Orange County’s playoff run ended quickly on Saturday afternoon, falling 6-2 to Real Monarchs.
Orange County quickly found themselves on the back foot after a pair of defensive errors saw the hosts run out a 2-0 lead in the opening half hour.
However, Orange County found an answer in the 35th minute through Michael Orozco. The center back halved the deficit after a stunning acrobatic scissor-kick. OC looked dangerous from that point, maintaining possession and testing the Monarchs back line until the whistle for halftime was blown.
OC made two changes at the half, with Danny Crisostomo and Darwin Jones coming on for Christian Duke and Vinicius, respectively.
Horror struck shortly after the restart for OC as Harry Forrester saw red after receiving his second yellow following an aerial challenge.
With OC down a man, the Monarchs ran riot, netting four more in the final half hour of the match.
The Monarchs dominated possession, and OC struggled to build an attack in the remaining time.
Still, Michael Seaton and Darwin Jones never gave up, and the dynamic duo managed a consolation goal before full time.
Players and staff alike thanked the fans for their support all season long.
Scoring:
13’ Maikel Chang
28’ Douglas Martinez
35’ Michael Orozco
59’ Jack Blake
77’ Tate Schmitt
81’ Erik Holt
90’ Jack Blake
90+2’ Michael Seaton
Discipline:
34’ Luke Mulholland (yellow)
40’ Harry Forrester (yellow)
49’ Harry Forrester (second yellow)
67’ Walker Hume (yellow)
80’ Michael Orozco (yellow)