MELBOURNE, Fla. (August 19, 2016) – Orlando City B (8-8-7, 31 points) begins a home-and-home series against the Richmond Kickers (11-6-6, 39 points) on Sunday, Aug. 21. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Titan Soccer Complex. The match will be streamed live at www.OrlandoCitySC.com/Live.
“Richmond are a good solid, USL team that has been on a good run recently. We have always had tough games against them in the past when we were in USL before and we don’t see that being any different. But having said that, we each have a sense of perspective on us at the minute and we have only lost two in 11 games, so you don’t all of a sudden become a bad team overnight just because we’ve had two poor results,” OCB Head Coach Anthony Pulis said. “I have a lot of confidence in the players.”
OCB hosts the Kickers aiming to extend its four-game home unbeaten streak. In its last match at the Titan Soccer Complex, the Lions earned a heart-stopping 2-1 victory over Toronto FC II on Aug. 6. Captain Lewis Neal’s opening goal in the 58th minute was leveled by a TFII finish in added time. However, Michael Cox responded seconds later, scoring the game-winner in the second minute of added time.
Cox leads the team with nine goals while Tyler Turner leads all defenders with four. Goalkeeper Mark Ridgers is second in the league and leads the Eastern Conference with 78 saves. OCB will be with Orlando City SC full back Rafael Ramos, who was loaned for this match to regain match fitness after being out since June 29 due to injury.
The Kickers enter the match on a seven game unbeaten streak and had allowed just two goals in six consecutive victories before tying FC Cincinnati on Aug. 13. Yudai Imura leads the team with nine goals and three assists while Brian Ownby has three goals on 47 shots this season.
Richmond was scheduled to play Charleston on Wednesday, Aug. 17th but due to lightning delay of more than 100 minutes, the game was rescheduled for a later date.
With seven games remaining in its inaugural USL season, OCB sits in the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot, five points from seventh-place Rochester and ninth-place Bethlehem with a game in hand on either.
Orlando City B is coming off a 4-0 loss Wednesday at the Charlotte Independence. Charlotte started the game strong with two goals in the first six minutes of the game followed by one in the 64th and 71st minute.
The Lions head to Richmond on Saturday, Aug. 27, for a 7 p.m. ET kickoff before returning to Titan Soccer Complex for the final time this regular season to host the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on Saturday, Sept. 3. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. OCB finishes the season with a four-game road trip.
