Orlando City B
Orlando City B at Chicago Fire II: Final Score 1-1 as OCB Clinches Playoff Spot
OCB clinches its first MLS NEXT Pro playoff appearance with a 1-1 draw and shootout win over Chicago Fire II.
Orlando City B (12-10-5, 43 points) secured its first playoff appearance in MLS NEXT Pro and second in team history with a 1-1 draw against Chicago Fire II (9-8-10, 41 points) in Illinois. Sergio Oregel gave the hosts the lead in the 17th minute, but Chicago was unable to double the advantage. OCB had a much better second half, and substitute Wilfredo Rivera equalized in the 71st minute. The Young Lions won the ensuing penalty shootout, 4-3, to return home with two points.
OCB Head Coach Martin Perelman made two changes to the team that drew 1-1 with New England Revolution II last weekend. It appears that Abdi Salim and Jack Lynn are both with the first team preparing for the match tomorrow night, replaced in the lineup by Thomas Williams and Jhon Solis, who returned after serving his suspension against New England.
The Young Lions went with their typical 4-4-2 formation in this game. The starting back line in front of goalkeeper Javier Otero was Franco Perez, Williams, Nabi Kibunguchy, and Imanol Almaguer. Cristian Medina, Juninho, Alex Freeman, and Moises Tablante were in the midfield with Shak Mohammed and Solis up top.
Chicago was by far the better team in the first 30 minutes and could’ve been up multiple goals before OCB took its first shot. But it remained 1-0 at halftime, enabling the Young Lions to get back into the game. A strong second-half team all year, OCB did it again, dominating the second 45 minutes to pull level.
The game got off to a slow start with neither team creating any dangerous chances. Charlie Ostrem took a long-distance shot in the second minute and Eric Leonard in the 11th minute, but both were blocked. In the 12th minute, Oregel played the ball to the top of the box for Missael Rodriguez, but his shot missed wide.
The hosts nearly opened the scoring in the 15th minute when Billy Hency dribbled into the OCB box for the second time. He cut inside to lose Perez — who reached his right leg out but didn’t get enough of the ball — and shot for the near post. Otero dove to his left, tipping the ball wide.
Chicago broke through in the 17th minute when Rodriguez received the ball in the middle of the field. He played it for Oregel, who continued the ball out right for Hency. The midfielder’s pass for Rodrigeuz was behind and it looked like OCB might clear. Dylan Borso and Juninho both went after the ball and it bounced off Borso’s arm, but referee Calin Radosav didn’t call it. The ball went back to Oregel, who put it past Otero to give the Fire a 1-0 lead.
In the 22nd minute, Hency found Luka Prpa at the top of the OCB box. Prpa’s shot was rising as it neared the OCB goal and Otero reached up for it, but the attempt ultimately went over the crossbar.
The Young Lions finally created their first attack in the 26th minute. Juninho made a long run into the Chicago box and centered the ball for Mohammed near the penalty spot. The pass was behind the forward, so Mohammed played it to Tablante on his left. Tablante made some moves to create space for a shot, but Hency did well to stay in front and blocked the attempt.
OCB was able to create some more opportunities from set pieces but was unable to convert. In the 31st minute, Prpa fouled Freeman, earning a yellow card. The free kick by Almaguer was into the box, but cleared away.
Three minutes later, Borso fouled Solis about 25 yards from goal. Almaguer was expected to lift another cross into the box, but quickly stepped up to the ball and fired on goal, attempting to catch the defense off guard. However, his shot skied over the crossbar and was never a threat for Chicago goalkeeper Jeff Gal.
Juninho found Tablante to his left in the 35th minute, but the midfielder’s second shot of the half was blocked. That was the last first-half chance for either team as the game went to the break with Chicago leading 1-0.
Possession was almost even in the first 45 minutes, with Chicago holding a slight edge (50.1%-49.9%). But the Fire created most of the chances, ending the first half with more shots (6-3), shots on target (2-0), and crosses (4-1). OCB passed more accurately (88.4%-85%) and both teams won two corner kicks.
Perelman made a surprising halftime change, replacing the team’s second-leading goal scorer Mohammed with Cristofer Acuna. Immediately after the kickoff, the Fire created a chance when Oregel sent Rodriguez behind the OCB defense. The forward was pushed wide, but got away a shot on target. Otero was guarding his near post and got down to make the stop.
OCB created its first shot on target in the 49th minute from Perez just outside of the Chicago box. It forced Gal to dive to his left and tip the ball wide for a corner kick. The ensuing short corner resulted in an Oregel foul on Juninho just outside of the Chicago 18. Almaguer sent a curling cross towards the back post, but it was too high for Williams to put it on target, glancing off the top of his head.
As he’s done several times this year, Juninho attempted to drag his team back into the game as it neared the hour mark. In the 51st minute, the OCB captain dribbled into the box and shot, but it was right at Gal. Five minutes later, the midfielder took an ambitious shot from outside of the box. He kept it low, but it was right to Gal who made the easy save.
Perelman made his second change in the 61st minute and it was a forward for a defender. Rivera came on for left back Perez, resulting in Tablante dropping back to left back, where he’s played frequently since 2020.
It looked like OCB would have a great chance in the 64th minute when Juninho was sent forward to the top of the Chicago box. After a challenge with the defender, Juninho went down. Both teams stopped, expecting Radosav to call the foul, but he decided there wasn’t enough contact.
An unusual and confusing situation occurred in the 67th minute when Kibunguchy and Rodriguez got together near the OCB box. The Young Lions ended up with the ball and went on the counter attack. After failing to create anything, Radosav halted the game as Rodriguez was still down. He gave Kibunguchy a yellow card for the collision and Perelman a yellow for dissent after the play.
OCB had been the more threatening team in the second half and found the equalizer in the 71st minute. Receiving the ball from Tablante near the end line, Juninho sent a low pass to Rivera at the top of the six-yard box. But it hit the foot of Prpa and popped up for Rivera. The second-half substitute’s diving header went past Gal to even the game at 1-1.
The Young Lions had more chances in the 75th minute when Tablante saved the ball from going out of play, but his pass into the middle was blocked out by Ueland for a corner kick. The short set piece ended up with Freeman in the box and his shot was blocked for another corner. This one didn’t result in an OCB shot as Chicago won a goal kick.
In the 81st minute, Hency found Rodriguez going forward. Rodriguez took a shot shortly after entering the box, but it was blocked out of play by Williams for a corner kick. That was the last action for Rodriguez as he was immediately replaced.
The corner ended up with Matteo Kidd, who took a hard shot from distance. It looked like it would’ve been on target, but Williams came charging in to block it, enabling OCB to clear the danger.
On the other end, OCB nearly took its first lead of the night. With his back to goal at the top of the box, Juninho laid the ball off for the oncoming Solis. The midfileder’s first touch was a hard shot towards the near post, but it went just wide.
In the 90th minute, Hency cleared the ball out of play for an OCB corner kick. The set piece found the foot of Kibunguchy in the box and the center back’s first touch was a shot. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get over it, sending the ball well over the target.
The Young Lions nearly scored a winner in the third minute of stoppage time when Tablante sent a cross towards the back post. It looked to be too close to Gal, but went over his head and off the far post. The Chicago defense nearly headed it into the goal but it went just wide for a corner. That was the last chance as the game ended 1-1.
At full time, OCB had more possession (54.2%-45.8%), shots (12-11), corners (9-2), and crosses (7-5), and passed more accurately (87%-83.8%). Chicago put more shots on target (4-3), but only one past Otero.
NYCFC II’s draw and shootout win over Toronto FC II earlier in the evening meant that the Young Lions only needed a point to clinch a spot in the MLS NEXT Pro playoffs. It’s the first time they’ve seen the postseason in the young league and the second time they’ve made the postseason in team history.
While they did their job and clinched a playoff spot, the draw meant the game would go to penalties to see which team got an extra point. Freeman started the shootout by putting his attempt into the corner. Prpa stepped up for Chicago and also went for the corner. But Otero guessed correctly and stopped it to give OCB the lead after one round.
Medina took the second attempt for the Young Lions and went right down the middle. Gal dove to his left, but left his legs back enough to block the attempt. Defender Noah Egan put his penalty past Otero to make it 1-1 after two rounds.
The shootout settled down after that with Juninho, Solis, and Acuna comfortably netting their penalties. Michael Nesci sent Otero the wrong way, but the 20-year-old goalkeeper nearly ended it in the fourth round when he got a hand to Justin Reynolds’ attempt. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get enough of it to keep it out.
After Acuna put his shot into the roof to give the Young Lions the fifth-round lead, Ostrem stepped up needing to convert. He put his attempt down the middle, nearly identical to Medina earlier. However, Otero was able to keep his legs back, blocking the shot and OCB took two points on the night.
OCB remains in fifth place with one game remaining in the regular season and can’t catch Columbus Crew 2 for fourth. However, the Young Lions still have plenty to play for next weekend. They can still finish fifth, sixth, or seventh, potentially determining if they can get a home game in the postseason.
The Young Lions will return home to end their second MLS NEXT Pro regular season next Sunday when they face FC Cincinnati 2 at Osceola County Stadium.
Orlando City B
MLS NEXT Pro Is a Development League and OCB Is Developing Some Winners
A comparison between Orlando City and OCB’s performances this season and a look at OCB’s player development pipeline.
Last week, I wrote about Orlando as a soccer city, and created a ranking system that looked at where the City Beautiful sits among North American cities that have professional soccer teams. Since that article came out, none of the teams that were used as a the basis of the ranking system have played a game, as all of the top teams remain on hiatus due to all of the international games and the final preparations for the FIFA World Cup.
MLS NEXT Pro, however, continues to channel its inner Young Gunz and can’t stop, won’t stop playing regular-season games. As readers of our weekly membership newsletter (you can subscribe here and unlike with FIFA, zero attorneys general have opened investigations about our pricing policies) already know, Orlando City B (OCB) has won four of its last five games and currently sits in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. The Young Lions are averaging 0.99 more points per match than the senior team (1.92 to 0.93), while scoring more and allowing fewer goals per game as well. They are not better players, at least not yet, but they are definitely playing better than Orlando City is relative to their level of competition.
OCB is not the only MLS NEXT Pro team playing much better than its senior team, and considering how poorly Orlando City has performed during MLS play thus far this season, it is not a surprise that the gap between the two in points per match is among the largest for all 27 MLS clubs that have a reserve team in MLS NEXT Pro (D.C., Montreal, and San Diego are the three MLS teams that do not have a team in the lower league). The gap between Orlando teams ranks fifth from the bottom, with only Austin, Atlanta, Houston, and Portland sporting MLS teams with worse points-per-match performances compared to their MLS NEXT pro teams.
On this week’s episode of The Mane Land PawedCast, there was a discussion about how clubs generally view and utilize MLS NEXT Pro, and while the Orlando City front office wants both of its teams to win, what the club really wants to see is player development at the MLS NEXT Pro level and wins and banners at the MLS level. Players who develop well at OCB generally sign Homegrown Player contracts with the senior team, which greatly benefits the team in terms of roster construction because they count differently against the salary cap.
Thus far this season, Orlando City has played five Homegrown Players during MLS games — Justin Ellis, Colin Guske, Javier Otero, Tahir Reid-Brown, and Zakaria Taifi — and their minutes played combine for approximately 10% of Orlando City’s minutes during MLS play. Only Miami and Philadelphia have played more Homegrowns (each has played seven) in games, though 10 teams have played Homegrown Players for a larger share of their minutes than Orlando City’s 10%. The league averages are only 3.1 players and 8.5% of the total minutes, so Orlando City is above average in both.
Of those five Orlando City Homegrowns, only Reid-Brown has played more league minutes with OCB than Orlando City, though by the end of the season it would not be a surprise if that was true for all except for Ellis, as the MLS minutes for the other four dried up during the final games before the World Cup break. A certain Antoine Griezmann will also be joining Orlando City in July and, spoiler alert, he is going to play a lot of minutes, which will push the players at the bottom of the depth chart one rung further away from MLS game time.
The upshot of this is that OCB is likely to see those Homegrowns dressing and playing in a lot of its games during the back half of the season, making an already strong squad even stronger. If we take a look at all 60 teams between MLS and MLS NEXT Pro, the Young Lions rank sixth in goals scored per game at 2.38, and with a little defensive improvement (like, perhaps, the inclusion of defensive-oriented players Guske, Otero, Reid-Brown, and Taifi in more lineups) they could find themselves in that quadrant of teams that are among the best in both goals scored and goals allowed.
While MLS NEXT Pro teams may not be exclusively focused on Vince Lombardi’s famous quote about winning not being everything, but the only thing, winning is still, like, better than losing (thank you Nuke LaLoosh and Bull Durham), and OCB has been doing a lot of it lately. The club also has five players in the top 89 in FotMob‘s MLS NEXT Pro player rating rankings, including the overall number one Harvey Sarajian, Gustavo Caraballo (12), Pedro Leão (29), Bernardo Rhein (45), and Issah Haruna (89). Sarajian and Haruna are 21 and 22 years old, respectively, but the other three players are all teenagers and are performing at an advanced level in a league where the average player’s age this season is 20.6, according to Transfermarkt.
OCB’s average age across all players is only 18.8, third youngest in the league, so even beyond the top prospects the future continues to look bright for a team full of young players who are already performing at a high level in their league. Hopefully, the gap between their performance and that of Orlando City’s closes when the senior Lions return to play, but only because the MLS club performs more like it did during the last few years instead of how it did during the opening 15 games of MLS play this year. We still have more than a month to go until we will see Orlando City again though, so for now we can just sit back and see how big of a gap OCB can open up, starting with its game Saturday at Huntsville City — a perfect location for some Young Lions to go hunting for another three points.
Vamos Orlando!
Orlando City B
Orlando City B vs. Chattanooga FC: Final Score 5-2 as OCB Dominates Second Half
OCB netted four second-half goals to defeat Chattanooga FC for its second-straight win.
Orlando City B (5-3-4, 22 points) won its second-straight game tonight, defeating Chattanooga FC (6-5-1, 19 points) 5-2 at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee. Ignacio Gomez gave the hosts the lead before goals by Alexander Krehl and Luke Husakiwsky made it 2-1 Chattanooga at halftime. But the Young Lions dominated the second half with goals by Harvey Sarajian and Justin Hylton and a brace by Pedro Leao, sealing all three points.
OCB Head Coach Eddie Wilding made four changes to the team that gave Inter Miami II a 4-1 beatdown on May 24. Parker Amoo-Mensah, Titus Sandy, Jr., Albright Chikamso, and Hylton entered the lineup for Zakaria Taifi, Nolan Miller, Clovis Archange, and Tahir Reid-Brown.
The back line in front of goalkeeper Tristan Himes included Rhein, Chikamso, Sandy, and Amoo-Mensah. Colin Guske and Gomez were the defensive midfielders behind Sarajian, Hylton, and Issah Haruna with Leao up top.
This was the back-and-forth type of game that OCB has become known for. The Young Lions got off to a great start, creating early chances and taking the lead in the sixth minute. They nearly had a second in the 21st minute, but lost control of the game after that. Chattanooga was the better team in the final 25 minutes of the first half, taking a 2-1 lead into the break.
The Young Lions came out strong in the second half, putting a stranglehold on the contest. They broke quick and often, putting Chattanooga under immense pressure. It resulted in a dominant half that saw them outscore the visitors 4-0.
OCB employed a high press from the start, which created the first opportunity at goal in the third minute. Receiving a pass back from Damien Barker John in his own third, Husakiwsky played it straight to Leao. The striker took a couple of touches into the Chattanooga box before sending a curling shot over the crossbar.
The Young Lions’ second chance came in the sixth minute and resulted in the game’s first goal. Gomez carried the ball into the Chattanooga third of the field before playing a give-and-go with Hylton. As Gomez neared the end line, it looked like he would cross it into the six. However, he curled the ball around Griffin Huff and inside the far post to give the hosts the early 1-0 lead.
Chattanooga earned its first chance of the game in the 10th minute when a long throw-in by Anton Sorenson was flicked on for Barker John behind. The midfielder’s first touch was a shot on goal, but it was right at Himes.
OCB nearly doubled its advantage in the 21st minute when Amoo-Mensah’s cross for Leao was headed over the end line by Mattias Hanchard. The Young Lions played the ensuing set piece short, ending up with Haruna. The midfielder fired from distance, rattling the crossbar. The ball ended up with Guske on the left and the Homegrown Player sent a cross into the box for a charging Sandy. The center back got a head to the ball, sending his attempt just over the target.
Two minutes later, Guske sent a ball forward for Amoo-Mensah making an overlapping run on the right. The right back sent a low shot towards the far post that Huff tipped wide of the target. The Chattanooga goalkeeper caught the ensuing set piece delivery, ending the threat.
Another long throw-in by Chattanooga in the 28th minute was flicked on to Krehl, who couldn’t get much on the header, allowing Himes to collect. OCB tried to play it out of the back as Himes rolled the ball out to Sandy, who played it right back to his goalkeeper.
Himes tried to pass to Rhein at the top left corner of the box, but he sent his pass right to Barker John. As the OCB goalkeeper came out, Barker John lifted the ball for Yuval Cohen. The attacker tried to guide the ball in but couldn’t connect. It went to Sandy, whose weak clearance found Krehl’s foot. The forward tucked it away to even the game at 1-1.
The Young Lions gave the ball away in their own end in the 32nd minute when Guske’s touch went right to a Chattanooga player. The ball ended up with Daniel Mangarov on the counter and the attacker’s shot to the far post was just wide.
A minute later, Tate Robertson sent a dangerous cross toward the near post where Krehl was making a run. The forward volleyed the ball toward goal — looking for a quick brace — but the redirection bounced wide.
Long throw-ins by Chattanooga were a thorn in OCB’s side in the first half and it came back to haunt the team again in the 38th minute. Chikamso headed away a flick-on, but the clearance fell right to Husakiwsky. The attacker volleyed the ball past Himes and in to give the visitors a 2-1 lead.
Down a goal, the Young Lions tried to get back on even terms with a pair of chances as the game neared halftime. In the 41st minute, Guske got on the end of a corner kick, but his volley was off target. Chattanooga immediately went the other way and Barker John went down, appealing for a penalty. Referee Erik Lezama Pavon waved play on and OCB went on the counterattack. Sarajian laid the ball back for Gomez near midfield, who sent it forward for Leao. The OCB striker fired from just outside the box, sending his shot wide.
A long punt by Huff out of the back in the 44th minute gave Chattanooga a chance when Sandy mishit the clearance. Barker John took possession and played it square for Krehl at the top of the box. The forward played it back to Barker John, who spotted Cohen behind Rhein on the right side of the OCB box. The forward’s first touch was a near-post shot that hit the outside of the net.
The final chance of the half came in the first minute of stoppage time. OCB broke on a four-on four counterattack with Leao playing Sarajian down the left. Sarajian played it back for Leao, and it looked like the striker would guide it into the net. However, Nathan Koehler slid in front of the attempt, blocking the shot with his back.
OCB got the second half off to a flying start, evening the game in the 48th minute. Receiving a pass from Gomez, Rhein used a nifty touch to get by his defender and sent a quality ball into the six. It looked like a defender or Huff would clear it, but it slipped through for Leao, who touched it in to even the game at 2-2.
The Young Lions stayed on the attack, creating another chance in the 50th minute. Gomez danced through the Chattanooga defense before losing control at the top of the box. The ball went through the defender to Hylton, whose first touch was a shot wide of the near post.
OCB’s high press created problems for Chattanooga as the visitors tried to play the ball out of the back. Koehler lost the ball to Haruna, and the midfielder quickly sent a pass forward for Leao, whose shot was blocked away by Huff. Koehler tried to clear the ball, but it was a poor attempt, going right to Sarajian. The rookie volleyed the ball past Huff to give his team the 3-2 lead.
In the 54th minute, Haruna made a strong run into the Chattanooga third of the field. The midfielder had Gomez making an overlapping run but cut inside to shoot himself. The attacker fired — looking for his second long-distance goal of the night — but sent the attempt right to Huff.
A Gomez foul in the 56th minute gave Chattanooga a free kick that provided an opportunity for another equalizer. Himes punched away the set piece by Mangarov over a group of players. It went to Barker John, who forced Himes into a quick reaction save, diving to make the stop. The block went to Cohen on the far side, whose shot was blocked by Leao. Rhein headed away the ensuing free kick to the near post.
OCB quickly went on the counterattack as Guske tapped the ball forward. Huff blocked a shot by Leao from the top of the box, but it went right to Haruna. The midfielder attempted to dribble around Huff, allowing the goalkeeper to knock it off his foot. The Young Lions maintained possession, with Guske sending a cross to the far post, where Hylton was making a run. The teenager volleyed the ball past Huff and inside the far post to give the hosts a 4-2 lead.
Both teams made three changes immediately after the goal. Wilding replaced Haruna, Guske, and Sandy with Nicolas Bobea Torres, Jacob Ramirez, and Landon Okonski.
Now chasing the game, Chattanooga went on the offensive. In the 66th minute, Cohen lifted the ball into the box. Amoo-Mensah attempted to head it away but sent it to Anthony Garcia at the top of the 18. Despite a deflection, Himes was able to collect the second-half substitute’s shot.
Leao sent a good ball forward for Bobea Torres in the 69th minute and the substitute quickly played the ball central for Hylton. The goal scorer initially lost possession before shooting. Huff came off of his line to cut down Hylton’s angle, blocking the attempt with his legs.
Ramirez’s ensuing corner kick found Okonski’s head, but the center back’s redirection was wide, ending the threat.
Wilding made his fourth change in the 78th minute, replacing Rhein with Matthew Belgodere.
Shortly after coming on, Belgodere made his presence felt. He received a pass on the left in the 80th minute and immediately took on his defender. As the substitute beat Garcia and entered the box, he went down from a sliding challenge. Pavon pointed to the spot, giving OCB a chance to put the game away.
Leao stepped up to the spot for the penalty, sending Huff the wrong way to give his team a commanding 5-2 lead.
Barker John went on a run off the restart before Chikamso tripped him near the top of the OCB box. Robertson stepped up to take the free kick, sending his delivery around the five-man wall and just wide.
Wilding made his fifth and final change before the goal kick could be taken, replacing Amoo-Mensah with Nicolas Lasheras.
The Young Lions nearly scored a sixth in the 86th minute when a poor pass out of the back was blocked. Leao sent the ball forward for Sarajian with Hylton making a run on the right. Sarajian took the shot himself from the top of the box, sending his attempt wide.
Cohen dribbled into the OCB box in the 89th minute before Lasheras slid in and knocked the ball over the end line. The short corner resulted in a give-and-go between Cohen and Sorenson, sending Cohen behind Lasheras. The attacker could’ve gone down as Lasheras challenged him, but stayed on his feet and forced Himes into a one-handed save. The block went right back to Cohen, whose first touch was a second shot. But Himes got down to block the ball over the end line with his right leg.
The second corner kick was cleared, allowing OCB to retain its three-goal lead.
The Young Lions went the other way with Leao playing a ball to Sarajian as he entered the Chattanooga third of the field. The midfielder took an ambitious shot from outside the box that forced Huff to block the ball rather than catch it.
Chattanooga was unable to clear the ball, with Lasheras winning it back. The defender laid it off for Ramirez, who was unhappy with his ball forward for Leao. However, it went through several players for Hylton behind the back line. Unfortunately, Hylton wasn’t expecting the ball, resulting in a poor touch that allowed Huff to come out and collect.
In the third minute of stoppage time, Barker John found Alex McGrath in the box. The substitute shot from short distance that Bobea Torres was able to block. Himes caught the ensuing set piece, ending the attack.
The final chance of the game came in the sixth minute of stoppage time when Cohen received a pass on the left. The attacker cut inside, looking to end the game on a high, and took a shot from distance. However, he wasn’t able to curl the ball as he wanted, sending his attempt well wide of the far post.
Chattanooga took more shots (20-19) in this game, but OCB put more chances on target (11-8). The Young Lions also had better passing accuracy (86.5%-83.7%) with both teams winning six corner kicks on the night.
The win lifts OCB into fourth place in MLS NEXT Pro’s Eastern Conference, just a point behind Columbus Crew 2 for third and two points behind New York Red Bulls II for second. Having won three of their last four games, the Young Lions are now just five points behind Crown Legacy FC, which tops the conference with 27 points.
The Young Lions will look to extend their winning streak as they welcome Carolina Core FC to Kissimmee on June 7.
Orlando City B
Orlando City B vs. New England Revolution II: Final Score 1-0 as Young Lions Fall On Late Goal
A last-minute goal helped by two Young Lions taking each other out of the play led to OCB’s loss to New England Revolution II in Rhode Island.
Orlando City B (3-3-4, 16 points) fell 1-0 today to New England Revolution II (5-2-3, 20 points) at Beirne Stadium in Smithfield, RI. Both teams struggled to hit the target throughout the game, allowing Judah Siqueira to score the game winner in the dying moments.
OCB Head Coach Eddie Wilding made two changes from the team that won 2-0 over Atlanta United 2 on May 10. Titus Sandy, Jr., Landon Okonski, Jacob Ramirez, and Matthew Belgodere entered the lineup, replacing Colin Guske, Tahir Reid-Brown, Gustavo Caraballo, and Harvey Sarajian.
Goalkeeper Luca Maxim started behind a back line of Bernardo Rhein, Sandy, Okonski, and Parker Amoo-Mensah. Ramirez and Dylan Judelson were in the defensive midfield behind Belgodere, Ignacio Gomez, and Issah Haruna with Pedro Leao up top.
This was a game of missed chances for both teams. They only put a combined four shots on target, but it was worse for OCB. Gomez sent a weak shot to New England goalkeeper Donovan Parisian less than a minute into the game and the Young Lions didn’t have another shot on target for the remainder of the day. It looked like the game would go to penalties before a bad turnover near midfield gave Siqueira a chance to claim all three points for the hosts.
The Young Lions kicked off, sending the ball long and out of play. Their high press caused a turnover and the first chance inside the first minute. It started when Okonski sent the ball forward for Haruna, who laid it off for Gomez at the top of the New England box. The young attacker’s second touch was a shot that went straight to Parisian.
A turnover near midfield in the 17th minute gave the hosts their first chance of the game. Damario McIntosh carried the ball near the top of the OCB box before playing it forward for Malcolm Fry. With Rhein closing down on him, Fry fired for the near post where Maxim made the stop.
As the Young Lions looked to play the ball out of the back, they nearly gave away a goal when Ramirez played a weak pass back for Maxim. Javaun Mussenden raced Maxim to the free ball with the OCB goalkeeper getting there just in time to clear it.
In the 27th minute, OCB attempted a quick counterattack off a New England corner kick, which ended when a long ball forward by Haruna was too far ahead of Belgodere and went out of play. Revs II tried to play the ball out of the back, but Jake Shannon lost possession to Haruna in his own third. The attacker shot from just outside the box, with the low attempt rolling wide.
Revs II created an attack that resulted in a shot in the 38th minute when Fry found Shuma Sasaki at the top of the OCB box. The forward dribbled inside before shooting, but Amoo-Mensah blocked the attempt. New England’s appeal for a handball fell on deaf ears as referee Amin Hadzic said it hit his chest.
In the 42nd minute, Fry sent McIntosh into the OCB box on an overlap. The midfielder played a low cross that Rhein blocked out for a corner kick. Shannon headed down the ensuing set piece by Sasaki with Amoo-Mensah getting in the way. The ball fell for Cristiano Oliveira near the end line and the midfielder laid it back for Myles Morgan, but Ramirez blocked his shot, allowing OCB to clear it.
On the other end, Ramirez sent Belgodere down the left and into the Revs II box. Belgodere took on Gabriel Dahlin one-on-one, cutting inside to find space for a shot. However, his touch was a little too strong and Amoo-Mensah took possession. The right back fired from close range, but Shannon was there for the block.
That was the last first-half chance for either team as the game went into the break scoreless. It was an even first half with both teams taking four shots and putting one on target. The Young Lions had more crosses (4-0) and Revs II had the only two corner kicks. While OCB had nearly twice as many passes (341-188) as the opposition and better passing percentage (92.4%-86.2%), they were mostly played short and near midfield with neither team really threatening.
The hosts were on the front foot to start the second half. After taking 17 minutes to get their first shot of the game, they created one just two minutes into the second period of play. Oliveira received a pass entering the OCB third before playing it forward for Morgan. The attacker took a shot with space at the top of the box, sending his attempt well over the target.
Fry made a run to the end line in the 47th minute, playing a ball across that Okonski blocked out of play for a corner kick. Allan Oyirwoth flicked on the set piece delivery, which landed at Oliveira’s feet. The midfielder turned to shoot, but Okonski was there to block it.
OCB earned its first second-half chance in the 50th minute when Oyirwoth fouled Amoo-Mensah. The Young Lions took the set piece, with the ball eventually ending up with Haruna 25 yards away from the goal. The attacker took a shot from distance that just missed wide, though Parisian appeared to have it covered.
The Young Lions created a chance in the 57th minute as they worked the ball through the midfield. Haruna received a pass at the top of the box and laid it off for Gomez behind him. The attacking midfielder took a shot that was never going anywhere near the target, sailing well wide. However, it was the team’s best buildup in the early stages of the second half.
The attempt seemed to briefly unlock OCB’s attack. In the 59th minute, Oyirwoth’s heavy touch allowed Judelson to take possession. The defensive midfielder played it forward for Leao, who quickly sent the ball to his left for Belgodere. After dribbling inside, the midfielder unleashed a shot that went just over the crossbar.
New England tried to play out of the back, but was unsuccessful as Rhein intercepted McIntosh’s pass. The left back was initially looking to pass, but had so much space that he continued to carry it forward. Rhein ended up getting all the way into the box and let go a shot that bounced off the far post, the closest either team came to scoring before the 90th minute.
Wilding made his first change of the game in the 67th minute, replacing Ramirez with Caleb Trombino.
Jayden Da intercepted a poor pass by Amoo-Mensah in the 69th minute and found Carlos Zambrano near the top of the box, who played it inside for Morgan. The midfielder turned to shoot with a defender on his hip, sending the attempt wide of the target.
Wilding made his second and third changes in the 72nd minute, replacing Sandy and Leao with Clovis Archange and Logan Tsopanoglou.
OCB won the ball in its own box off a New England throw-in in the 74th minute, but Trombino lost it right back to Da. Zambrano took possession and shot from the top of the box, forcing Maxim into a rare save. The rebound fell to Morgan, whose shot from the same spot went wide of the target.
A New England clearance in the 76th minute off a Rhein cross fell to Haruna, whose shot went right to Trombino. A heavy touch by the substitute resulted in a race between Trombino and Parisian that the Revs II goalkeeper got to first.
Wilding made his final two changes in the 83rd minute, replacing Haruna and Amoo-Mensah with Jaylen Yearwood and Justin Hylton.
OCB appeared to have a chance in the 88th minute when Rhein blocked a McIntosh pass and went the other way. The left back played it forward for Hylton, who found Gomez at the top of the New England box. But the young attacker lost control of the ball before he could get a shot off.
As the game entered stoppage time, the hosts found the winning goal. Yearwood tried to lay the ball off for Okonski, but it was too soft and Siqueira took possession. Chasing the opponent, Yearwood and Okonski ran into each other, taking each other out of the play and igniting the New England counter.
Siqueira made a long run into the OCB box. The teenager did well to shoot before Judelson could reach him, putting it past Maxim to give Revs II the late 1-0 lead.
The Young Lions desperately pushed forward, looking to find an equalizer. Belgodere won a corner kick in the third minute of stoppage time and Maxim came forward. Revs II cleared and it looked like the hosts would have a free shot on an empty goal, but Hazdic said the corner kick went out of play and awarded a goal kick instead.
OCB had a late minute of possession around the New England area but turned down numerous opportunities to send in a cross. Eventually, the Young Lions lost possession without even making a cross attempt.
At full time, Revs II had tallied more shots (12-10), shots on target (3-1), and corner kicks (5-4). The Young Lions attempted more crosses (5-2) and passed more accurately (89.7%-85.2%), but it wasn’t enough as they dropped all three points.
The loss ends a four-game points streak that dates back to the team’s 3-1 loss to Chattanooga FC on April 11. The result sees OCB sit in seventh in MLS NEXT Pro’s Eastern Conference, two points out of fifth and three points out of fourth.
The Young Lions will look to bounce back on May 24 when they return home to face Inter Miami II at Osceola County Stadium.
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