FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (Aug. 5, 2023) – Orlando City B (10-8-3, 34 points) and intrastate rivals Inter Miami CF II (4-13-3, 16 points) played to a 1-1 draw on Saturday night at DRV PNK Stadium. The Lions took a point from the match, ultimately falling in the end-of-regulation shootout that followed.
The hosts took the lead 35 minutes into the match, with Felipe Valencia and Alejandro Flores hitting the Lions on the counter. The Herons went down a man after the break when Israel Boatwright picked up a red card in the 58th minute. The Lions had Miami pinned back for most of the match but couldn’t break through until Nabi Kibunguchy headed home a cross from Imanol Almaguer in the 69th to level things up at 1-1.
City will now turn its attention to a visit from New England Revolution II, set for Wednesday, August 9 in a 6 p.m. ET kickoff at Osceola County Stadium.
Scoring Summary:
35’ Felipe Valencia (Alejandro Flores) – MIA 1, ORL 0
The hosts took the lead just 10 minutes before the halftime break with Alejandro Flores lobbing a ball behind the OCB defensive line for Felipe Valencia on the right wing. Valencia carried the ball forward into the box before firing a shot across the face of Javier Otero and into the top left corner for the opener.
69’ Nabi Kibunguchy (Imanol Almaguer) – ORL 1, MIA 1
The Lions tied it up against the Herons in the 69th minute as Imanol Almaguer, following a series of consecutive corners and free kicks, played a forward ball into the box from the midfield to Nabi Kibunguchy. Nabi got his head on the ball, redirecting it into the lower right corner of the net for the equalizer.
Match Notes:
- Nabi Kibunguchy’s 69th-minute equalizer served as his third of the year in purple, tying him for third-most with Cristofer Acuña and Moises Tablante.
- Imanol Almaguer, serving as OCB’s captain on the night provided his second assist of 2023 on Kibunguchy’s tally.
- Midfielder Jhon Solís continued his run of starting and appearing in every single Orlando City B match so far this campaign, starting all 21 of OCB’s games in 2023.
- Head Coach Martín Perelman made two changes to his starting lineup from his side’s last match against New York Red Bulls II, with Shak Mohammed and Zakaria Taifi both getting the start on the night.
