ORLANDO, Fla. (April 21, 2017) – Following Tuesday’s last second draw at Harrisburg, Orlando City B (1-3-2, 5 points) returns to Pennsylvania to battle the Bethlehem Steel FC (1-2-0, 3 points) on Sunday, April 23. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET at Goodman Stadium.
The match will be streamed online at www.OrlandoCitySC.com/LIVE.
“[Bethlehem is] a tough side. They’ve got a lot of athletic players, very big, very strong, very powerful, real attacking threats. And it’s the third of a tough three-game road stretch, so we’re under no illusions that it’s going to be a difficult game,” Head Coach Anthony Pulis said. “The way I am as a coach I always want to build a foundation where you’re strong defensively. We’ve scored in every game apart from Tampa so if we can keep a clean sheet I’m confident that the players we’ve got in forward areas can score goals.”
Sunday marks the third all-time meeting between the two teams. In their last meeting, OCB clinched its spot in the United Soccer League (USL) playoffs with a dramatic win on the final day of the regular season. The 2-0 win at Goodman Stadium was highlighted by veteran midfielder Lewis Neal’s volley from distance in the 58th minute.
On Tuesday night, OCB fought until the final whistle at Harrisburg City Islanders to earn a 1-1 draw. After being down 1-0 following a penalty kick in the 80th minute, the Lions earned a free kick in added time just outside the box. First Team midfielder Pierre Da Silva then delivered a low free kick for defender Zach Carroll to finish off.
The goal was Carroll’s first as a professional and Da Silva’s league-leading fourth assist. Carroll has worn the captain’s armband for the last three matches. Goalkeeper Earl Edwards Jr. is third in the league with 17 saves.
Bethlehem is coming off of a 3-2 loss against Harrisburg over the weekend. After scoring two consecutive goals to bring the match level in the 64th minute, Bethlehem was left empty handed as Harrisburg forward Cardel Benbow struck the game-winning goal in the 90th minute. The Steel has dropped two of its three matches with its one win coming against FC Cincinnati.
Forward Seku Conneh leads Bethlehem with three goals while former USMNT forward Charlie Davies has also added a goal to start the season.
The Lions will return home next to face off against Saint Louis FC on Thursday, April 27. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET at Orlando City Stadium. OCB then has two weeks before it heads to Ohio to face FC Cincinnati on Saturday, May 13.
