Team              1 2 Final
Orlando City U23s 0 2 2
Ft. Lauderdale    0 0 0

Scoring Summary:
ORL- Michael Annarumma (Jowayne Laidley) 83’
ORL- Tyler Blackwood (Itode Fubara) 86’

Lineups/Substitutions:
Orlando City U23s- GK Tomas Gomez, D Michael Millay, Andrew Clare, Cole Seiler, Tom Skelly, M Daniel Barboto, Itode Fubara, Nick Sowers, Jowayne Laidley, F Tyler Blackwood, Junior Pre’Valus

Ft. Lauderdale- GK Carlos Catano, D Karol Chorak, Leonard Jean-Jacques, Christoph Ingram, Greg Elam, M Daniel Mendes, Tade Mesius, Victor Parra, Jesus Gonzalez, F Kevin Bangai, Alwayne Jones

Match Facts:
Time of Match: 6:30 p.m. EST

Orlando City U23s Rally to Defeat Schulz Academy
Lions win 2-0 and snap two game losing streak

Fort Lauderdale, Fla.— The Orlando City U23s defeated Fort Lauderdale Schulz Academy 2-0 on Wednesday, July 3, at Central Broward Regional Park in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The victory over Schulz Academy snaps the Lions’ two-game losing streak, and brings them two points closer to the Ocala Stampede- who is currently the Southeast Division leader.

The match began as an even contest between both sides, as the wet conditions made it difficult to move the ball around the pitch. Schulz Academy is the only team in the Southeast Division that has yet to earn a point, spending the majority of the first half bunkering to prevent the U23s from getting on the board.

After failing to coordinate any clear-cut scoring chances, the Lions attempted several short corners and creative free kicks in an effort to facilitate opportunities in the first half. However, the Fort Lauderdale defense remained in-tact and both clubs headed into the break tied 0-0.

The second half began with a similar flow as both teams were unable to hold onto the ball, and struggled to find the target. Midway through the second half, things turned around for the Lions when Defender Cole Seiler nodded home a cross in the 76th minute of play. However the referee dis-allowed the goal after claiming that Seiler collided with Fort Lauderdale Goalkeeper Carlos Catano.

Moments later, Midfielder Jowayne Laidley provided a moment of brilliance for the Lions, giving them their first goal of the match. In the 83rd minute, Laidley exploded down the line and pulled it across the box for Midfielder Michael Annarumma, who cracked his effort into the back of the net.

Annarumma’s goal gave the U23s the confidence they needed and yielded another goal for the Lions before full time. In the 86th minute, Midfielder Itode Fubara found Striker Tyler Blackwood in the box, and the Englishman chipped his effort over Catano and into the back of the net.

The Lions have three regular season games remaining, and will host the Mississippi Brilla this Sunday, July 7 in a key Southeast Division match. The game against the Brilla will be held at Seminole Soccer Complex in Sanford, Fla., and kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m.

About Orlando City Soccer Club:
Orlando City Soccer Club (OCSC) is a premier professional soccer sports franchise in the United States and is a member of the USL PRO. The Lion’s pro team has won two regular season titles and one postseason championship during their short time in Orlando. Outside of the pro squad, OCSC also has their own youth club, Orlando City Youth Soccer (OCYS) and a U23s team that participates in the PDL. For more information on the pro and youth clubs, visit www.orlandocitysoccer.com and www.orlandocityyouth.org.

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