Loud & Proud Orlando

Lineup

Orlando City B went heavy on first team players against their rivals at Osceola Heritage Park with five players making the starting lineup (Zakaria Taifi, Nolan Miller, Tahir Reid-Brown, Colin Guske, and Harvey Sarajian).

Tristan Himes came back from injury to take over the starting keeper spot, while Clovis Archange got his first start of the year next to Nolan Miller. Those two were flanked by Zakaria Taifi on the right and Tahir Reid-Brown on the left, who wore the armband for OCB.

In the midfield, Colin Guske and Ignacio “Nacho” Gómez played next to each other, with Issah Haruna occupying the attacking midfield spot. Harvey Sarajian and Bernardo Rhein flanked Haruna on the wings, while Pedro Leão started up top.

Gustavo Caraballo and Dylan Judelson were both on international duty for this match so they didn’t make the matchday squad.

First Half

Orlando City started off a bit on the back foot as they grew into the first half. While they had the first half kickoff, they turned to the tactic of kicking the ball long then counterpressing off the throw-in. Inter Miami II wouldn’t let OCB’s press stay too long as they had a clever play on the left side, after a switch, putting a ball just over the crossbar. Inter Miami II had a few half chances in the next few minutes but none of them came off well for the visiting side.

Second Half

The second half started out lively for OCB, as they picked up from where they left off in the first half. They were very much on the front foot and continued to push Inter Miami II. The first true chance came in the 50th minute where the ball made its way to the top of the 18, after an OCB free kick, where Guske had a shot that went just over. A minute later, OCB found themselves on the counter, as Leão got the ball to Sarajian who had a one-on-one with the keeper but was stonewalled in the end. The save from Inter Miami II would result in a corner where OCB would have one more chance to take a shot but it was saved again.

After that point, the game got a bit open and more back-and-forth. In the 58th minute, Rhein would have a solid shot on the left side of the box, after a nice layoff by Sarajian, but the ball curled wide. Inter Miami II would then break the other way and string together a few long passes before Himes came in to snatch the ball away. The game became a bit chippy between the sides after that with a lot of tactical fouls and some kick outs. Inter Miami II would pick up a yellow card after their attacker put in a retaliatory tackle on Gómez. Inter Miami II used this spark to spring a few different attacking sequences but Himes was up for the task; making back-to-back saves to keep Inter Miami II off the board. At this point, OCB decided to make their first change of the match bringing on Titus Sandy Jr. to replace Clovis Archange. Shortly after, Inter Miami II picked up another yellow card for a kick out but it would spark them again a few minutes later.

Inter Miami would again use the card as a spark, putting together a nice passing sequence in the 67th minute leading to another intervention by Himes. OCB would turn the tide after that effort and spring Leão and Taifi forward. Leão put in a great through ball to Taifi who took a step and laid into one burying it in the net to put the young Lions up 4-0.

Zakaria Taifi launches the chance and adds a fourth for @OrlandoCityB 👊 pic.twitter.com/b3oHjyRxc6

— MLS NEXT Pro (@MLSNEXTPRO) May 25, 2026

Unfortunately, Inter Miami II would fire right back and get their first goal of the match right after. The ball gets played into the box where the Miami attacker got on the end of it but Himes made a great save. The ball redirected to another Miami player, who roofed it into the net and got one back bringing the score to 4-1.

Saja knocks in the rebound and puts Miami on the board 🌴 pic.twitter.com/7YZaMhRyTd

— MLS NEXT Pro (@MLSNEXTPRO) May 25, 2026

The Leão and Rhein connection would pop up again as the two would combine well to create a shot for Pedro that just went wide. The young Lions really found a way to keep the pressure on for the next few minutes, creating a few half-chances and attempting to get one back. They would make a few more subs to give some of the younger players a chance in this one, with Jacob Ramirez coming on for Gómez and Parker Amoo-Mensah on for Taifi. The sub caused a bit of disorganization in the back, with Inter Miami II getting a few more shots off but the shots were well wide and not well played. Reid-Brown and Sandy Jr. had a quality defensive performance, especially in the last 15 minutes of the game, as both had key plays to slam the door on Inter Miami II. Reid-Brown had a few tough plays and blocks that really solidified that performance. OCB did make their final subs in the 80th minute, with Justin Hylton coming on for Sarajian and Albright Chikamso on for Nolan Miller. They would help close the game down for OCB and help push OCB to a 4-1 win over Inter Miami II.

Players to Highlight

• Bernardo Rhein-He was my player of the match and all over the field in this one for OCB. He played a more attacking role in this match but still found ways to contribute on the defensive end. He took a fair amount of the set pieces for OCB and really dictated play with his pace/energy. He played the full match, putting up a 91% passing rate, scored one goal, created 3 chances, took 3 shots, had 2 successful dribbles, 3 long balls, 1 tackle, and 2 recoveries, and won 80% of his ground duels. His speed and passing made the difference in this one, with his play very much reminding me of Ivan Angulo. If the first team is considering a like-for-like replacement, Rhein may be that guy for them.
• Colin Guske-I liked Guske’s performance against Atlanta United II a few weeks ago but I really liked him in this one. He was clinical, hard-nosed, and cool under pressure for the entire match. He had some nice moves against his opponent and really knew how to get stuck in. He played the entire match while also finishing with an 86% passing rate, created 1 chance, took 2 shots, had a successful dribble, 3 long balls, 5 tackles, 1 block, 2 clearances, 6 recoveries, and won 83% of his ground duels, with 16 duels overall. This was the type of commanding performance you wanted to see from Guske and I’m thrilled we got to see it.
• Zakaria Taifi-What can I say about Zak Taifi that I haven’t said already? Anyone who has followed my work or listened to our pod knows how much I like this kid’s game. On Sunday, he showed us again why he’s that guy. While he started the match a bit more defensive, he was able to get forward and really show his two-way ability that we’ve seen so much. His efforts pushed him to score the fourth goal for OCB and really put the game away. His full stat line ended with: 74 minutes played, 90% passing rate, 3 shots, a successful dribble, 4 long balls, 2 clearances, 2 interceptions, 3 recoveries, and he won 50% of his ground duels. He did pick up a silly yellow card for dissent in this match, but I won’t harp on it too much; just something to note.
• Tristan Himes-I think this was one of Tristan’s best matches of the season. While he did get scored on once, the goal was quite unlucky for him and he did everything he could to keep the ball out. He commanded his box well, really aggressive coming off his line to claim balls, and his distribution was very good. He ended up with 4 saves, 6 recoveries, 44% on long balls, and a 67% passing rate. His communication is top-notch and really sets him apart from the rest of the pool. I’d love to see him continue his great play.

Other players to note:

• Tahir Reid-Brown/Nolan Miller/Clovis Archange-all three other starters on the backline deserve a lot of credit so I put all three here. They were composed and played with a lot of fight. Clovis got his first start of the year and did not disappoint. Injuries plagued him at the start of the year but it’s great to see him involved now. Nolan Miller got some playing time for the first time in weeks and played a good game for OCB. Hopefully he can continue to keep his form by playing matches with OCB. Lastly, Reid-Brown was a defensive spark for much of the game. He was physical, defended with great awareness, and made some vital stops. If he continues to stack performances, you have to find a way to get him into first team matches more often.
• Issah Haruna-Haruna was lively again in this match, really showing his speed and versatility. He played the full match, finishing with an 84% passing rate, created 1 chance, had one shot, completed 6 long balls, 1 tackle, 1 clearance, 6 recoveries, and won 50% of his ground duels. While his versatility is great for OCB, I’m still curious what his position would be at the next level but he still has time to figure that out.

What’s Next?

Orlando City B (19 pts., 4-4-3) stay home to take on Chattanooga FC (19 pts., 6-1-4) in the second match of a back-to-back-to-back homestand. With the World Cup break officially underway, there’s a strong chance to see some younger first team players feature for OCB to keep fitness. It’ll be interesting to see how OCB lines up the next few weeks during the international break.

Highlights