(Photo by Victor Tan / New Day Review)
ORLANDO, Fla. – It’s one of the unofficial laws of sports: All streaks, good and bad, eventually come to an end. That was the harsh reality Orlando City B had to face after a 2-0 loss to the Richmond Kickers on Sept. 7 broke the United Soccer League Lions’ 12-game unbeaten streak. Dating back to June 23, OCB put together one of the league’s best runs. And while pressure to maintain that unbeaten streak sometimes morphs into pressure, OCB midfielder Scott Thomsen didn’t feel any of it.
“No, we didn’t feel really pressure at all, really,” Thomsen said after the loss. “We just took it game by game, and it just so happens that this one ended it. But now we have five games left in the season, and we start with Saint Louis [FC], and we don’t look past that one ‘cause that’s gonna be a tough road trip, and it’s one that we need to get all three points on to get back on track here.”
As for team captain Lewis Neal, though, the 36-year-old veteran felt a sense of internal pressure, noting OCB’s lack of attention from the media.
“I think the only pressure that was on ourselves is from ourselves,” Neal said after the Richmond match. “I mean…OCB doesn’t get a great deal of coverage… So, I mean, the pressure should only really come from within ourselves to want to continue that run, and now it’s a case of that one’s out the way. Now we need to go and start on the next run. We’ve got, what, five games to go? We need to make sure, now, we go, you know, on a good run for these next five games and try and get ourselves into a playoff spot.”
OCB are fighting for a USL playoff position in their second year of existence. Last season, last-seeded OCB were eliminated by New York Red Bulls II in the first round. If OCB want a chance at avenging the early 2016 postseason exit, they’ll have to produce results in the five remaining games of the 2017 regular season.
That push to solidify a playoff spot begins with an Eastern Conference matchup against No. 11 Saint Louis. Though, OCB aren’t taking any teams lightly the rest of the way, as Richmond was and still is in 14th. Vying for one of the East’s eight playoff spots are six teams in seventh through 12th place, all separated by a maximum margin of five points.
For head coach Anthony Pulis, each of the five remaining matches will be treated like a championship game for OCB.
“Every game’s a cup final. We said that for the Bethlehem [Steel] game last week,” Pulis said after his side lost to Richmond. “It’s one game at a time. I know it’s boring. I know it’s cliché, but every single game, now, we have to approach it like a cup final if w wanna reach the team objective, which we’re still in a good position…and it’s important, now, we get a good reaction next week.”
Including Saint Louis on Saturday, OCB will also host the No. 4 Charleston Battery on Sept. 23, travel to face Richmond on Oct. 1, host No. 6 NYRB II on Oct. 7 and conclude the regular season against the No. 5 Tampa Bay Rowdies on Oct. 12.
Kickoff against Saint Louis on Saturday is at 8:30 p.m.
For more on OCB, as they look to solidify their playoff spot in the USL playoffs, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.
