Orlando City B (8 pts, 2-1-2) returned home to take on Carolina Core (2 pts, 0-2-3), after suffering a loss in Chattanooga last Saturday. The first team played the night before at home so it gave OCB the option to play some of their younger players in this match, while also keeping an eye on the first team’s matches coming up on Wednesday and Saturday.
Lineup
Orlando City B came out playing the youth tonight, with only one first team player making the match day squad. Harvey Sarajian and Ignacio Gomez made first team appearances on Saturday which most likely led to the decision to rest them for this match (also with another first team match coming Wednesday).
Gustavo Caraballo made the start at right wing for OCB, while Orlando City draft pick Issah Haruna made the start in the midfield. Jaylen Yearwood, another Orlando City draft pick, made the bench for this match.
Other notable lineup notes: Pedro Leão makes his return this week after missing last week’s match in Chattanooga. Titus Sandy Jr. also makes his return, sliding back into his center back role. Landon Okonski lines up as the other center back after having a quality match against Chattanooga.
First Half
Orlando City B started off well, really controlling the ball and taking it to Carolina Core from the jump. Gustavo Caraballo was causing havoc on the right side, consistently beating his defender. This led to OCB’s first goal of the match as Caraballo rounded his defender on the end line, moved towards the net, but was fouled in the box. Moments later he would step up and drill home the first goal of the match putting OCB up 1-0.
Gustavo wins the penalty and converts 💪 pic.twitter.com/xGmjePX8gn
— Orlando City B (@OrlandoCityB) April 19, 2026
Orlando City B would continue to pour on the pressure in the half, getting chance after chance. They would break through again in the 32nd minute when Pedro Leão would collect the ball, make a Maradona turn, and put the ball right into the corner putting the young Lions up 2-0.
Maradona golazo 🤩 pic.twitter.com/GLWaJPTGEc
— Orlando City B (@OrlandoCityB) April 19, 2026
The young Lions would go on to finish the half strong and go into the break up 2-0. A lot of great play to hang their hat on and a lot of momentum heading into the break.
Second Half
The second half wasn’t as strong for Orlando City B, with a lot of back and forth play on both sides. No side was really dominating in the first 25 minutes of the half. Both sides really had their chances but nothing too high percentage.
To help supplement some of their more attacking play, Carolina Core would make a sub in the 59th minute, putting on a player who really took it to OCB, David Diaz. He was dynamic from the jump and really made it difficult for OCB on the break. Diaz would finally make his presence known in the 72nd minute. OCB subbed on Caleb Trombino and Toryn Kendall shortly before, and with them fresh in the game, Diaz took advantage by turning past Trombino and firing a rocket in the top right corner of the goal past a diving Tristan Himes. This would make the score 2-1 but also take some of the air out of the stadium.
David Diaz rips it from distance to pull one back for @CarolinaCore_FC! 🦊 pic.twitter.com/o5d8rjvqcs
— MLS NEXT Pro (@MLSNEXTPRO) April 20, 2026
Carolina Core’s pressure would continue after the goal as they continued to pepper the defense with different runs and looks. They would finally break through again, this time off a corner. It was sent in well by the Core player and Himes was able to catch it in the air, however, when he came down he lost control of the ball and it slipped onto the ground where it was put away quickly by a Carolina Core defender. This brought the game to 2-2 and OCB were on the ropes after conceding twice in quick succession.
Nolan Evers pounces on the rebound for the @CarolinaCore_FC equalizer! pic.twitter.com/jfve3GlGZs
— MLS NEXT Pro (@MLSNEXTPRO) April 20, 2026
OCB were able to put together some decent attacks forward as time ran down in the second half but nothing was able to come off for the young Lions. Their best chance was a breakway in second half stoppage time where Himes, after an easy save, threw the ball out wide to Rhein who was able to get past the defender and square it but was not able to find the feet of any OCB player. The game would end in a draw and head to PKs with a score of 2-2.
In the penalty kick shootout, OCB and Carolina Core would trade goals throughout. Orlando City B kicked first, with Toryn Penders, Jaylen Yearwood, Caleb Trombino, Brady Kendall, Nicolas Bobea Torres, and Titus Sandy Jr. all making their kicks. Carolina would have the same luck until their sixth kicker would step up and hit the ball off the woodwork, keeping out his penalty and ending the match. Orlando City B would squeak by Carolina Core for the second time this year but this time, had to do it in penalties.
Players to Highlight
- Gustavo Caraballo-This week it was easy to choose which player had the best match and his name is Gustavo Caraballo. From the first whistle, he was terrorizing the Carolina Core defense on the right side which led to a penalty drawn and a goal from the spot. Even after the goal, he continued to fly down the right side and even tuck in at times to combine with his teammates. He was able to play for 80 minutes where he scored 1 goal, drew a penalty, had a 61% passing rate, 2 shots (1 on target), 40% on successful dribbles, 67% on accurate crosses, with one long ball completed. He also had a tackle, a clearance, and 2 recoveries. With Caraballo being the only first team player on the field, you were finally able to look at his solo performance and see what all the hype is about.
- Pedro Leão-Leão was the other player that jumped off the page to me especially due to his goal. But before that, he was terrorizing the backline of Carolina and was getting into some really good spaces. His goal was a thing of beauty, receiving the ball from Baczewski and then making a Maradona turn which led to a great shot in the corner. He ended his night with 71 minutes played, a 77% passing rate, 4 shots (with 3 on target), a successful dribble, and a long ball. He also had some defensive contributions with a clearance and an interception, while he also defended well on set pieces. He’s really starting to get into a rich vein of form and the club has to be thrilled about that.
- Dominik Baczewski-Dominik deserves some credit this week as he played a pretty complete game. He took over at the “10” spot when Ellis got bumped up to the first team and while it’s taken him some time to grow into OCB, last night showed us a bit of what he can do. He popped up in all the right spaces, linked up play well, and was able to get the assist on the Leão goal. He played almost the entire match, coming in at 88 minutes and put up some quality stats. He was 72% passing on the night, with 2 chances created and 3 shots. He had 5 passes into the final third and a long ball that almost had the team through. He was also able to help on the defensive end with a tackle, a block, 2 clearances, and 3 recoveries. I’m excited to see more of Baczewski as he gets more time with OCB. He seems to have the traits that can translate well for this team.
- Dylan Judelson-Dylan is a name that should be familiar to you if you’ve been watching OCB/Academy for some time. While he’s had solid games so far this season, this match displayed his true skill set up and down the pitch. Judelson is that metronome in the midfield for OCB and he was ticking last night. He played 71 minutes while racking up an 84% passing rate, creating a chance, completing 4 long balls (resulting in a 67% long ball rate), and had 9 passes into the final third. He also contributed a ton defensively, where he had 2 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 5 recoveries. He also won 60% of his ground duels against a potent Carolina side. Judelson is a guy who will continue to impress.
Few guys who just missed the cut:
- Landon Okonski-He just missed my list but I liked his play again on the night. He was commanding of his area and played well with Sandy Jr. His passing was on point and he made 8 defensive contributions. I’m excited to see him grow further and really show off his defensive talents because he certainly seems to have it.
- Tristan Himes-I liked Himes in the first 70 minutes and I don’t even blame him for the first goal at all (the ball was a rocket) but the second goal is what dropped him from the main list. He’s got to do better with that ball as he’s coming down but I’m sure he knows that. He had 3 saves on the night, one that kept the game level late in the match, and his distribution was spot on. I’m still high on Tristan Himes and I suggest you buy stock in this guy now because he’s going places.
- Matthew Belgodere-The young winger has only had a few OCB looks on the season but has found ways to show off his talent. At just 16, he’s starting to put together a pretty impressive game log. On the night he played the full 90 (though you could tell he was fatiguing at the end) where he finished with a 91% passing rate, 2 chances created, 2 shots (both on target), 2 accurate crosses, and 2 long balls. He also was able to make 1 tackle and 1 recovery while also winning 50% of his duels. He’s a talent to watch for the future and has the tools to be the next young winger for Orlando City following in the footsteps of Caraballo.
What’s Next?
Orlando City B (10 pts., 2-2-2) are back on the road next weekend as they head up to Bridgeview, Illinois to take on Chicago Fire II (9 pts., 1-3-2). This will be their second meeting with Fire II, with the first meeting being 2-1 in favor of the young Lions. OCB is unlikely to have many first team players since Orlando City has a midweek game Wednesday against Charlotte and then they travel to DC United on Saturday. This will give the young players on OCB an opportunity to really show their stuff and even provide an opportunity for Caraballo to lead the line for them over the next few matches. The game against Fire II will kick off at 4pm on Sunday, April 26th and you can watch it live on YouTube.
Highlights
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