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Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. New England Revolution II: Final Score 2-1 as Young Lions Drop Another Road Match

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Despite Jack Lynn scoring his league-leading ninth goal of the season, Orlando City B (2-5-3, 11 points) fell 2-1 to New England Revolution II (7-2-2, 24 points) at Gillette Stadium tonight in MLS NEXT Pro action. Goals by Noel Buck and Marcos Dias lifted Revs II to the win.

OCB Head Coach Martin Perelman displayed almost an identical lineup to the team’s draw with NYCFC II last weekend. The only difference was the insertion of Alejandro Granados for Nick Taylor. As a result, the team had Javier Otero in goal, Ignacio Galvan, Brandon Hackenberg, Andrew Forth, and Owen Van Marter across the back, David Boccuzzo, Erick Gunera, and Granados in the midfield, and Moises Tablante, Lynn, and Victor Yan as the forwards.

The hosts got off to a strong start, creating the first chance inside the first minute. Despite OCB kicking off, Michel won the ball and found Esmir Bajraktarevic working his way through the OCB back line. The dangerous Homegrown striker got a shot off but it was deflected wide of the target.

Just five minutes into the game, New England got its first goal. A throw-in was quickly played forward by Michel for Buck, who was splitting two defenders. Nobody picked up the forward, instead anticipating a pass, and he beat Otero to the near post for the opening goal.

The OCB players were unhappy about something leading up to the goal and surrounded the referee. The disagreement resulted in Otero receiving a booking, something that became common as the game went on.

The Young Lions nearly equalized in the ninth minute. Despite no one in white anywhere near Tablante’s cross, Pierre Cayet knocked the ball out for a corner. The ensuing set piece was taken by Granados and found the head of Hackenberg. His header was directed toward the corner of the goal but went just wide of the post.

The Revs nearly doubled their lead in the 29th minute when Dias got behind the OCB back line, creating a breakaway on goal. However, as he’s done countless times this year, Otero did well to close down the attacker and got low to make the stop with his legs.

Just a minute later, the Young Lions thought they had a breakaway of their own when Lynn was sent through by Tablante. Unfortunately, the linesman’s flag was up as the OCB striker was judged to be offside.

Ryan Lima attempted a shot from distance in the 33rd minute. However, he was shooting on one of the best goalkeepers in the league and the attempt caused no trouble for Otero.

The Young Lions had a great chance in the 38th minute when Lynn geared up to shoot and was hit from behind by Jake Rozhansky. It created a free kick for OCB at the top of the penalty arc and the best opportunity to that point. Lynn took a low shot that went below the wall, but it was to the center of the goal and right at goalkeeper Jacob Jackson.

The hosts controlled most of the first half, ending the period with more possession (51.2%-48.8%), shots (5-2), shots on goal (4-1), crosses (7-4), duels won (22-20), and tackles won (7-5). However, the teams’ passing accuracy was nearly identical, with OCB having a slight advantage (83.8%-83.1%). Additionally, OCB had more corners (3-1) in the first 45 minutes.

OCB almost scored in the first minute of the second half. A quick build-up allowed Gunera to find Lynn making a run behind the Revs’ back line. It was a better chance than any in the first half and Lynn got his shot on target, but Jackson made a great diving save to maintain the one-goal advantage.

It was a rare let-up by New England that allowed Lynn behind the defense and seemed to wake up the hosts. Following that chance, Revolution II immediately went back on the attack, creating multiple chances.

In the 49th minute, Bajraktarevic had some space on the left after Lima worked the ball across the field. The striker had enough space for a shot on target but didn’t hit it well, and it sailed high and wide of the target.

New England finally doubled its lead in the 56th minute. It started with a bad giveaway by Yan, allowing the Revs to break the other way. Lima took the first shot, which was blocked by Boccuzzo. However, it went right back to the attacker and he quickly played it over for Dias. Otero came out in an attempt to cut down the angle, but Dias was calm and collected, sliding it past the OCB goalkeeper to make it 2-0.

Tablante made a good run in the 60th minute, looking to get the Young Lions back into the game. He carried the ball to the end line, which he typically does before crossing it in. This time he decided to shoot from a tough angle and hit the side of the net.

An unexpected chance by Bajraktarevic nearly made it 3-0 three minutes later. Rather than crossing, the striker fired from the corner of the box. The curling shot beat a diving Otero but curled just wide of the far post. The Revs quickly won the ball back off the ensuing goal kick, creating an opportunity for Buck, but his shot was right at Otero, who had no trouble making the save.

OCB nearly caused a third Revs goal in the 66th minute when Tablante fouled Rozhansky just outside the box. Bajraktarevic took the free kick and put it on target, but Otero did well to cover his near post and dove to make the stop.

The hosts continued their barrage of chances in the 68th minute when Lima made a nice run, working his way into the OCB box. He attempted a shot from the right side of the 18, but it hit the side netting. Even if it had been on target, he was looking for the near post and Otero had it covered.

New England’s inability to finish had kept OCB in the game and the Young Lions got back to within a goal in the 71st minute. After a tussle to the right of goal, Yan won the ball and found Lynn near the top of the six-yard box. The OCB striker quickly shot but it was blocked.

The Young Lions won it back and a long diagonal ball found second-half substitute Mauro Bravo on the right side. His left-footed cross reached the head of Lynn, who found himself with some space behind two defenders. The striker flicked his header inside the far post, cutting the deficit to 2-1.

After Lynn had taken the league lead in goals last week, he was overtaken by Columbus Crew 2’s Jacen Russell-Rowe. His ninth goal of the year brought him back even with the Crew 2 forward at the top of the league’s goal-scoring list.

The goal also marked the fourth straight game in which Lynn has scored for OCB. It’s only the second time that an OCB player has scored in four consecutive games. Previously, Hadji Barry found the net in four straight games between Aug. 5-19, 2017.

The goal seemed to re-energize the Young Lions as they searched for an equalizer. They nearly found it in the 76th minute when a corner kick was redirected on goal. Unfortunately, it was just off target.

Bajraktarevic nearly responded for New England in the 78th minute from the corner of the box. This one was heading in, but Otero dove and got a finger to it, tipping it around the far post. The hosts came even closer in the 79th minute when Italo took a shot from outside the box. This one beat Otero but went breathtakingly just wide of the post.

OCB broke the other way and had a great chance to equalize. A good run by Tablante allowed him to center the ball. It looked as though New England would clear, but the ball went right to Ethan Subachan near the penalty spot. The substitute’s first touch was a shot on goal but he got under it and the ball sailed over the crossbar.

Back the other way, Jack Panayotou got in on the end-to-end action. The Revs II substitute sent either a cross or a shot towards the far post. Regardless of the intent, it was a dangerous ball into the OCB six-yard box that should’ve been met by a back-post run. But no Revs players were there and OCB escaped the situation.

Bajraktarevic had an excellent opportunity in the 84th minute to put the game away when a nifty spin allowed him to lose his defender. He took the shot with his right foot, but got under it and the ball sailed high and wide of the target.

Despite leading by a goal, the late chances were all for New England. In the 88th minute, Meny Silva shot from the top of the box, but Otero was there to make the stop. A minute later, it was almost a disaster as a poor back pass rolled away from Otero. Heading beyond the far post, Otero raced to beat any Revolution II attackers to the ball. Fortunately, he just got the ball first, clearing it away.

New England won the clearance and continued to pressure the OCB back line. Hikaru Fujiwara  found free space without a defender in front of him and fired on goal. But Otero held his ground and made another quality save.

Two minutes into added time, a difficult task became nearly impossible when Fujiwara was fouled. It initially appeared as though it was a second yellow for Bravo. However, the referee issued a straight red card to Quembol Quadelupe, who had just come into the game. There wasn’t much OCB could do with just four minutes remaining and down a man. 

OCB had plenty of possession in this game (54.2%-45.8%) but it was the chances created that was the difference between the two teams. New England ended the game with far more shots (20-9) and shots on target (11-3) than OCB. Those stats eclipsed the fact that the Young Lions also had more corners (5-3), crosses (11-7), and a better passing accuracy (84.5%-81.5%).

The game would likely have been out of hand much earlier in the night if not for another great performance by Otero, who ended the game with nine saves. The number of stops matched his season high, which he previously recorded in the season opener against Chicago Fire II on March 26.


The loss places OCB in fourth in the Central Division and eighth in the Eastern Conference. The Young Lions will look to bounce back next Sunday afternoon in the second match of a four-game road trip, when they take on Crew 2 in Columbus, OH.

Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Huntsville City FC: Final Score 1-1 as Young Lions Claim Shootout Point Following Road Draw

The Young Lions are bringing five out of a possible six points home after a shootout win in Huntsville.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B

For the second straight game, OCB fell behind but came back to get a result. The Young Lions watched Joel Sangwa open the scoring on a free header for Huntsville City FC (0-0-2, 2 points) in the first half, but battled back on a Justin Ellis goal, as OCB (1-0-1, 5 points) earned a hard-fought 1-1 draw on a rainy night at Joe W. Davis Stadium in Huntsville, AL. The Young Lions then won a wild penalty shootout to claim another point in the standings.

For the moment, that puts OCB atop the Eastern Conference on the early season, but with one more game played than most teams. The Young Lions earned five out of a possible six points in their two-game, season-opening road trip.

Head Coach Manuel Goldberg’s lineup featured Carlos Mercado in goal behind a back line of Tahir Reid-Brown, Manuel Cocca, Nabi Kibunguchi, and Zakaria Taifi. Imanol Almaguer and Colin Guske made up the double pivot in central midfield behind an attacking midfield line of Yutaro Tsukada, Jhon Solis, and Thomas Bowe with Justin Ellis up top.

The Young Lions started the game as the protagonists, getting a couple of early half chances but wasting them badly with wild, off-target shots. One effort went so far wide in the opening minutes that it seems impossible that it wasn’t blocked. The second came from Cocca off a scramble in the box on a corner kick, but the defender sent a shot high into the night sky in the ninth minute.

After a good first 10 minutes for OCB, Huntsville started settling into the game, but the hosts were helped by poor touches and passes by the Young Lions. Orlando City B repeatedly tried to make quick, intricate passes in tight space in their own half or near midfield and could not make them precisely enough, allowing Huntsville to easily take the ball away time after time. It put the Young Lions on their heels for the middle part of the first half.

Jonathan Bolanos sent a hard, low shot from outside the box just inches of Mercado’s left post in the 24th minute. Bolanos gave Taifi some problems down OCB’s right flank, winning some set pieces and sending some dangerous crosses into the box.

Forster Ajago just mistimed his jump a minute after the Bolanos miss after OCB turned the ball over again. That led to a corner kick and the hosts made the set piece pay off. Sangwa went high over Ellis and put his free header past Mercado to open the scoring in the 26th minute.

Ajago had a chance to double the lead a minute later but committed a foul trying to push his way to a cross.

The Young Lions started to get some rhythm back around the half-hour mark. Solis got into the box and would have had a dangerous scoring chance, but a wayward spoiled the attack in the 31st minute. Seconds later, Tsukada tried an ambitious effort from outside the right corner of the box. The rookie’s shot didn’t bend and stayed well off target.

In the 34th minute, Tsukada sent a good ball through the box that Ellis couldn’t quite turn on target and OCB’s back post runner wasn’t close enough to tap it into the empty net. The Lions pulled level moments later anyway.

Sangwa took an unsteady touch on a back pass and Ellis pounced, knocking it toward the penalty area. The players arrived together and Ellis out-muscled the defender to win the ball, then calmly stepped to his left across the face of goal and slotted the equalizer home in the 36th minute for his first MLS NEXT Pro goal.

Reid-Brown came within inches of giving OCB the lead in the 40th minute. The Homegrown fullback sent in a shot from outside the area that crashed off the crossbar behind goalkeeper Ben Martino. The ball rebounded to Taifi, but the right back’s shot was deflected behind for a corner. A minute later, Almaguer went for goal from long range and hit his shot wildly off target. Guske fired a similarly wild shot in the 44th minute, but in fairness, the rain was falling and the ball was wet.

The last good chance of the half fell to Huntsville. A ball knocked away by the defense made it just outside the area on the right to Maximus Ekk, who smashed a volley toward goal that skipped just wide of the left post.

The stat sheet was indicative of the tie score at the break. OCB finished the half with the advantage in shots (8-4), while Huntsville passed more accurately (85.1%-78.2%) and held more possession (55%-45%). Each team put one shot on target (the two goals), and both sides won four corner kicks.

Orlando won an early corner after the restart but did nothing with it. Huntsville then seized control of the match and the hosts were rarely threatened from that point on. However, the OCB defense did well to handle almost everything Huntsville City threw at it, and when the ball got through, Mercado was there to catch the ball.

Adem Sipic fired the first shot on target in the 49th minute, sending a shot in from the left side that Mercado was able to catch cleanly despite the rain. Three minutes later, Ekk found himself all alone at the back post for a free header, but he couldn’t get any power behind his shot and Mercado fielded it on one hop.

Ekk then blasted a shot from well outside the area off a corner kick played short. Kibunguchy got his head to it to ensure that Mercado didn’t have to make a save on the strike. Solis cleared the ensuing corner but Huntsville won it back and Ekk freed himself for a shot from outside the area that Mercado saved.

The hosts continued their assault on goal with Kibunguchy blocking a shot inside the box, followed by Mercado catching a long-range effort from Bolanos in the 55th and 56th minutes, respectively.

One of OCB’s problems in the second half was wasting attacking opportunities. Both teams fell in love with the long shot attempt and neither side came particularly close to scoring with such efforts. Tsukada wasted an opportunity in the 57th minute with an impatient attempt that came nowhere near threatening the goal.

Ollie Wright sent a shot wide of goal from a good spot near the top of the area in the 59th minute and Huntsville teammate Scott Cheevers was booked for yapping at the referee for giving a goal kick. Two minutes later, Reid-Brown got away with a bad turnover in his own box, hustling to help win the ball back.

Tsukada made a fantastic run through the defense in the 63rd minute and did well to free himself for a shot fromt he left, but Sangwa came in to block it at the last second. OCB could not make the corner kick pay off. Another rare foray up the pitch nearly created something for the Young Lions, but a cross fizzed too quickly through the box for Ellis to get onto it.

Goldberg subbed in Majed Mohammed for Ellis in the 78th minute and OCB struggled to keep possession after the change. Mohammed got position well on long balls forward but could not bring balls down close enough to his body. The few times he did, he was muscled off the ball by the defense and Huntsville continued its attack.

There was a scary moment in the 82nd minute when a ball popped loose in the box. Mercado raced off his line and got to the ball just ahead of Ajago, who tumbled over the prone goalkeeper. Huntsville shouted for a penalty, but Mercado got a touch to the ball just before Ajago arrived, and although the keeper couldn’t maintain possession of the wet ball, the lack of a penalty call seemed the correct one.

OCB seemed content to play for the draw after that and nearly got a counterattack opportunity in the 90th minute, but Wright played a second ball on the pitch down the middle to break up the transition. He was booked for the interference.

The Young Lions wanted a penalty in the second minute of six added minutes. Abdullah did well to make his first decent attacking run and got into the box, going down with contact, but the referee deemed the challenge legal and played on.

Orlando survived a couple of late Huntsville attacks to earn the road draw at full time.

Huntsville sustained its second-half pressure and finished with the advantage in shots (14-12), shots on target (5-1), passing accuracy (85.4%-74.6%), and corners (9-6). But OCB defended well and Mercado didn’t have to make many big stops.

That would soon change.

Because the game ended in a draw, MLS NEXT Pro rules dictate that the game goes to penalties to determine which team earns a second point in the standings. It was Huntsville’s second shootout in as many games and OCB’s first of the season.

The hosts shot first from the spot, with Alexis Cerritos scoring to set the tone for Huntsville City. Cocca fired off the underside of the crossbar and in to level the shootout after one round.

Sangwa fired wide of the left post as Huntsville’s second shooter, giving OCB a chance to seize control. The Young Lions squandered that opportunity when Zakaria Taifi left his shot too close to Martino, who was able to get down in time to stop the shot.

Isaiah Johnston fired a shot just under the bar into the roof of the net to make it 2-1 Huntsville to open the third round. Tsukada used a Bruno Fernandes-like stuttery run-up and hop to force Martino to commit, then calmly slotted home to tie it at 2-2 after three rounds.

Cheevers restored the lead for the hosts with Huntsville’s fourth shot, but Guske answered with an inch-perfect shot inside the left post to make it 3-3.

Sipic sent a shot toward the right post as Huntsville’s fifth shooter, but Mercado had already guessed that way and made a good save near the post to keep the score tied. OCB had a chance to win, but Kibunguchy left his shot too close to the middle and Martino was not fooled by his sprint up to the ball, making a comfortable save and sending the shootout to sudden death.

Mercado came up with another stop on Alejandro Velazquez-Lopez to give OCB another chance to grab the extra point, and this time the Young Lions capitalized. Thomas Bowe coolly slotted home his spot kick past Martino to lift OCB to the 4-3 shootout win and the extra point in the MLS NEXT Pro standings.


The Young Lions will host Inter Miami in their home opener on Tuesday at 6 p.m., but the club has yet to announce the venue for the match.

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Orlando City B

Orlando City B vs. Atlanta United 2: Final Score 3-2 as Young Lions Take All Three Points On the Road

OCB opened its 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season with a 3-2 win over Atlanta United 2.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B

Orlando City B (1-0-0, 3 points) opened the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season with a 3-2 win over rival Atlanta United 2 (0-1-0, 0 points) at Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw, GA. Javier Armas and Jhon Solis traded first-half penalties before Yutaro Tsukada gave the Young Lions a halftime lead. Colin Guske and Erik Centeno both scored in the second half, but OCB held on for the opening day victory.

While OCB had some new faces in its starting lineup, most were returners from the 2023 season. Newly-signed goalkeeper Carlos Mercado started in goal behind a back line of Manuel Cocca, Thomas Williams, Nabi Kibunguchy, and Alex Freeman. Academy product Guske made his professional debut next to Imanol Almaguer behind an attacking line of Tsukada, Solis, and Wildredo Rivera. Favian Loyola was the lone man up top.

Atlanta dominated most of the game, both in possession and chances. However, the hosts struggled with their finishing, sending most of their shots off target or directly to Mercado. Meanwhile, the Young Lions were lifted by two exceptional goals and a penalty conversion by Solis.

The first chance of the game came in the ninth minute when Derrick Etienne, Jr. carried the ball across the top of the box and aimed a shot towards the top corner. The attempt was curling towards the target, but missed wide.

Two minutes later, the hosts took the lead. Luke Brennan dribbled into the box with Almaguer behind him. The Young Lions’ captain initially pulled up, but took down the attacker and referee Alex Beehler immediately pointed to the spot. Armas stepped up to take the kick and sent Mercado the wrong way, giving Atlanta an early 1-0 lead.

OCB nearly had a chance in the 14th minute when the Young Lions won a free kick near the Atlanta box. Atlanta had trouble clearing the set piece, but nobody in white could get their foot on the ball. Eventually, the hosts cleared the danger.

The first shot for OCB came in the 17th minute when a short set piece resulted in Almaguer sending a cross into the box. It looked like Kibunguchy would get his head on the ball, but it sailed over him and to Rivera. The Orlando City academy product attempted to redirect the ball on goal, sending it into the side of the net.

The Young Lions found their equalizer in the 25th minute and it was also from the spot. Solis played a nice give-and-go with Freeman, getting behind the Atlanta defense to the right of the goal. Morales tripped Solis with a slide tackle attempt and Beehler pointed to the spot again. Solis’ penalty was a hard shot right down the middle while Atlanta goalkeeper John Berner dove to his right.

Five minutes later, OCB got its first lead of the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season. A foul just outside of the Atlanta box set up a free kick, taken by Orlando City 2024 MLS SuperDraft pick Tsakada. The rookie’s attempt was over the wall and into the top corner, beyond the outstretched arms of Berner, giving the Young Lions a 2-1 lead.

Atlanta should’ve had an equalizer of their own in the 34th minute when Etienne sent a free kick into the OCB box and Nick Firmino got behind the back line. The ball landed right on his head just outside of the six-yard box, but his header was right into the arms of a relieved Mercado.

The hosts had another opportunity in the 40th minute when a pass across the box was taken on the first touch by Noble Okello. It was a hard and low shot from outside of the box, but directly at Mercado.

The final chance of the half came in the 44th minute with a dangerous cross into the OCB box. It would’ve been another free attempt on goal for Firmino, but sailed just over his head.

At halftime, Atlanta had more shots (7-4) and shots on target (3-2), and better passing accuracy (88.5%-76.4%) than OCB. However, Tsuakda’s strike in the 30th minute and some attempts into the arms of Mercado allowed the Young Lions to take a 2-1 lead into the break.

It didn’t take long for the Young Lions to build on their halftime lead, scoring their third goal of the game in the 49th minute. Freeman made a long run into the Atlanta box, evading multiple defenders, before losing possession. The clearance only went as far as Guske, who took a long-distance shot. It was a rocket that went inside the far post to give OCB a commanding 3-1 lead.

Atlanta’s 2021 MLS SuperDraft pick, Aiden McFadden, tried to pull the hosts back into the game with some ambitious attempts. In the 55th minute, he drew a free kick and the set piece was blocked out by Mercado for a corner kick. The second set piece ended with McFadden trying a bicycle attempt, but he couldn’t connect.

Three minutes later, Kibunguchy’s clearance landed at the feet of McFadden about 35 yards from goal. The midfielder attempted a very long-distance shot, but sent the attempt well over the target.

In the 63rd minute, an Atlanta ball into the OCB box was blocked out of play by Kibunguchy. The ensuing corner kick found the head of Morales, but he sent the attempt wide of the target.

Second-half substitute Centeno had a chance in the 66th minute when Armas’ cross sailed over everyone else in the box. Centeno attempted a shot from a tight angle, sending the chance over the crossbar.

Atlanta had a decent opportunity in the 77th minute when Cocca fouled Alan Carleton 25 yards out. Daniel Russo sent a curling free kick into the box, but nobody in black could get on the end of it. Instead, it harmlessly bounced wide of the far post and out of play for a goal kick.

While Atlanta had been making substitutions throughout the second half, OCB waited until the 78th minute to make any changes. Zakaria Taifi, Tahir Reid-Brown, and Majed Abdullah made their 2024 MLS NEXT Pro debuts, replacing Loyola, Tsukada, and Cocca. They were defensive moves as the Young Lions looked to see out the game.

The hosts continued their offensive attacks in the 79th minute when Centeno sent a dangerous ball across the face of goal. There were two Atlanta players entering the six-yard box, sticking their feet out to get a final touch on the ball. However, it somehow missed both and OCB avoided conceding a second time.

In the 80th minute, it was Centeno on the end of a cross. A wonderful ball into the six landed on the foot of the 21-year-old, but the volley was over the crossbar for a goal kick.

OCB Head Coach Manuel Goldberg made his fourth change in the 86th minute, bringing on 16-year-old academy player Justin Ellis for Rivera.

In the 87th minute, Russo took a shot from the left of goal, aiming for the far post. However, the ball was blocked out of play for Atlanta’s 10th corner kick. The ensuing set piece didn’t find a teammate and was cleared away.

After dominating possession and chances for over 30 minutes, Atlanta finally broke through during stoppage time. A minute past the 90-minute mark, Centeno sent a cross towards OCB’s back post. Morales got on the end of the pass, heading it past Mercado to cut the deficit in half.

Two minutes after the goal, Goldberg made his final change of the game and it was another defensive substitution as Thomas Bowe came on for Solis.

The final attempt of the game came five minutes into stoppage time as Atlanta looked for a late equalizer. However, the cross was caught by Mercado. OCB cleared the ball downfield, keeping it in the Atlanta half until the final whistle blew, claiming all three points with a 3-2 win.

The hosts dominated the game statistically, with more shots (20-5), shots on target (6-3), corner kicks (10-0), and passing accuracy (88.6%-72%). However, too many of their shots were off target or straight at Mercado, enabling the first-time OCB goalkeeper to make easy stops.

This is the third consecutive year that OCB has begun its season with three points. The Young Lions beat Chicago Fire FC II 2-0 to open the 2022 campaign, Philadelphia Union II 3-1 last year, and topped Atlanta United this afternoon. It’s a strong start to a season in which the Young Lions hope to make the playoffs for the second consecutive year and the third time in their history.


The team will stay on the road and have a short week, traveling to face Huntsville City FC Friday night. Then OCB will return to Central Florida for its home opener on April 2 against another rival, Inter Miami CF II.

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Orlando City B

Orlando City B Announces Roster Ahead of 2024 MLS NEXT Pro Season

Here are the players and assistant coaches who will try to help the Young Lions return to the MLS NEXT Pro playoffs in 2024.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Orlando City B has announced the roster of players who will compete for the Young Lions during the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season, which kicks off tomorrow at Atlanta United 2. First-year Head Coach Manuel Goldberg will have a mixture of academy and MLS NEXT Pro contract players — along with unrostered guys loaned down from the first team — to deploy as the Young Lions look to return to the playoffs in their third season in the league.

Seven players return from last year’s roster that reached the MLS NEXT Pro playoffs for the first time, including defenders Nabi Kibunguchy, midfielders Imanol Almaguer and Jhon Solis, and forward Wilfredo Rivera. Defender Zakaria Taifi, who was on an academy deal in 2023, signed a two-year MLS NEXT Pro contract with OCB on Tuesday after appearing in 23 games with 10 starts a year ago.

The new guys include forward Yutaro Tsukada, one of Orlando City’s first-round picks in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft in December. Tsukada’s signing was announced earlier today. Another new face is forward Yeiler Valencia, who arrives on a one-year loan deal from Once Caldas in Colombia and has made 15 appearances in that country’s top flight, scoring one goal in 2023. Defender Manuel Cocca arrives from SD Tarazona in Spain, where he made 15 appearances and recorded three assists in the third division. Cocca signed a one-year MLS NEXT Pro contract with OCB, with option years in 2025 and 2026.

“The start of a new season is always exciting with the prospect of what lies ahead and what can be accomplished, and this year is no different,” Orlando City Vice President of Soccer Operations and Technical Director Ricardo Moreira said in a club press release. “With what Orlando City B was able to achieve last season, setting new club records and qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in club history, we’re excited to continue building on last season’s success, continuing to develop quality players and prepare the future of the first team.”

Goldberg’s assistant coaching staff is also set for 2024 with the additions of Assistant Coach Julian Vergara and Strength and Conditioning Coach Andres Gonzalez. Both were previously academy coaches who have been promoted from within. They join returning Goalkeepers Coach Marcos Machado and Athletic Trainer Sergio Valverde on Goldberg’s staff.

Players on the first team likely to spend significant time with OCB in 2024 include Homegrown goalkeeper Javier Otero, draft picks Jack Lynn, Shak Mohammed, and Jeorgio Kocevski, defenders Alex Freeman, Tahir Reid-Brown, Thomas Williams, and Abdi Salim, and midfielder Favian Loyola.

2024 OCB Roster

Does not include first-team players who are eligible to be loaned to the MLS NEXT Pro squad.

Jersey No.NamePos.Contract
32Wilfredo RiveraFMLS NEXT Pro
34Yutaro TsukadaFMLS NEXT Pro
48Diego ParejaMFMLS NEXT Pro
49Jhon SolisMFMLS NEXT Pro
53Imanol AlmaguerMFMLS NEXT Pro
54Nabi KibunguchyDMLS NEXT Pro
56Colin GuskeMFAcademy
59Justin EllisFAcademy
61Yeiler ValenciaFMLS NEXT Pro
62Thomas BoweMFAcademy
64Manuel CoccaDMLS NEXT Pro
91TJ JeffreysGKAcademy
96Zakaria TaifiDMLS NEXT Pro
97Majed AbjullahFAcademy
99Carlos MercadoGKMLS NEXT Pro

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