Orlando City B Opens 2020 League One Campaign against Tormenta FC
July 31, 2020 - United Soccer League One (USL1) - Orlando City B News Release
ORLANDO, Fla. - Orlando City B (0-0-0, 0 points) will begin its 2020 United Soccer League (USL) League One season on Saturday, August 1 following a near four-month delay to the start of its campaign due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Lions will face off against South Georgia Tormenta FC (0-0-2, 2 points), with kickoff set for 8 p.m. ET at Erk Russell Park and the match available to stream on ESPN+.
The match will mark the beginning of the Marcelo Neveleff era for the young Lions, who was appointed as the Orlando City B Head Coach in December 2019. Neveleff joined the Club in the summer of last year as its Academy Director, a role he will still occupy while serving at the helm for the USL League One side.
The Lions' 2020 roster comprises a mix of Academy products, as well as players signed directly to Orlando City B, in their next step along the Club's development pyramid to the First Team. Since the roster was announced in early March, defender Michael Halliday has subsequently signed a Homegrown contract with the MLS side Orlando City SC, while defenders Juan Ramos and Mason Lamb have opted to join the collegiate ranks, signing with the University of Central Florida and Rollins College respectively. All three however will remain with Orlando City B for the time being.
Returning from 2019 is midfielder Austin Amer after recording 26 appearances last season with OCB. In addition, 2020 MLS SuperDraft selections Austin Aviza and Nick O'Callaghan have signed OCB contracts, while the Club welcomes 10 players on professional contracts including former Tijuana defender Juan Pablo Monticelli, midfielders Theodore Ndje and Raul Aguilera and forward Aleksander Gluvacevic.
Tormenta enters Saturday's match after drawing their first two fixtures of the 2020 season, the most recent coming in a scoreless draw against the Richmond Kickers on Tuesday. Daniel Jackson and Marco Micaletto lead the side with a goal apiece in 2020, those coming in Tormenta's season opener last Saturday in a 2-2 draw against the Chattanooga Red Wolves.
Following Saturday's match, the Lions will travel to face New England Revolution II at Gillette Stadium on Friday, August 7 before returning to Orlando for their home opener at Osceola County Stadium on Friday, August 14 against intrastate foes Fort Lauderdale CF.
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