MELBOURNE, Fla. (August 11, 2016) – After Saturday’s thrilling victory over Toronto FC II, Orlando City B (8-6-7, 31 points) looks to build a two-game win streak on Friday, Aug. 12, when it visits New York Red Bulls ll (13-3-5, 44 points). Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET at Red Bull Arena. The match will be streamed live at www.OrlandoCitySC.com/Live.
“It’s a game we’re really looking forward to. There’s not many times when you get to play in a beautiful stadium like Red Bull Arena so I know the guys are really excited about that,” OCB Head Coach Anthony Pulis said. “It’s going to be a difficult game. Red Bulls II have been playing really well, they have some good players but it’s one that we’re going into off the back of a good run. The message this week is to be guarding against complacency and to make sure we’re ready for the threats that they pose but also for us to stick to our game plan that we’re going to put together.”
For the second consecutive game OCB used a stoppage-time winner to collect three points. Michael Cox played hero in the second minute of added time when he controlled a delivery from the left wing and fired home the game winner from inside the box just seconds after Toronto equalized. Cox also assisted on captain Lewis Neal’s first goal of the season in the 58th minute. The win extended OCB’s unbeaten streak to nine games.
Cox leads the team with eight goals while Tyler Turner leads all defenders with four goals. Goalkeeper Mark Ridgers’ 68 saves lead the Eastern Conference and are the second most in the USL.
New York snapped a two-game losing streak with a 5-0 win against the Harrisburg City Islanders on Aug. 2. Anatole Abang converted on a penalty kick in the 27th minute before Red Bulls II poured on four goals in the second half. Goalkeeper Rafael Diaz made five saves to earn his third clean sheet of the season.
Brandon Allen leads New York with nine goals and two assists, while Junior Flemmings has five goals and four assists. Goalkeeper Ryan Meara leads the team with 44 saves in 15 games.
This is the second meeting of the season between both teams. On June 19 Devron García scored his first goal in purple but New York scored two before halftime. Bryan Róchez entered the game in the 86th minute and notched the game-tying assist just one minute later to secure a point.
OCB finishes the road trip at Charlotte on Wednesday, Aug. 17, with a 7 p.m. ET kickoff. The Lions return to Titan Soccer Complex on Sunday, Aug. 21, when they host the Richmond Kickers. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
Tickets for all OCB home matches can be purchased at OrlandoCitySC.com/OCB or by calling 855-ORL-CITY.
