We all know Florida is purple now. And based on this past weekend, it very well stayed that way.
Orlando City’s U-15 and U-17 teams both defeated Inter Miami’s academy squads over the weekend in MLS NEXT competition. The U-15 team won a hard-fought 3-2 result while the U-17s dominated 4-0.
“We’re very happy with the performance by our players against a very good opponent,” said Orlando City Academy Director Marcelo Neveleff. “These MLS matchups make us grow. Our players individually grow, our program grows, we all get better and get challenged. Our players are learning how to compete which is very important to us.”
Majed Abdullah had a brace in the U-15 match, putting Orlando City up 2-0. After Inter Miami pulled a goal back, Ryan Heron scored the Lions’ third goal, securing the result.
In the U-17 match, four different players found the back of the net, with Diego Valle, Andrew Araya, Ethan Subachan and Ian Silva all scoring as part of an Orlando City rout.
“We are not yet where we believe we need to be, but we are moving forward step by step,” said Neveleff. “Our club is committed to developing the next generation of players for our First Team and we know we are developing something special here."
