Following its first win of the season, Orlando City B (1-2-1, 4 points) earned a 1-1 draw against Charlotte Independence (0-1-1, 1 point) at Orlando City Stadium to close out its three-game homestand. Albert Dikwa scored his first professional goal, while Jordan Schweitzer, Moussa Sane and Scott Thomsen all made their OCB debuts. Zach Ellis-Hayden made his season debut for OCB.
“I thought it was a tale of two halves to be honest. I thought [in the] first half we started sluggish, our press was too disconnected, a little bit too disorganized for my liking,” OCB Head Coach Anthony Pulis said. “But [in the] second half I thought we upped it. I thought in possession we were crisper, we were sharper, we had a little bit more purpose to our play and our press was a little bit better. We tweaked a couple of things and reinforced some messages and it was better second half. All in all, a point was probably a fair result.”
OCB’s back line stood strong all evening with numerous blocks inside the box to deny any Charlotte possessions while the Lions’ offensive attack tested Charlotte’s back line continuously. After a back and forth first half, midfielder Ryley Kraft nearly found the back of the net seconds before halftime when he ripped a thunderous volley from distance, but his shot was deflected wide.
The second half offered more offensive display from both teams with the Lions answering Charlotte’s goal in the 60th minute with a brilliant build-up. Center back Léo Pereira started the attack with a well-timed through ball to Thomsen, who then sent in a whipping ball for Dikwa to slide in. Four minutes later, OCB goalkeeper Earl Edwards, Jr. helped preserve the draw with a terrific reflex save on Yann Ekra’s header. The Lions nearly captured the lead from Edwards, Jr.’s restart when First Teamer Richie Laryea found himself 1-on-1 with goalkeeper Cody Mizell, but Laryea’s shot was saved away.
Zach Carroll made his third consecutive start for the Lions and wore the captain's armband for the first time in his professional career. The Grand Blanc, Mich., native played alongside Pereira once again and started the match with a crucial tackle inside the box in the fourth minute to prevent a shot on goal.
The match was also a statement for the Orlando City Development Academy (DA). Joe Gallardo made his first professional start in his second appearance this season after being signed from City’s DA on Jan. 25. The 19-year-old finished with 23 touches and an 85.7 percent pass success rate. Also featured in the game was David Loera, who came on for Gallardo in the 61st minute. Loera has eight goals for the Orlando City Development Academy U-17/18 squad this season.
“Starting with Joe, I think he showed glimpses of what he’s about. At times he got himself in some good positions. The thing with Joe is he’s got good versatility. He can play wide, he can play as a No. 10, he can play as a striker,” Pulis added. “David Loera is a player that in my opinion is an outstanding prospect. He’s been performing well in the Academy and we’ve been waiting to try and give him an opportunity to play with us. I think you’ll see him flourish a little bit.”
The Lions begin a three-game road trip when they face New York Red Bulls II on Friday, April 14. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET at MSU Soccer. OCB then travels to Harrisburg and Bethlehem before returning home to take on Saint Louis FC on Thursday, April 27. Tickets can be purchased at www.OrlandoCityB.com/tickets or by calling 855-ORL-CITY.
Scoring Summary:
CLT - Lewis Hilton (Alex Martinez) 60’
OCB - Albert Dikwa (Scott Thomsen) 70’
Misconduct Summary:
OCB - Ryley Kraft (Yellow Card) 11’
CLT - Callum Ross (Yellow Card) 20’
OCB - Zach Ellis-Hayden (Yellow Card) 50’
OCB - Richie Laryea (Yellow Card) 66’
OCB - Jordan Schweitzer (Yellow Card) 75’
CLT - Jorge Herrera (Yellow Card) 79’
OCB - Albert Dikwa (Yellow Card) 90’
Lineups/Substitutions:
Orlando City B - GK Earl Edwards, Jr., D Zach Ellis-Hayden, Léo Pereira, ⓒ Zach Carroll, Scott Thomsen, M Austin Martz (Moussa Sane 72’), Jordan Schweitzer, Ryley Kraft (Paul Clowes 89’), Joe Gallardo (David Lorea 61’), F Richie Laryea, Albert Dikwa
Substitutes: GK Jake Fenlason, D Conor Donovan, F Ben Polk, Michael Cox
Charlotte Independence - GK Cody Mizell, D Luke Waechter, Joel Johnson, Henry Kalungi, Dennis Castillo, M Callum Ross (Lewis Hilton 46’), Jun Marques Davidson, Yann Ekra, David Estrada (David Spies 77’)’, F Alex Martinez, Casey Townsend (Jorge Herrera 71’)
Substitutes: GK Kainoa Likewise, D Austin Yearwood, M Zev Taublieb
Details of the Game
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Weather: Clear
April 8, 2017
Attendance: 1,512
Stats:
Possession:
OCB - 48.1%
CLT - 51.9%
Shots:
OCB - 12
CLT- 13
Saves:
OCB - 3
CLT - 3
Corners:
OCB - 5
CLT - 1
Fouls:
OCB - 16
CLT- 10
