OCB drops Home Finale to Pittsburgh Riverhounds
In its regular season home finale, Orlando City B (8-10-8, 32 points) fell 2-0 to bottom club Pittsburgh Riverhounds (6-15-5, 23 points) on Saturday night at Titan Soccer Complex. Orlando City B still sits in eighth and final place in its quest to reach the Eastern Conference play offs, five points ahead of Harrisburg City with a game in hand.
“I thought we played really well to be honest. I thought we controlled the game for probably 75-80 minutes. Apart from a 10-minute spell midway through the first half where they had a sustained spell of possession, I thought we had them camped in and just lacked that little bit of a killer instinct. We had a lot of possession. I don’t think it was a 2-nil game at all,” OCB Head Coach Anthony Pulis said. “You end up throwing bodies up at the end and you always leave yourself susceptible to a counter. The point scenario for the playoffs is exactly the same. Doesn’t change anything. Big game Wednesday at Wilmington for us.”
A strike from Riverhounds forward Chevaughn Walsh against the run of play gave the away side a 1-0 lead in the 24th minute. Nick Thompson sent in a cross from the left side and Walsh drove a low shot off the hands of a diving Ridgers and into the right side of the net.
OCB had a chance to draw level just five minutes later when Zach Hayden played the ball into the box to Hadji Barry. The UCF product then found fellow 2016 MLS SuperDraft first-round pick Richie Laryea, who was able to turn at the top of the area and fire a tame shot on goal that was stopped by Pittsburgh goalkeeper Zach Steffen.
The first half was a game of few chances and the second half wasn’t much different although OCB came within inches of tying the match several times in the second half, with its best opportunity coming off the foot of stalwart midfielder Andrew Ribeiro in the 69th minute. The 25-year-old intercepted a clearance, took a touch and fired a hard left-footed shot that bounced off the post.
Former Lion Corey Hertzog made sure of things for the Riverhounds in stoppage time when he found himself clear at the half way line and raced down the field for a one on one where he slipped the ball neatly past OCB goalkeeper Mark Ridgers.
The match featured MLS players Conor Donovan, Harrison Heath, Richie Laryea and Hadji Barry, as well as Tyler Turner and Devron García on the bench.
OCB begins a four-game road trip to end the season on Wednesday, Sept. 7, at Wilmington at 7:30 p.m. ET before heading to Toronto on Sept. 11, Cincinnati on Sept. 17 and ending Sept. 25 at Bethlehem.
Lineups/Substitutions:
Orlando City B – GK Mark Ridgers, D Conor Donovan, Kyle McFadden, Craig Nitti, Zach Hayden, M Harrison Heath (Antonio Matarazzo 46’), Lewis Neal (Johnny Mendoza 39’), Andrew Ribeiro, F Michael Cox, Richie Laryea (Marius Obekop 75’), Hadji Barry
Substitutes: GK Mason Stajduhar, D Tyler Turner, Devron García, F Keegan Smith
Pittsburgh Riverhounds – GK Zach Steffen, D Marshall Hollingsworth, Ryan Adeleye, Sergio Campbell, Zak Boggs (Michael Green 71’), M Stephen Okai (Willie Hunt 87’), Lebo Moloto (Drew Russell 90’), Kevin Kerr, Corey Hertzog, F Nick Thompson (Jack Thompson 46’), Chevaughn Walsh (Alejandro Aguilar 71’)
Substitutes: GK Hunter Gilstrap, D Jordan Murrell
Attendance: 756
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