Orlando City B (2-1-1, 8 points) played to an enthralling draw tonight against Inter Miami II (0-2-2, 2 points) at Inter&Co Stadium. The visitors took a commanding 2-0 lead inside five minutes and had a 4-1 lead shortly after halftime. But OCB came storming back to even the game 4-4 in stoppage time. The Young Lions then won the penalty shootout to claim the extra point.

OCB interim coach Julian Vergara made four changes from the team that defeated Carolina Core 3-2 on March 14. Tristan Himes, Tahir Reid-Brown, Yutaro Tsukada, and Pedro Leao returned from the first team, replacing Juan Rojas, Nicholas Lasheras, Gustavo Caraballo, and Logan Tsopanoglou.

The back line in front of Himes in goal was Bernardo Rhein, Reid-Brown, Titus Sandy, Jr., and Jaylen Yearwood. Dylan Judelson and Dominik Baczewski were in the defensive midfield behind Tsukada, Justin Ellis, and Harvey Sarajian with Leao up top.

This was a game of missed opportunities for OCB. Both teams had several bad giveaways, but Miami was able to turn those into goals. Meanwhile, OCB struggled to find the back of the net. The Young Lions put themselves in a three-goal hole before they came storming back to tie it up, but they’ll wonder what could’ve been if they’d converted some of the golden opportunities in the both halves, including three shots with the goalkeeper out of the net that didn’t go in.

The visitors struck early when a heavy touch by Yearwood on a Miami throw-in allowed Naej Desravins to reach it first. The midfielder played it wide for Preston Plambeck, who guided the ball around Himes and inside the far post to give Miami an early 1-0 lead.

It didn’t take long for the team in pink to double its advantage and it came from an OCB attack. In the fifth minute, Sarajian outran the Miami defense to reach a long Judelson pass. After a brief hesitation, his shot was too close to Max Ponikarovsky, who made the save with his left hand.

Miami immediately broke the other way with Plambeck sending a long ball forward for Idoh Zeltzer-Zubida. Reid-Brown got in front of the attacker, but Zeltzer-Zubida created enough space for a shot. The midfielder sent a curling ball over Himes and inside the far post to make 2-0 just five minutes into the game.

The Young Lions finally got their second shot of the game in the 16th minute when Tsukada made a run down the left and sent a cross to the near post for Leao. The Brazilian beat his defender to it and flicked the ball on target, but Ponikarovsky was there to catch it.

On the other end, the Herons felt they should’ve had a penalty when Theo Vorenkamp found Diego Rey in the OCB box. Himes came out to collect but missed the ball. Rey went down with contact and threw his arms up, appealing for a penalty. However, referee Aleja Calume decided it wasn’t enough to point to the spot.

The Young Lions nearly took advantage of a Miami mistake in the 23rd minute when Leao intercepted a poor pass from Desravins to Samuel Basabe. The striker used his body to shield Basabe and get into the box, but Ponikarovsky came off his line to take the ball off of Leao’s foot, ensuring he couldn’t get a shot off.

In the 34th minute, Tsukada had the ball taken off him but the heavy touch went right to Rhein. The left back quickly played it to Leao at the top of the box and, after controlling it, the forward put a shot on target. Unfortunately, it was a weak attempt that caused no trouble for Ponikarovsky.

As Miami attempted to play the ball out of the back, OCB took possession of a poor pass. Ellis played the ball wide left for Tsukada, who found Leao making a run into the box. The Brazilian tried to guide the ball inside the far post but put it wide.

A minute later, Miami again failed to play the ball out of the back, giving it away to Judelson. The midfielder quickly sent it forward for Ellis, who found Leao entering the box. The Brazilian’s first touch was past Ponikarovsky, cutting the deficit in half.

Unfortunately, it didn’t last long. In the 38th minute, Sandy played an inaccurate long ball by Miami back to Himes. The goalkeeper sent a short pass to Reid-Brown on his left, but the defender misplayed it, allowing Alejandro Flores to take possession. He played the ball across the box where Rey flicked it on for Plambeck. The forward put it in to make it 3-1.

Immediate response from Miami! 😎

Preston Plambeck with a brilliant finish for the brace and to restore the visitors two-goal advantage. pic.twitter.com/CI6xNySAJA

— MLS NEXT Pro (@MLSNEXTPRO) March 22, 2026

In the 42nd minute, Rhein received a long switch on the left. He sent a beautiful ball to the top of the six that fell to Leao, who was looking for a brace. The Brazilian redirected it on target but sent it right to Ponikarovsky. Two minutes later, Rhein had a similar chance for himself. Ellis backheeled the ball to Sarajian on the left and the midfielder sent a cross to the penalty spot, where Rhein was making a run. The young defender’s first touch was a shot that went right into Ponikarovsky’s arms.

In the 44th minute, Judelson sent a long ball left for Sarajian. Ponikarovsky came off his line to clear the ball, but his defender got to it first. Trying to play it out for a throw-in, he knocked the ball off Sarajian. The ball went to Leao with the goalkeeper getting there first. But he couldn’t control it and Ellis took possession. With the goalkeeper out of the play, Ellis shot. Unfortunately, Tyler Hall got in front of the goal to block it. Ellis then beat his defender for another chance, but he again sent it right at Hall, who kept it out of the net.

OCB created more chances than Miami in the first 45 minutes, ending the half with more shots (9-6), shots on target (7-3), and corner kicks (3-1). But Miami had better passing accuracy (82.2%-74.9%). The difference between the teams was that Miami made the Young Lions pay for their mistakes in the back and OCB struggled to do so.

Miami was forced into an unusual substitution at halftime. Ponikarovsky was taken off in a concussion change, replaced in goal by Alex Padilla.

OCB started the second half the way it ended the first half, giving the ball away in its own end. A weak pass by Reid-Brown was taken by Rey, who fired on target. Himes was there to make the stop.

In the 49th minute, Miami scored a fourth when Zeltzer-Zubida took possession of the ball near midfield. The attacker made a long run down the right, getting behind the OCB back line and playing the ball past Himes to make it 4-1.

Judelson took a strong shot in the 53rd minute that forced Padilla to tip it over the crossbar. The ensuing corner was headed out, but Sarajian was there to take possession. The midfielder made a nice move to the end line and played a good ball in front of goal, where Ellis was behind the back line to tap it in and make it a 4-2 game.

Tsukada tried to get another one back in the 53rd minute when he dribbled across the top of the Miami box and fired an off-balance shot after some contact. It wasn’t clear if the attempt was on target, but Padilla dove to collect it anyway. That was Tsukada’s final touch as Vergara made his first two changes in the 57th minute, replacing Tsukada and Yearwood with Parker Amoo-Mensah and Caraballo.

Play restarted with a free kick for OCB that Caraballo played short to Ellis. After taking a couple of touches forward, Ellis fired a shot that was caught by Padilla.

In the 60th minute, Caraballo put a strong shot towards goal that Padilla palmed away. A poor clearance allowed OCB to keep possession in the Miami half, which ended up with Sarajian on the left. He played it to Rhein, who made an overlapping run before sending Ellis into the six-yard box. There was a collision before the ball went wide and a foul was called on Ellis.

OCB got back into the game in the 68th minute with some quick passing at the top of the Miami box. Rhein, Leao, and Ellis combined to get the ball to Carabllo who did well to finish past Padilla, cutting the deficit to 4-3.

In the 79th minute, OCB failed to clear the ball, enabling Miami to take possession in the box. It ended up with Alejo Ristano, who looked like he would give Miami another two-goal lead, but Himes did well to come off his line and block the attempt.

On the other end, Caraballo was fouled by Mario Stoka, giving OCB a free kick in the opposing third. The teenager went for goal on his own, sending his shot just wide of the near post.

The Young Lions won the ball back on the goal kick, allowing Rhein to send Sarajian behind the Miami back line. He dribbled around Padilla and fired on the empty net, but his shot hit the near post.

In the 84th minute, Rey was sent through and it looked like he would have a free shot on goal. However, Sandy got in front of the shot to deflect it wide. OCB cleared the ensuing corner kick, keeping the deficit at one.

The game turned even more in the 87th minute when Padilla went off injured. Having already replaced their starting goalkeeper at halftime, the Herons put the gloves on defender Ristano. Additionally, since they had already used all three substitutions windows, the visitors would end the game with 10 men.

Vergara used his second window and third substitution in the 90th minute as OCB searched for an equalizer. Caleb Trombino, who scored the late equalizer against Carolina, replaced Judelson.

Giving the Young Lions even more motivation, the fourth official showed 13 minutes of stoppage time.

In the first minute, Ellis dribbled across the top of the Miami box before firing on goal. However, a defender got in front before it reached Ristano, deflecting it wide.

The ensuing corner went to the far side of the box where Rhein took possession. The left back fired at the near post, but Ristano blocked it wide for his first save.

Caraballo took the second corner kick and it was one to remember. The midfielder curled his set piece delivery over the outstretched arms of Ristano and inside the far post for an Olimpico, completing the comeback and tying the game at 4-4.

Playing against 10 men and an outfield player in goal, OCB continued to push for a late winner. The Young Lions thought they might have taken the lead in the sixth minute of stoppage time when Rhein sent Belgodere down the left. Caraballo was wide open to tap the ball in, but Belgodere was judged to be offside on the initial ball forward.

Ristano was forced into his second save in the seventh minute when Rhein found Ellis in the box. The attacker sent the ball wide for Belgodere, who gave it right back. Ellis spun and fired, but Ristano blocked it wide with his leg, keeping the game tied. Caraballo took the ensuing corner kick and attempted another Olimpico, but this one hit the outside netting behind the near post.

Despite being down a man, Miami had a chance for a winner in the 10th minute of stoppage time when Zeltzer-Zubida sent a long pass to Plambeck on the left side. Creating space for a shot and looking for a hat trick, Plambeck fired for the near post, forcing Himes to block it away.

A minute later, OCB had a chance when Ellis dipped his shoulder to turn on his defender before sending Sarajian into the Miami box. As the defense closed in on him, the attacker found Belgodere open to his left. The teenager’s first touch was a shot, but Rondell White got in front just in time to block the attempt.

Vergara made his final substitution in the 12th minute of stoppage time, replacing Sandy with Lasheras.

Shortly after, the final whistle blew. At full time, OCB had more shots (27-14), shots on target (17-7), and corner kicks (9-7). Miami had slightly better passing accuracy (79%-78.7%) and both teams recorded seven crosses.

Per MLS NEXT Pro rules, each team earned a point and the game went to penalties to see who would get a second.

Rey and Caraballo began the penalties with excellent finishes. After Basabe sent Himes the wrong way, Ristano nearly saved Ellis’ attempt. He got in front of the shot, but the ball slipped under him and in.

That was what OCB needed, because Himes saved Zeltzer-Zubida’s panenka and, after Sarajian made it 3-2, Joseph Convers sent his attempt over the crossbar.

Amoo-Mensah stepped up and placed his penalty well to secure the second point for the Young Lions.

This game can be considered a point lost or two points gained. OCB created more chances than Miami and could’ve come away with all three points had it converted one more. However, being down 4-1 early in the second half, the Young Lions came all the way back to pull out the draw.

In the end, while both teams will probably feel as though they should’ve come away with all three points, they’ll both be pleased to get something from the contest.

The two points moves OCB into sixth in MLS NEXT Pro’s Eastern Conference with eight points from four games. They’re tied on points with New York Red Bulls II for third, two points behind New England Revolution II for second, and four points behind the league-leading Crown Legacy FC.

The Young Lions now have an extended break as they return to the field on April 11 against Chattanooga FC in Tennessee.