Orlando City B (0-1-0, 0 points) fell to Huntsville City FC (1-0-0, 3 points) at Osceola County Stadium tonight in the team’s 2026 MLS NEXT Pro season opener. Shak Mohammed netted a brace for the visitors, with the other goal coming from Jordan Knight. Harvey Sarajian scored the lone goal for the Young Lions, the first of his professional career.

The starting lineup for Manuel Goldberg’s side featured some familiar names, and some fans likely don’t know. Javier Otero was the starting goalkeeper and wore the armband behind a back line of Bernardo Rhein, Nicolas Lasheras, Titus Sandy, Jr., and Zakaria Taifi. Issah Haruna and Caleb Trombino were the defensive midfielders behind Sarajian, Justin Ellis, and Gustavo Caraballo, with Pedro Leao up top.

OCB will feel this was a game that got away. The Young Lions had multiple opportunities to score, including a sitter for Sarajian in the first half. But, in the end, it was defensive mistakes that decided the result. Miscommunication between Otero and Lasheras led to the first goal, and Otero was lobbed after coming out of his box, resulting in the third goal. Those three plays were the difference between three points and no points.

The first chance of the game was for the visitors when Sarajian tripped Chris Applewhite near the OCB box. Angel Iniguez took the set piece, finding Nick Pariano making a near-post run. However, the midfielder’s touch was wide of the post, keeping the game scoreless.

The Young Lions’ inability to clear the ball in the 11th minute gave former Lion Shak Mohammed his first chance. The attacker fired from outside the box, but Lasheras got in the way. Otero unsuccessfully tried to keep it from leaving the field, leading to the game’s first corner kick.

Mohammed took the set piece, but sent it too close to Otero, who made the catch.

Huntsville tried to play the ball out of the back in the 12th minute, but OCB’s pressure created a turnover. Sarajian found Leao, who backheeled the ball for Haruna. The 2026 MLS SuperDraft pick took the team’s first shot of the season from outside the box, sending his attempt straight to Will Mackay.

The Young Lions had another chance in the 15th minute when Caraballo brought a long ball down well and sent Taifi down the right. Gabriel Alonso took the right back down with a late challenge, earning the game’s first yellow card. Caraballo took the set piece from near the top corner of the box, but his shot was over the crossbar.

Alonso made a good run himself in the 18th minute, dribbling into the OCB third and near the top of the box. Running into traffic, he laid the ball off for Iniguez, who took a couple of touches to the side before sending his low shot wide of the far post.

A minute later, Trombino found Leao at the top of the box and the forward immediately sent it wide for Taifi. It went off a defender but straight to Taifi, whose first shot was on target and tipped wide by Mackay.

It looked like OCB might take the lead in the 28th minute when Leao was sent down the right in transition. Sarajian was making a run down the middle with nobody picking him up. Leao found his teammate and it looked like an easy tap-in, but Sarajian sent the attempt over the crossbar.

The ball was immediately sent down the field by Huntsville and it looked like OCB would handle it easily. But Lasheras and Otero just looked at each other, expecting the other to take it. Meanwhile, Mohammed took possession and passed it into the empty net to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

In the 32nd minute, Knight won the ball from Caraballo near midfield and went the other way. Lasheras slid in to tackle it away, but was unable to do so. While the ball got too far away from Knight, Maximus Ekk backheeled the ball to Knight who beat Otero, placing the ball inside the near post and giving his team a 2-0 lead.

Taifi sent a great ball to the back post for Sarajian in the 37th minute, but Malachi Molina got his head to it first, knocking it out of play. Taifi took the set piece and it found Sarajian’s head at the far post. The midfielder headed it straight down where Mackay made the stop.

Two minutes later, Mohammed tried to create his second goal of the game when he made a long run into the OCB box. The attacker found enough space for a shot, sending his attempt into Otero’s arms.

In the 44th minute, Lasheras intercepted a long pass out of the back by Huntsville City. His touch let the ball get away, but Taifi was there to take possession. After a brief touch forward, the right back took a hard, low shot from distance that skipped just wide of the far post.

Huntsville had a good chance to make it 3-0 in the first minute of first-half stoppage time when Iniguez sent Ekk down the right. The attacker got behind Sandy and took a shot from a tight angle, but Otero got down to make the stop.

Two minutes later, the Young Lions finally broke through. It started when Mohammed drove down the left and his low cross was blocked out for a corner kick. OCB intercepted the set piece and went the other way. Ellis took possession and sent a beautiful ball for Caraballo, who split two defenders before sending it to Sarajian all alone. Molina came sliding in, but Sarajian used a nice touch to avoid the defender, putting it under Mackay’s arm and cutting the deficit in half.

That was the last good chance for either team as OCB entered the break down 2-1. Huntsville had the edge in shots (9-7), shots on target (4-3), and passing percentage (87%-80.3%) in the first 45 minutes. OCB had more corner kicks (4-3) and both teams attempted four crosses.

Things got a little feisty in the 49th minute when Taifi and Knight got tangled up. Knight grabbed Taifi’s arm and Taifi threw him down. As a result, both players were booked. The ensuing set piece by Caraballo ended up with Ellis on the far side. The attacker sent a curling cross into the box, but Sandy was unable to get over the ball, allowing Mackay to make an easy catch.

On the other end, Alonso found Knight near the top corner of the box. The forward took a shot that continued to sail high and wide, giving little concern to Otero.

In the 52nd minute, Haruna received a pass near the top of the Huntsville box and continued it to the right for Caraballo. The youngest signing in Orlando City’s MLS history fired on target, forcing Mackay into a save with his foot.

Huntsville had a great chance to extend its lead back to two goals in the 53rd minute when Molina made a run to the end line and crossed the ball. Lasheras got in front of the attempt, but it was deemed to go off his arm. Elvis Osmanovic immediately pointed to the spot, awarding the visitors a penalty. After winning the penalty, Molina stepped up to the spot. Otero guessed correctly, diving to his left and blocking the attempt out of play.

Leao nearly equalized for the Young Lions in the 58th minute after making a long run and firing from outside the box. It was a rocket shot and appeared to be heading inside the near post, but the ball was just wide.

Four minutes later, the visitors doubled their lead. Otero came outside of his box to clear the ball, but sent it right to Mohammed. The former OCB leading goal scorer sent the ball over Otero and into the goal to make it 3-1.

Goldberg made his first two changes of the game in the 70th minute. Dominik Baczewski and Matthew Belgodere came on for Trombino and Caraballo.

OCB had a good chance to cut the deficit back to one when Ellis was fouled by Jayvin Van Deventer near the top of the Huntsville box. Taifi’s free kick was into the wall, but OCB kept possession. Baczewski collected the ball and played it back for Sarajian, who quickly found Ellis at the top of the box. The Orlando City Homegrown product fired a shot that sailed just over the crossbar.

In the 78th minute, Baczewski played a beautiful ball forward for Taifi behind the Huntsville back line. The right back did well to bring it down with his chest and sent his shot toward the far post. Unfortunately, it went just wide.

Goldberg made his third change in the 80th minute as Jaylen Yearwood came into the game for Haruna.

Huntsville nearly scored a fourth in the 90th minute when Iniguez fired from long distance. The ball appeared to be heading just under the crossbar, so Otero was forced to tip it over for a corner kick. The ensuing set piece was cleared by Rhein, but only to Alonso. With space, Alonso took a shot from distance that traveled wide of the near post.

Despite OCB chasing a two-goal deficit, it was Huntsville creating the chances. The visitors had another opportunity in the first minute of stoppage time when Iniguez cut inside before firing a shot for the far post. However, the ball sailed wide.

The final chance of the game came in the dying seconds when Belgodere found Taifi in the box. The right back got his head to the ball and put it on frame, but Mackay made a great save, tipping it over the crossbar.

Leao got his head to the ensuing corner kick, but he couldn’t get much on it. Molina cleared the ball and Huntsville was able to see out the 3-1 win.

At full time, both teams had 17 shots and Huntsville put one more on frame (7-6). While OCB had more crosses (8-5), Huntsville held the advantage in corner kicks (8-7) and passing accuracy (85.6%-82.5%).

The loss ends a four-season streak in which the Young Lions won their season opener. The last time they fell in their first contest was in 2020 when they lost 2-0 to South Georgia Tormenta FC away from home.

The boys in purple have just under a week to shake this one off before they take the field again. They’ll host Chicago Fire FC II Sunday night as they look for their first points of the season.