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Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Charlotte Independence: Final Score 3-1 as Lions’ Streak Snapped

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9 years ago

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In its first game after a two-week break, Orlando City B hosted the Charlotte Independence. OCB scored first, but was unable to capitalize on its opportunities as the young Lions fell to Charlotte, 3-1, in front of 1,098 fans.

Kevin Alston and Rafael Ramos continued their returns from injury, both earning a start for Anthony Pulis. Conor Donovan and Zach Carroll completed the back line in front of Earl Edwards Jr. Pierre Da Silva, Tony Rocha, Lewis Neal, and Danny Deakin lined up left to right in the four-man midfield, with Richie Laryea up top beneath Albert Dikwa.

Orlando City B (3-4-3, 12 points) started the game strong, holding onto the ball well. In possession, the young Lions quickly got down the field, but remained patient in the final third. This allowed OCB to get two chances in the first five minutes. 

On the other side, Charlotte (3-2-2, 11 points) was very compact, allowing the young Lions to play with the ball. The game plan for the Independence was to sit back and wait for OCB to make a mistake, and then quickly go on the counter. This nearly worked in the 11th minute, but Enzo Martinez’s cross was too long and Edwards Jr. just had to watch the ball go harmlessly wide. 

The first yellow card of the match came in the 14th minute. OCB defended a corner, and Deakin jumped on the ball and immediately went on the counter. Seeing that his team was without numbers back, Donald Smith grabbed and held Deakin’s shirt to stop the midfielder in his tracks. 

In the 20th minute, Rocha had the heads-up play of the game to find Pierre Da Silva. After receiving the ball, Da Silva then played the perfect through ball to Albert Dikwa, who easily beat goalkeeper Cody Mizell to put the young Lions up, 1-0. 

Four minutes later, Deakin nearly made something out of nothing. From about 25 yards out, Deakin took a left-footed crack that forced Mizell to make a fingertip save. On the ensuing corner kick, Ramos put a ball in that found Da Silva. Da Silva passed it in to Carroll, who couldn't get the shot off but instead won another corner. Ramos again took the corner that was defended by Charlotte, but, on the second ball in, Ramos’ cross just missed the diving head of Donovan. 

“For the first 40 minutes it was probably the best we played since opening charge of OCB, to be honest,” Anthony Pulis said. “The football was sharp, we moved it really well, the passing was crisp, we got players in good spaces in between lines, lots of efforts on goal. I thought there was only one team that was going to go on to win it.”

Charlotte found the equalizer in the 40th minute. Alex Martinez dribbled the ball down the left hand side of the box. He put the cross in that fell right to the feet of David Estrada. Estrada flicked the ball past Edwards, who looked as if he might not have seen the ball coming. 

Things went from bad to worse very quickly for the young Lions. Jorge Herrera took the ball about 30 yards from goal, made one move and completely faked out Carroll. Getting into the box, OCB recovered well but Herrera found an open Enzo Martinez. Martinez took the shot, but Donovan was there. Unfortunately, Donovan’s clearance attempt went straight into the back of his own net. Martinez was awarded the goal, but it looked an own-goal. 

“We started the game very well; I think that probably the first 30-35 minutes was the best soccer we played all year,” Carroll said. “We gave up two goals that is very easy to fix. Its a bummer and it just kinda took the wind out of the sails for us at halftime.”

The half ended with the Independence up, 2-1. OCB held 56% possession, took six shots, and had an impressive 87% passing accuracy, but Charlotte’s only two shots both found the back of the net.

To start the second half, OCB made one personnel change. Zach Ellis-Hayden was brought on for Alston at left back. The Lions’ play much faster and direct in the opening minutes as it seemed Anthony Pulis was clearly not happy with his team’s first half performance.

“[At halftime] we just kinda reiterated what we were doing well for the first 38 minutes, and asked them to go do the same again,” said Pulis. “It was important to come off the blocks firing, but I don’t think we started the second half nearly as well as we did the first half.”

It was not enough though as Herrera’s header found the back of the net in the 51st minute. With that goal, Herrera moved to second on the all-time USL goal-scoring list. 

Pulis responded to his team being down 3-1 by adding another forward. Michael Cox came on for Laryea in the 53rd minute as OCB moved into a 4-4-2. 

Things looked promising leading up to the 61st minute. The Lions held possession in the final third and Charlotte struggled to regain shape. The ball found Rocha on the top of the box, who gave it up for Da Silva. Rocha’s ball was too hard, though, and Charlotte won a goal kick.

OCB nearly pulled one back as the game was expiring. In the 80th minute, Deakin put a beautiful ball into the box, aiming for the back post. Three Charlotte defenders whiffed on the clearance attempt, but so did Cox. That was Deakin’s last touch of the game, and young David Loera entered, replacing the Orlando City draft pick. 

This brought some life back into the Lions, and in the 85th minute Rocha found some space in the box. His cross in went straight into the defender, and Mizell caught the ensuing corner. This was followed up by a Loera volley attempt, three Ramos crosses, and four Charlotte breakaway attempts, as OCB threw men forward in a desperate attempt to salvage some points. It came to no avail however, and the young Lions lost the second of its three scheduled matches to the Independence. 

Deakin was also upbeat about his team’s first-half performance, calling it “some of the best football we’ve played all season,” but described the Lions as “flat” for the second 45.

“We couldn’t connect passes, we got into the final third and we weren’t effective. We put crosses in the box, and we weren’t getting on the end of crosses,” he said.

The young Lions are back in action again on June 3 as they travel to Pittsburgh to face the Riverhounds.  They will be without midfielder Richie Laryea,

Starting XI: Earl Edwards, Jr.; Kevin Alston (Zach Ellis-Hayden – 45’), Conor Donovan, Zach Carroll, Rafael Ramos; Tony Rocha, Lewis Neal (c), Pierre Da Silva, Richie Laryea (Michael Cox – 53’), Danny Deakin (David Loera – 81’); Albert Dikwa.

Unused Subs: Jake Fenlason, Jordan Schweitzer, Moussa Sane, Austin Martz.

Goals:  ORL – Dikwa (20’); CLT – Estrada (40’), E. Martinez (45’), Herrera (51’).

Yellow Cards:  ORL – Laryea (53’), Rocha (78’); CLT – Smith (14’), A. Martinez (28’), Ross (42’), Johnson (69’).

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Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Huntsville City FC: Final Score 1-0 as Young Lions Listless In Home Loss

The Young Lions were embarrassed at home by Huntsville City FC.

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1 week ago

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July 26, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B

Orlando City B (8-5-7, 35 points) was completely shut down tonight, falling 1-0 to Huntsville City FC (7-7-5, 28 points) at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee. The lone goal came from Zidane Yanez in the 64th minute, one of the game’s few decent chances.

OCB Head Coach Eddie Wilding made three changes to the team that drew 1-1 with Chattanooga FC on July 18. Parker Amoo-Mensah, Albright Chikamso, and Landon Okonski replaced Titus Sandy, Jr., Clovis Archange, and Dylan Judelson.

The back line in front of goalkeeper Juan Rojas was made up of Tahir Reid-Brown, Chikamso, Okonski, and Amoo-Mensah. Ignacio Gomez and Caleb Trombino were the defensive midfielders behind Gustavo Caraballo, Issah Haruna, and Matthew Belgodere with Pedro Leao up top.

Despite the narrow scoreline, this was probably OCB’s worst performance of the season. The Young Lions weren’t able to get anything going offensively, taking just three shots and failing to put any on target. A 47th-minute blocked shot from Leao was OCB’s last chance of the game. The goal by Yanez was all that Huntsville needed to claim all three points.

The visitors had the first chance of the game when former Lion Thomas Williams took the ball off Leao’s foot and charged into the OCB third of the field. The OCB striker stuck his leg out in an attempt to win the ball back, tripping Williams and earning a yellow card.

Charles Brunet stepped up to take the set piece and went for goal. However, he sent his attempt high and wide of the target.

Amoo-Mensah tried to play the ball forward down the right in the ninth minute, but Reed Baker-Whiting blocked the ball, allowing Jordan Knight to take possession. The attacker tried to split Okonski and Amoo-Mensah, but Okonski knocked the ball out of play for a corner kick.

Amoo-Mensah cleared the ensuing set piece, but only to Aiden Jarvis at the top of the box. The forward volleyed the ball without getting much on it, allowing Rojas to make the easy save.

In the 12th minute, Belgodere split his defenders, attempting to enter the box from the right before Knight tripped him. Amoo-Mensah took the free kick, sending a hard shot towards the far post that went wide.

Huntsville nearly opened the scoring in the 22nd minute when Baker-Whiting sent Maximus Ekk past midfield on the right side. Baker-Whiting continued his run and Ekk found him as he neared the six-yard box. Fortunately, his shot with the outside of his right foot hit the outside of the net.

OCB had trouble keeping possession in its own third and turned it over again in the 39th minute. Brunet touched the ball off of Amoo-Mensah’s foot to Williams before receiving it back. The midfielder carried the ball to the top of the box before unleashing a shot that Rojas handled with ease.

Nigel Prince played a long diagonal ball for Knight on the left in the 41st minute. The attacker controlled the pass before laying it off for Baker-Whiting, who appeared to have enough space for a shot. However, he curled the ball so much that it went out of play for a throw-in.

After 45 minutes, Huntsville had the advantage in shots (6-2), shots on target (2-0), corner kicks (2-1), and passing accuracy (90.9%-88.8%). While the visitors had more chances and were closer to scoring, it was even at the break.

Haruna pushed Brunet off the ball in the 47th minute and darted into the Huntsville third of the field. He played it to his right for Leao before making a run between Prince and Williams. However, Leao continued with the ball to the top of the box before taking a shot that Prince blocked.

The ensuing short corner to Amoo-Mensah was crossed into the box. But the right back put too much on it, sending the ball beyond everyone and out of play.

Prince lifted the ball from midfield into the OCB box in the 53rd minute. Ekk headed it down for halftime substitute Malachi Molina, who volleyed it to the near post. Rojas did well to dive to his right, tipping it wide. The short corner ended up with Jarvis, but Trombino got in front of the attempt, allowing the Young Lions to clear.

Brunet received a pass entering the OCB third in the 62nd minute. He briefly lost possession, but got it right back and fired off a shot that sailed off target.

Wilding made his first change in the 63rd minute, replacing Gomez with Nicolas Lasheras. At the same time, Huntsville replaced Ekk with Yanez.

It was an inspired substitution by the visitors, as Yanez scored less than a minute after coming on. Quick passing saw Molina send Misei Yohizawa behind the back line. The attacker was able to cross the ball before it crossed the end line, finding Yanez right in front of goal. The 18-year-old attacker tapped it past Rojas to give Huntsville the 1-0 lead.

Now chasing the game, Wilding made three more changes in the 70th minute. Justin Hylton, Nicolas Bobea Torres, and Sandy entered the contest, replacing Caraballo, Trombino, and Chikamso.

With the Young Lions still unable to create anything in the attack, Wilding made his final change in the 81st minute, replacing Okonski with Brady Kendall.

Huntsville did well to keep control of the game while OCB searched for a goal. During one of the team’s few trips into the opposing third, Belgodere went down near the edge of the box, but referee Carlos Rodriguez saw it as a clean challenge.

The only shot for either team in the final 25 minutes was a Xavier Aguilar attempt from the top of the box in the first minute of stoppage time. However, Amoo-Mensah got in front, ensuring it didn’t go anywhere near Rojas’ goal.

The Young Lions had a final chance on a corner in the dying seconds, sending everyone — including Rojas — into the box. But Huntsville headed it away, securing the win away from home.

At full time, Huntsville had the edge in shots (13-3), shots on target (4-0), corner kicks (4-3), and passing accuracy (89.2%-87.7%). It was a deserved loss for OCB, which was lucky to lose by such a narrow margin.

OCB settles into fifth place in MLS NEXT Pro’s Eastern Conference after 20 games. The Young Lions are two points ahead of Atlanta United 2 and three points ahead of Red Bull New York II. However, they sit one point behind New England Revolution II, two behind Chattanooga FC, four behind Columbus Crew 2, and five behind league-leading Crown Legacy FC. So, the Young Lions could still challenge for the top spot or cling to one of the final playoff spots, depending on how they perform in the upcoming games.

The Young Lions will have to forget this one as they head back out on the road, taking on Connecticut United FC Saturday night.

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Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. FC Cincinnati 2: Final Score 2-1 as OCB Claims Three Road Points

OCB claimed a hard-fought road victory at Cincinnati 2 `in Northern Kentucky.

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3 weeks ago

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July 12, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B

Orlando City B (8-4-6, 33 points) defeated FC Cincinnati 2 (4-12-1, 14 points) 2-1 today at NKU Soccer Stadium in Highland Heights, KY. Issah Haruna gave the Young Lions the early lead, but Deiver Mosquera equalized in the 63rd minute. The deciding goal came from Matthew Belgodere in the 75th minute, securing the win.

OCB Head Coach Eddie Wilding made four changes to the team that drew Crown Legacy FC 1-1 on July 5. Landon Okonski, Tahir Reid-Brown, Caleb Trombino, and Belgodere entered the lineup, replacing Titus Sandy Jr., Bernardo Rhein, Dylan Judelson, and Harvey Sarajian.

Juan Rojas started in goal behind a back line of Reid-Brown, Clovis Archange, Okonski, and Parker Amoo-Mensah. Caleb Trombino and Ignacio Gomez were the defensive midfielders behind Belgodere, Haruna, and Gustavo Caraballo with Pedro Leao up top.

The Young Lions created the game’s first chance in the third minute when Caraballo intercepted a poor touch by Cincinnati in the OCB third of the field. The midfielder carried the ball into the opposing half and tried to play Leao through. Sami Lachekar got in the way, but the deflection went directly to Belgodere behind the back line. Goalkeeper Fabian Mrozek came off his line to cut down Belgodere’s angle and the midfielder waited too long, allowing Felix Samson to get back and block the shot.

Cincinnati had its first chance in the seventh minute when Trombino’s poor cross-field pass intended for Caraballo was touched by Charlie Holmes and collected by Mathias Vasquez. The forward sent Kristian Fletcher into the OCB third before Archange caught up in the box. The center back was able to tap the ball away, but it went to Holmes, but Okonski blocked his first-touch shot.

OCB had another chance in the 10th minute when Rojas senta short pass to Archange. The center back sent a long ball forward. Camden Sphire was the first to it, but the ball glanced off his head and got behind him. Haruna was there to collect and was in alone on goal. However, as Ayoub Laihar got back to provide pressure, Mrozek did well to get down and block the shot from the top of the box.

The Young Lions created a third chance in the 16th minute and finally converted. This time it was a long ball from Rojas that cleared three defenders and Belgodere, landing perfectly for Haruna. The midfielder did well with this one, striking the ball with his left foot and putting it in off the inside of the post at the far corner to give OCB a 1-0 lead.

Rojas’ assist was only the second by an OCB goalkeeper in the team’s nine-year history. The only one previously was on June 5, 2016, when Mark Ridgers assisted Michael Cox in the final minutes of a 4-3 loss to Louisville City FC.

In the 26th minute, Samson played a weak ball for Leonardo Oreiarena that Gomez intercepted. The Young Lions had numbers going forward, so Gomez sent Leao into the final third. The striker continued the ball wide left for Belgodere, who cut inside before shooting. However, there were three defenders around him and Samson blocked Belgodere’s shot.

Cincinnati came forward in the 28th minute when Stefan Charila sent Mosquera down the right. Reid-Brown defended the right back, forcing him to cut back and play it to Charila’s trailing run to the top of the box. The midfielder dribbled inside to find space and sent a shot through multiple defenders, but it was right at Rojas.

Gomez tried to flick the ball over his head in the 37th minute to beat Sphire but lost control. Sphire took possession and played it through Charila to Mosquera on the right with Reid-Brown on him. A quick cut inside gave Mosquera enough space for a shot that was right at Rojas.

Less than a minute later, Vasquez made a strong run into the OCB third, working hard to keep Archange from the ball. He played it centrally for Kristian Fletcher, who sent a right-footed shot toward goal. Since Fletcher’s shot was in the opposite direction he was moving, Rojas was leaning the wrong way. But he dove to his right and tipped the ball wide with a fantastic save, the first time he was challenged in the game.

Cincinnati finished the first half with more shots (5-4) and put more on target (3-2), but only one of those shots challenged Rojas. Meanwhile, OCB had more crosses (3-2) and better passing accuracy (86.3%-83.8%), and both teams won one corner kick in the first 45 minutes.

OCB got the second half off to an attacking start, creating the first chance in the 49th minute. Gomez lifted the ball to the right for Caraballo, who had plenty of space as he entered the Cincinnati box. The attacker opened up and attempted to curl the ball around Mrozek, but Holmes blocked the shot over the crossbar.

Reid-Brown sent a long ball down the left in the 58th minute for Belgodere. Caraballo was calling for the ball as he made a run down the middle into acres of space, and Belgodere eventually found him at the top of the box. However, Caraballo scuffed his shot weakly right at Mrozek, causing no trouble for the goalkeeper.

Shortly after the chance, Wilding made his first substitution of the game. Judelson, who usually starts but was on the bench for this game, came on for Trombino.

OCB created a chance in the 63rd minute when Leao found Belgodere to his left. The midfielder had plenty of space and fired off a hard shot that forced Mrozek to block away.

Cincinnati quickly went the other way and found the equalizer. With Okonski backpedaling, Mosquera made a long run into the OCB box before shooting past the sliding center back. The attempt was just beyond the reach of Rojas and off the inside of the post to even the game at 1-1.

The Young Lions tried to retake the lead in the 70th minute when Haruna carried the ball into the Cincinnati third before sending it wide for Belgodere. The midfielder played it centrally for Caraballo, but Samson blocked the shot. OCB kept possession, creating another opportunity. Okonski played the ball to Caraballo in the middle and he quickly found Leao just inside the box. The striker’s second touch was a shot that Samson deflected, allowing Mrozek to make the easy stop.

Wilding made two more changes in the 72nd minute, replacing Amoo-Mensah and Haruna with Sandy and Hylton.

The Young Lions finally retook the lead in the 75th minute. Caraballo made a long run from his own third into the Cincinnati third before sending it wide for Belgodere. The left-sided midfielder cut inside to lose his defender and beat Mrozek to the far post to give OCB the 2-1 lead.

The hosts nearly found another equalizer in the 83rd minute when Charila was sent down the right. Archange was on him and defended him physically, but Charila refused to go down the defender tapped the ball off his foot. Unfortunately, the Young Lions were slow getting back and it went right to Jack Mize. Okonski deflected Mize’s shot just wide of the far post.

Wilding made his final two changes in the 84th minute as Nicolas Bobea Torres and Brady Kendall came on for Leao and Caraballo.

Cincinnati came close again in the 85th minute when Samson played a ball wide for Nathan Gray. The second-half substitute sent a dangerous ball into the six-yard box with Mosquera making a run. Fortunately, it was just beyond Mosquera’s reach and skipped wide of the far post.

In the 89th minute, Chance Malilo played a short pass for Leonardo Oreiarena, who wasn’t closed down and took a shot from distance. It was a strong strike and on target, but went right to Rojas, failing to cause the OCB goalkeeper any trouble.

The Young Lions were defending for their lives as the game entered five minutes of stoppage time. In the final minute, Reid-Brown lifted the ball to the top of the six-yard box for Torres. He was behind his defender but couldn’t get over the ball, putting it over the crossbar.

At full time, OCB had more shots (12-10), shots on target (6-5), and better passing accuracy (87.3%-84.2%). Both teams ended the game with five crosses and two corner kicks.

The victory ends OCB’s three-game winless streak, but since the last matches were draws, the Young Lions are now unbeaten in three. The win also pushes them up to third place in MLS NEXT Pro’s Eastern Conference, just one point behind Crown Legacy FC and Columbus Crew 2, though those teams have a game in hand. They’re also only three points ahead of Atlanta United 2 for seventh, so they need positive results in their upcoming games.

The Young Lions will end their three-game road trip on Saturday as they travel to Tennessee to take on Chattanooga FC.

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Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Crown Legacy FC: Final Score 1-1 as OCB Draws And Loses Shootout For Second Consecutive Game

OCB drew 1-1 with Crown Legacy away from home before losing the penalty shootout.

Published

4 weeks ago

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July 5, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B

Orlando City B (7-4-6, 30 points) drew 1-1 tonight with Crown Legacy FC (8-2-6, 34 points) at the Sportsplex at Matthews in North Carolina tonight. Nimfasha Berchimas gave the visitors the lead in the second half before Dylan Judelson equalized just minutes later. The hosts subsequently won the penalty shootout 4-2 to take the extra point.

OCB Head Coach Eddie Wilding made just one change from the team that drew 2-2 with Columbus Crew 2 on June 28 and lost 5-4 on penalties. Ignacio Gomez entered the lineup, replacing Matthew Belgodere, who started on the bench.

The back line in front of goalkeeper Juan Rojas included Bernardo Rhein, Clovis Archange, Titus Sandy, Jr., and Parker Amoo-Mensah. Judelson and Gomez were in the defensive midfield behind Harvey Sarajian, Issah Haruna, and Gustavo Caraballo with Pedro Leao up top.

This was a pretty even game throughout. Both teams squandered plenty of opportunities before Berchimas finally converted in the 66th minute. But that seemed to spark the Young Lions as Judelson equalized just three minutes later. The teams could see three points in their future and pushed for a late winner with neither finding the back of the net.

The hosts had the first chance of the game in the fourth minute when Sandy deflected Berchimas’ cross out of play. The ensuing set piece went short to Berchimas, but Rhein blocked his shot from the top corner of the box.

The Young Lions should have taken the lead in the seventh minute when Haruna and Amoo-Mensah worked together, resulting in the latter sending a low cross across the box. It went through multiple players before landing at Sarajian’s feet at the back post with no defenders near and a gaping net. However, the attacker’s first touch was wide of the post.

OCB nearly had a goal in the 14th minute when Judelson used a nice touch to lose his defender and create space. He sent Haruna into the attacking half with Sarajian and Leao making runs. It looked like Haruna waited too long and then played it too far in front of Leao. But the striker beat Crown Legacy goalkeeper Lazar Kalicanin to the ball, tapping it around him. He had an open goal but hit the outside of the post.

Brian Romero played a great ball behind the OCB back line in the 24th minute when Nathan Richmond made a run between Sandy and Rhein. The attacker was in on goal and sent the ball past Rojas, but it rolled wide of the far post. A minute later, Crown Legacy had a similar attack when Aron John sent Adrian Mendoza between Sandy and Archange. Rojas came out of his goal to cut down the angle, forcing Mendoza to send his shot wide.

OCB tried to play the ball out of the back in the 28th minute, but Daniel Longo blocked Archange’s pass and John collected it. The midfielder played it forward for Mendoza, who sent a low, hard shot that forced Rojas into a quality save.

In the 43rd minute, Gavin Smith played a good ball to the top of the six-yard box where Romero was making a run. Archange did well to get his foot on the ball, clearing it out of play for a throw-in. When the ball was put back in play, Romero received a pass at the top of the OCB box, playing it to Richmond toward the end line. The attacker found Mendoza at the top of the six with some space, but his shot was wide.

Crown Legacy ended the half with more shots (5-3), shots on target (1-0), and corner kicks (2-1). OCB had better passing accuracy (93.4%-91.8%) and both teams completed three crosses. While there were several clear chances on goal, neither team was able to convert.

The Young Lions were the more attacking team to start the second half, with Caraballo creating a pair of early chances. In the 48th minute, Gomez made a run into the opposing third before finding Caraballo at the top of the box. The attacker attempted to curl the ball toward goal, but Wyatt Holt deflected it out of play.

A minute later, Amoo-Mensah made his way to the right side of the field, receiving a pass forward from Rhein. The right back quickly played Caraballo into the Crown Legacy third and the attacker shot from a tight angle before reaching the end line. However, it didn’t cause any trouble for Kalicanin.

The Young Lions broke on a counterattack in the 55th minute when Haruna won the ball from Longo on the opposing side of the field. He played Leao forward and made a run, but Leao’s shot from distance was blocked, ending a promising attack.

The hosts had their first second-half chance in the 59th minute when Sarajian fouled Mendoza near the top of the OCB box. Mendoza took the free kick himself, going directly for goal. Fortunately, he couldn’t keep the free kick down and the shot went over the crossbar.

Holt won Rojas’ punt from just inside his own box in the 66th minute, resulting in a break for the hosts. Mendoza sent the ball out to his right before receiving it back near the top of the six-yard box. Archange blocked Mendoza’s shot, but it went right to Berchimas, who put it in to give Crown Legacy the 1-0 lead.

Immediately after the goal, Wilding made his first two changes, replacing Leao and Gomez with Justin Hylton and Belgodere.

The Young Lions didn’t wait to get back into the game, finding the equalizer shortly after the restart. In the 68th minute, Mikah Thomas blocked Caraballo’s cross out of play. Caraballo and Amoo-Mensah used some quick passing from the short corner to break through the defense, resulting in the latter finding Judelson near the penalty spot. The defensive midfielder finished well, evening the game at 1-1.

In the 75th minute, Longo was sent to the end line and tried to lift a cross into the six-yard box, but Archange blocked it out of play. Richmond’s ensuing set piece found substitute Michael Ayovi’s head. However, Rojas was there to make the catch.

Haruna was dispossessed in the 85th minute and the ball rolled toward Kalicanin. Sarajian attempted to beat Kalicanin to the ball and nearly did, but the goalkeeper got to it first. The clearance went to Gomez, who passed to Caraballo at the top of the box. The attacker tried to create some space but his shot was blocked.

Wilding made his third change and used his second window in the 88th minute, replacing Caraballo with Nicolas Bobea Torres.

Belgodere sent a pass to the top of the box in the 89th minute that bounced off Sarajian, Haruna, and a defender before slipping through. Belgodere continued his run and was in on goal, attempting to beat Kalicanin to the far post. However, the Crown Legacy goalkeeper got a piece of it, tipping it wide.

In the fifth minute of stoppage time, Bobea Torres received a pass from Hylton at the top of the box, dribbling inside to find space for a shot. However, his attempt was deflected into Kalicanin’s arms. The referee blew the final whistle before the goalkeeper released the ball, ending the game.

At full time, OCB had the edge in shots (13-11), shots on target (4-3), corner kicks (5-3), and passing accuracy (90.6%-90.5%). Crown Legacy had more crosses (4-3) and the game ended in a 1-1 draw.

Per MLS NEXT Pro rules, each team received a point for the draw and the game went to penalties to see which would earn an extra point.

Crown Legacy was the better team in penalties. Rojas guessed correctly on Erik Pena’s penalty, but the substitute put his attempt into the corner. Rhein then stepped up, stutter-stepping as he approached the ball, but Kalicanin was disciplined and dove to his left to make the stop. John, Sarajian, Sebastian Ventura, Hylton, and Ayovi then traded conversions before Judelson stepped up, needing to score. While he had a good strike in regulation, his penalty was taken poorly, providing an easy save by Kalicanin to win the shootout and take the extra point.

The draw sees OCB stay in sixth place, a point behind fourth and two behind third. However, the shootout point saw the Young Lions lose another point to Crown Legacy, so they’re now four points out of second and first in MLS NEXT Pro’s Eastern Conference.

The Young Lions will stay out on the road as they face FC Cincinnati 2 in Kentucky on July 12.

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