ORLANDO, Fla. (May 11, 2017) - Two weeks since its last match, Orlando City B (2-3-3, 9 points) heads to Ohio to take on FC Cincinnati (2-3-3, 9 points) on Saturday, May 13. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. ET at Nippert Stadium.
“It’s been a good two weeks for us because we’ve been able to reinforce how we want to play defensively, how we want to attack, how we want to transition and go through some set pieces,” OCB Head Coach Anthony Pulis said. “[FC Cincinnati is] a very good team. I don’t think their results reflect how good they are. They’ve got a really good blend and balance between good technical players and also some pace and some power and athleticism in attacking areas. We’re going to have to be at our best if we’re going to go there and get anything.”
On April 27, OCB played a scoreless draw against Saint Louis FC. Goalkeeper Earl Edwards, Jr. made two saves to earn his second consecutive clean sheet. The draw extended OCB’s unbeaten streak to three games following a win at Bethlehem and a draw at Harrisburg City.
Edwards leads the United Soccer League (USL) with 24 saves and has played every minute in goal for OCB this season. Midfielder Pierre Da Silva is tied for the league lead with four assists while rookie forward Albert Dikwa and Richie Laryea have two goals each.
Cincinnati is coming off of a 1-1 draw against Richmond Kickers. Jimmy McLaughlin equalized for Cincinnati in the 70th minute and goalkeeper Mitch Hildebrandt made two saves. Cincinnati is 0-1-3 in its last four games and 1-0-2 at Nippert Stadium this season.
Djiby Fall leads Cincinnati and is tied for the league lead with six goals while Hildebrandt is fifth in the USL with 20 saves. Cincinnati will be without forward Andy Craven, who was issued a four-game suspension for violent conduct in FCC’s loss to Bethlehem on April 29.
This is the third all-time meeting between these teams. Cincinnati won the first match, 3-1, on May 4 before taking a 1-0 decision in Ohio on Sept. 17.
