Orlando City B Communications
Lions to play first home game in a month
ORLANDO, Fla. - Following another two-week layoff, Orlando City B (3-3-3, 12 points) hosts the Charlotte Independence (2-2-2, 8 points) at Orlando City Stadium on Saturday, May 27, at 7:30 p.m. ET. The match will be streamed online at www.OrlandoCitySC.com/LIVE. “It’s been a strange month, only having two games in May,” OCB Head Coach Anthony Pulis said. “Positives of that are you get a lot of quality training time with the guys, which has been good. Having said that, I think everybody now is itching to get into a rhythm of playing games again. Boys have trained really well and we’re really looking forward to the game on Saturday.” OCB is coming off its second two-week hiatus in a month. The Lions had 15 days between their 0-0 draw against Saint Louis FC and their 2-0 win at Cincinnati on May 13. OCB has posted three consecutive clean sheets and hasn’t allowed a goal in 280 minutes of play. Most recently, Pierre Da Silva and Richie Laryea scored and Earl Edwards, Jr. made three saves to earn OCB’s second consecutive road win. Da Silva converted his first of the season and the eventual game-winner from the penalty spot. Laryea’s was his third goal as a pro and his third in as many games following his game-winning brace in Bethlehem. Edwards Jr. is second in the USL with 27 saves while Da Silva is tied for second in the league with four assists. Charlotte responded to a 4-0 loss to Rochester with an emphatic 5-1 victory over New York Red Bulls II on May 11. The Independence overcame an early deficit with two first-half goals and saw five players score goals. Charlotte is tied with Rochester for the fewest games played this season with just six. This is the second meeting of the season between these two teams. On April 8, Albert Dikwa equalized with his first professional goal on Scott Thomsen’s first assist as a Lion. These teams met three times in OCB’s 2016 expansion season and split the series, 1-1-1. OCB took the first decision, 2-1, on May 28, when Da Silva scored his first professional goal and assist to erase a 1-0 halftime deficit. The Lions and Independence tied, 1-1, on July 2 before Charlotte took the finale on Aug. 17. OCB midfielder Paul Clowes made 15 appearances for Charlotte in 2016. About Orlando City SC: After winning three USL Pro regular season championships and two postseason titles over a four-year span, Orlando City SC quickly set the standard for professional soccer clubs both on and off the field and was awarded the 21st Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise on Nov. 19, 2013. The Lions played their first two seasons in MLS at the Orlando Citrus Bowl, where they held the second-highest average attendance in MLS. In 2016, the Club launched Orlando Pride in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and Orlando City B in the United Soccer League (USL). In March 2017, Orlando City SC unveiled its brand new, privately financed downtown stadium. With a capacity of 25,500 fans, Orlando City Stadium creates the most exciting game-day experience for fans in the country. For more information, visit www.orlandocitysc.com, www.orlando-pride.com or www.orlandocityb.com. |
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