Orlando City B (4-5-4, 16 points) returns to Canada on Tuesday, June 20, to face the expansion Ottawa Fury FC (4-4-4, 16 points). Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. ET at TD Place Stadium.
The match will be streamed live at www.OrlandoCitySC.com/LIVE.
“[Ottawa Fury] is very direct, very athletic, they’re very powerful,” OCB head coach Anthony Pulis said. “They get the ball forward early and they cause you problems if you don’t defend long balls well so it’s important that we’re going to have to defend those long balls and direct play well, be organized and hopefully we can cause them some problems in the counter attack.”
This is the first ever meeting between Orlando City B and Ottawa, which moved to the United Soccer League (USL) from the North American Soccer League this season. It is also the first time OCB has ever played a league morning match. OCB defender Timbó made 19 appearances for Ottawa in 2016 and scored two goals.
OCB saw its three-game road winning streak snapped last Wednesday in a 1-0 loss to Toronto FC II. Goalkeeper Jake Fenlason made three saves in his first appearance of the season. Orlando City Development Academy product David Loera made his first professional start while fellow Academy product Allen Seals made his pro debut. Jordan Hamilton scored the game’s only goal in the ninth minute.
Hadji Barry, Richie Laryea and rookie Albert Dikwa lead the team with three goals each. Pierre Da Silva is tied for second in the USL with five assists while goalkeeper Earl Edwards, Jr. is third in the league with 37 saves in 11 matches.
Ottawa has won three of its past five matches but is coming off a 1-0 loss to the Rochester Rhinos on Saturday. Kenardo Forbes found Ryan Felix in the 19th minute for the game-winning goal and Rhinos goalkeeper Tomas Gomez needed just one save for the clean sheet.
Sito Seoane leads the Fury with four goals while Tucker Hume, Ryan Williams and Michael Salazar have two goals each. Callum Irving has played every minute in goal for Ottawa and has 33 saves this season.
This is the second match of a three-game road trip. Following Tuesday, the Lions will head to Rochester for another tilt with the Rhinos on Friday, June 23, at 7:05 p.m. ET. OCB returns to Orlando City Stadium on July 1 to host FC Cincinnati.
