Team will kick off shortened season against Tormenta FC
Match will be the 1st with Neveleff at the helm of OC
After months away from the pitch, Orlando City B will return to action on Saturday at 8 p.m. against South Georgia Tormenta FC.
The match — which will be streamed on ESPN+ — marks the start of a new era for Orlando City youth development. The team now trains at the same facility as the MLS team and will play home matches at Osceola County Stadium.
Most important, the club will be led by new coach Marcelo Neveleff.
A longtime colleague of Orlando City coach Oscar Pareja, Neveleff served as the Lions’ academy director during the 2019 season.
With OCB, Neveleff says he will work to reflect Pareja’s fast-paced, high-pressing style. It will be an important tool to help players make the transition up to the first team.
It will provide an important opportunity for firstteam players — from new signees like Michael Halliday to more experienced players returning from injury — to gain valuable minutes before returning to the MLS pitch.
“OCB is trying to emulate what the first team is doing,” Neveleff said. “We don’t want our players to be in an area where they don’t know what’s going on if they’re moved to the first team.”
OCB will play 16 matches during a shortened USL League One season due to the coronavirus pandemic. The season will include home-and-away series against the USL affiliates of league rivals Atlanta United and Inter Miami.
The team’s Sept. 12 game will be feature a notable matchup against Fort Lauderdale, which is led by former Orlando City coach Jason Kreis and features former Orlando City player Servando Carrasco on the roster.
USL approached its restarts differently than many other leagues, allowing teams to travel and opening stadiums to a limited number of fans.
Orlando City is navigating travel on a week-toweek basis, but it will bus the team to its opening match in Georgia.
Although the club is open to allowing attendance at later matches, the first OCB home matches are currently slated to be closed to the public.
Orlando City vice president of soccer operations Luiz Muzzi said the club will also go above the standards set by USL in terms of testing and other safety protocols.