MELBOURNE, Fla. (March 31, 2016) – Following a historic debut in United Soccer League (USL) last weekend, Orlando City B (0-1-0) will play its second match of the season when they take on the Charleston Battery on Friday evening.
Kick-off is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET at Eastern Florida State College’s Titan Soccer Complex. Tickets may be purchased at www.OrlandoCitySC.com/OCB or by calling 855-ORL-CITY.
“I’ve played against them a few times over the years and they are a really good USL club. I think arguably they are probably one of the better teams in the history of USL,” said OCB Head Coach Anthony Pulis. “It’s going to be a difficult game for us because they have experienced players that know the league inside and out, but we’ve got a good squad and there are areas we can exploit. It’s going to be a great competitive experience for many of our young players who need these games to continue growing in this league and beyond.”
Orlando hosts the Battery after making its USL debut in front of an electrifying, grass-roots like atmosphere and crowd, where the rain could not stop fans from watching the positive performance from a young and promising OCB side. USL veteran midfielder Andrew Ribeiro opened his City scoring account with a powerful right-footed strike that beat the Hammerheads’ goalkeeper.
The fixture included the coaching debut of Anthony Pulis and Rob Valentino, as well as the professional debut of 17-year-old Orlando City Academy product Pierre DaSilva, midfielder Richie Laryea and fullback Zach Hayden, as well as the return in purple of captain Lewis Neal and midfielder Johnny Mendoza.
Charleston visit the Titan Soccer Complex following a dramatic 1-0 home victory over FC Cincinnati, lifted by a late game-winning goal by former Orlando City U-23 and University of Central Florida striker Romario Williams, who slotted a ball to the back of the net in the 94th minute – earning him USL Team of the Week honors.
The Lions head into the game currently holding a 14-game unbeaten streak against the Battery, dating back to 2011, with an imposing 11-2-1 all-time record.
Most recently, Orlando City SC and the Battery met in an exhilarating fourth round U.S. Open Cup duel on June 17, 2015, when a back and forth battle, which included four penalty kicks and ended in a 4-4 draw, resulted in a 10-round penalty kick scenario that advanced the Lions to the Round of 16.
Charleston finished the 2015 regular season 12-10-6, earning a playoff berth on the road to the 2015 USL Championship before being eliminated in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
