball, giving it back to OCB in the hosts’ own third of the field. Caraballo received it near the top of the box before Oscar Pineda fouled him. The Homegrown midfielder took the set piece, sending it wide of the near post.
The Fire went the other way, with Villanueva playing Hyte into the box. The midfielder cut his way to the end line before playing a cross that was blocked out by Okonski for a corner kick.
The ensuing set piece was sent to the near post, just over Boltz’s head. Unfortunately, Hyte got his foot to the ball, putting it past Himes and into the roof of the net, giving Chicago a commanding 2-0 lead.
Chicago had a chance to make it three in the 45th minute when Haruna took Turdean down in the OCB half of the field. The set piece into the box found Cupps’ head, but the center back sent the ball over the crossbar.
Boltz had a great chance to score his second of the game in the third minute of stoppage time when Turdean made a run to the top of the OCB box. The midfielder played Hyte to the top of the six, but Okonski got there first. Unfortunately, his short clearance went right to Boltz, whose first touch was a shot over the crossbar.
That was the last chance of the half by either team as OCB went into the locker room trailing 2-0. After 45 minutes, both teams had seven shots, with OCB putting one more on target (4-3). Chicago had more corner kicks (4-1) — with one resulting in a goal — while the Young Lions had more crosses (3-1) and better passing accuracy (87.1%-82.5%).
Wilding made one halftime change, replacing Gomez with Baczewski.
OCB had the first chance of the second half in the 48th minute when Judelson intercepted a Pfrommer pass out of the back. The defensive midfielder played it through Caraballo to Baczewski, who found Tsukada on the left. The midfielder cut inside to create space from Nigg before firing high and wide of the target.
The Young Lions got a goal back in the 51st minute after Boltz headed Tsukada’s free kick into the box over the end line. Tsukada sent his ensuing corner kick to the near post on the goal line. Pratt got his hands to it but knocked it into his own goal, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
Tsukada had a great chance to equalize in the 59th minute when Okonski sent him behind the back line. The midfielder was in on goal, but Pratt did well to come off his line, getting a hand to the chip. It went right back to Tsukada, who tried to put it on goal, but Omar Gonzalez cleared it out of play.
The ensuing corner kick was onto the top of the net, ending the attack.
Tsukada conceded possession in the 77th minute but was fouled as he chased after Chicago’s attacker. The set piece into the box was headed to the top of the 18, where Amoo-Mensah fired, but the shot was blocked out of play.
The ensuing corner kick landed on top of the net, allowing Wilding to make two more substitutions. Lasheras and Belgodere came on for Leao and Tsukada
Wilding made his final change of the game in the 90th minute, replacing Okonski with Brady Kendall.
OCB had one last chance in the dying seconds and the Young Lions took advantage. Amoo-Mensah received a pass into the box before sending a low cross in front of the goal. While nobody was making a run to the top of the six, Charles Nagle could only send the ball out of play for a corner kick.
Everybody was in the Chicago box for the last-second chance to equalize as Caraballo lifted the ball in. Lasheras got his head to it near the back post, putting his attempt in untouched to even the game at 2-2.
At full-time, OCB had the advantage in shots (14-8), shots on target (7-3), crosses (5-1), corner kicks (6-5), and passing accuracy (89.4%-84.4%). But it took a last-second desperation goal to get anything from the contest.
Per MLS NEXT Pro rules, each team earned a point form the game and they went to penalties to see who would get the extra point.
Conversions by Caraballo, Boltz, and Judelson led to the first significant moment of the shootout when Pineda hit the crossbar. Unfortunately, Baczewski was unable to give OCB the advantage, as his poor penalty was easily saved by Pratt.
Nigg and Kendall then converted on their attempts before Jhoiner Montiel shot a similar penalty to Bacewski’s, allowing Himes to make the stop. That gave Amoo-Mensah a chance to end the game and he did. The right back sent a hard shot past Pratt, ending the shootout and giving the Young Lions a second point.
While a loss would’ve had OCB out of the playoff places, the two points places the Young Lions sixth in MLS NEXT Pro’s Eastern Conference. They’re a point behind Atlanta United 2 for fifth and two points behind Philadelphia Union II and Columbus Crew 2 for third.
The Young Lions will return home a week from tonight as they host Crown Legacy FC at Osceola County Stadium.
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!
Pride Must Finish More Chances
Orlando City vs. New England Revolution, U.S. Open Cup: Five Takeaways
Lion Links: 4/30/26
-
Orlando City2 weeks agoOrlando City vs. Houston Dynamo: Player Grades and Man of the Match
-
Orlando City2 days agoOrlando City vs. New England Revolution, 2026 U.S. Open Cup: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
-
Lion Links2 weeks agoLion Links: 4/20/26
-
Orlando City2 weeks agoOrlando City vs. Houston Dynamo: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
-
Orlando City2 weeks agoIntelligence Report: Orlando City vs. Houston Dynamo
-
Orlando Pride7 days agoOrlando Pride vs. Racing Louisville: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
-
Orlando City2 weeks agoOrlando City vs. Houston Dynamo: Final Score 1-0 as Toothless Lions Continue to Struggle
-
Orlando City2 weeks agoOrlando City vs. Houston Dynamo: Five Takeaways