Orange County opens it's 2018 US Cup against PDL club FC Golden State Force on Wednesday, May 16. The match will take place in Irvine at Championship Soccer Stadium at The Great Park. Although OC SC, who play in the USL, is favored over their lower division opponent, they shouldn't look past their Southern California neighbors.
FC Golden State Force are on good form in the early season, winning all 4 of their matches, 3 in league and 1 in the cup. They have only conceded 1 goal in those matches, and have an impressive goal differential. They are coming off a 6-0 victory over San Francisco City over the weekend, their third clean sheet in as many tries in league play. Earlier this month, they beat the Orange County SC U-23 squad in what has been their toughest competition so far.
After a strong start to the season, Orange County has struggled to put the ball in the net. After scoring 13 goals in their first 6 matches of the season, a run that saw them earn 13 points, they have struggled recently, scoring 3 goals in their last 4 matches. In that stretch, they have just 4 points. Despite their recent poor form, they have been able to stay near the top of the league table. This will be the first match of the 2018 US Cup for OC, and hopefully they will be able to put in a quality performance that they can build on.
Game Info:
Match-up: Orange County SC vs. FC Golden State Force
When: Wednesday, May 16, 2018
Location: Championship Soccer Stadium at Great Park, Irvine, CA
TV/Stream: US Soccer Website