Orlando City B (9-7-9, 40 points) vs New England Revolution II (4-15-5, 21 points)
When: Sunday, September 14, 5:00 p.m. ET
Where: Osceola Heritage Park, Kissimmee, Fla.
TV: MLSNextPro.com (free)
Crowning The Rightful Kings
Orlando City B got a big 4-1 road win last Sunday afternoon against Crown Legacy FC. Heading into the match, Crown Legacy led the Lions by three points in the Eastern Conference standings for fifth place, but OCB jumped out to a 2-0 halftime lead with a brace from defender Alex Freeman. Coming down from the Orlando City First Team for the fourth time this season, forward Jack Lynn scored his first goal of the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season to make it a 3-0 OCB lead. Crown Legacy kept things interesting however, with a goal in the 75th minute to make it a 3-1 match, but a missed penalty kick and a goal from Lions’ midfielder Shak Mohammed late in the match ended any chances of a comeback for Crown Legacy.
Luca Magic
Since returning on loan from Italian Serie C club Triestina, defender Luca Petrasso has given the young Lions a huge boost to their back line. Petrasso has started seven of the last eight OCB matches and has been a factor in the Lions’ recent offensive surge. In the seven matches Petrasso has played in, the Lions have scored 17 goals after only picking up 10 in the previous seven matches before he arrived. Petrasso scored his first career MLS NEXT Pro goal in a 4-1 win over Atlanta United 2 and has also recorded four consecutive assists during the 2024 season.
Do It All Defender
It’s hard to know exactly how the Lions would be performing this season if it wasn’t for defender Alex Freeman’s high-level of play. Last week against Crown Legacy, Freeman recorded his first brace of the season to give the Lions the early advantage. Despite being listed as a defender, Freeman is an important part of the Lions’ offense. He’s tied for the second-most goals on the team with six this season and tied for most assists on the Club with seven and second-most in MLS NEXT Pro. Freeman joins teammate Yutaro Tsukada in the top 20 across the league with at least 13 goal contributions.
The Lions’ Final Stand
With just three games left in the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season, the Lions are in control of their playoff fate. OCB currently sits two points ahead of Chicago Fire FC II for the eighth and final playoff spot, but also two points ahead of Chattanooga FC in ninth. However, the Lions have a chance to move up further in the standings, sitting two points behind New York City FC II and Columbus Crew 2 for third and fourth place. With only nine points left to gain, OCB sits five points behind FC Cincinnati 2 for second place, and six points behind first in the Eastern Conference currently being held by Philadelphia Union II. Things could also get tight coming down the stretch, with OCB having played in more games than all but one other Eastern Conference opponent.
