Orlando City B (8-7-9, 37 points) at Crown Legacy FC (10-7-6, 40 points)
When: Sunday, September 8, 3:00 p.m. ET
Where: Sportsplex at Matthews, Matthews, NC
TV: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
Successful Hunt
Needing a win to boost its playoff chances, Orlando City B came out strong last week against Huntsville City FC. Captain Imanol Almaguer struck first for the Lions in the 29th minute for his third goal in as many games. OCB doubled its lead in the second half after defender Alex Freeman drew a foul in the box and finished off the ensuing penalty kick. The goal was Freeman’s fourth of the season and the second time he’s converted from the penalty spot. Huntsville would get a goal back in the 81st minute and continue to put pressure on the Lions in the final moments of the match, but the home side dug deep and came away with a 2-1 win.
Coming For the Crown
The Lions and Crown Legacy FC will face off for the third and final time this season with each trying to pull ahead of the other. Orlando City B won the first matchup this season on the road, but Crown Legacy returned the favor in Orlando by winning the end-of-regulation shootout 3-1 after a 0-0 draw at Osceola County Stadium. Since joining MLS NEXT Pro in 2022, the Lions hold a 1-2-1 record against Crown Legacy and currently sit just three points back from Crown Legacy for fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings.
Final Four
Last week was a big week for OCB in terms of playoff positioning. The Lions jumped up into a playoff spot with their win over Huntsville City FC, but also had several results go their way to move even further up the table. With Chicago Fire FC II playing to a draw last Saturday and both Inter Miami CF II and Chattanooga FC losing on Sunday, the Lions moved up to fifth place in the Eastern Conference. With just four games remaining, OCB can still climb further in the standings. The Club sits three points behind fourth place, five points behind third and six points out of first place.
Going The Distance
Like most teams in MLS NEXT Pro, OCB has had its fair share of lineup changes. However, three players for the Lions can be counted on not only to start in their matches, but to finish them as well. Captain Imanol Almaguer leads the league in minutes played with 2,135 over 24 games. With 2,108 minutes played, midfielder Jhon Solís joins Almaguer as the only players in the league with over 2,100 minutes played on the year. Combined, the two players have missed just 77 total minutes of game time for OCB. Not to be outdone, defender Nabi Kibunguchy also ranks in the top 10 league-wide with a total of 1,980 minutes in 22 matches, not missing a single minute in any game he’s appeared in.
