POST-MATCH REVIEW: THREE MORE TO GO
The playoffs have officially kicked off with the conference quarter-finals battle between Orange County SC and El Paso Locomotive FC. Despite being unable to beat El Paso all season, Orange County absolutely dominated for 90 minutes to take the victory and move on to the next round.
FIRST HALF:
Due to red card suspensions, Orange County SC started their playoff run missing two regular starters, Kevin Partida and Marc McNulty. However, the way this team has been playing, there was little worry their depth could make up for the absences.
The opposition looked sloppy from the moment the whistle blew; a few missed touches and passes in the first five minutes allowed the boys in orange to take control of possession early. One of these mistakes came uncharacteristically from goalkeeper Benny Diaz. After Dillow Powers sent a long ball forward, Diaz wasn't decisive enough off his line, and Ryan Doghman headed the pass over him. The net was empty, and Doghman had a huge advantage, but unfortunately just barely missed losing out on an early opportunity.
A tremendous amount of credit must be given to Orange County's defensive line. Their opponents had zero shots on target all night, and that is due to some fantastic clearances from both Powers and Markus Nakkim, who have been the center-backs this team has relied on to stay so competitive all season.
El Paso's closest chance was off a free kick taken by Petar Petrovic. He sent the ball into the box with perfect placement, and a diving header from his teammate narrowly went wide of the net, keeping things level.
Set pieces were the true showstoppers in this match, as just ten minutes later, Orange County almost sank one in from their own free kick. Another superb cross found the feet of Doghman, who volleyed a shot toward the top of the net that was just barely too high.
Keeping with the trend, in added time of the first half, a foul on Milan Iloski just a couple of feet outside the 18-yard line provided Orange County with a dangerous set-piece opportunity. Milan stepped up to take the shot and buried it low at the far post, completely catching Diaz off guard and giving his team a 1-0 lead right before halftime.
SECOND HALF:
As the second half of the tense playoff match kicked off, Orange County continued their dominance in possession. A vital key to their commanding performance was in the midfield. Kyle Scott, Seth Casiple, and Brian Iloski were excellent all game in filling in for Partida's absence. These three shared a mind in this match, filling in on defense to make some crucial interceptions while the other two pressed forward and created a multitude of dangerous chances in the final third. All three cycled through the midfield positions in order to keep their team one step ahead of the opposition.
Byrce Jamison, a 17-year-old forward making his playoff debut, was inches away from netting a second goal for Orange County early in the half. A corner kick from Brian went high, and in the center, Jamison jumped and connected a stellar header toward the corner of the net, but Diaz made a fantastic diving save to keep it out.
As the 60th minute passed, Orange County kept most of the play on their opponent's half. They looked hungrier by the minute for a second goal, showering shots toward Diaz. But, while County improved as the clock ticked on, El Paso seemed to crumble with too many of their passes stolen away by orange shirts and unable to hold back OCSC's counter pressure.
Thomas Amang, who was putting constant pressure on the El Paso defense all night, received a pass at the top of the box, dribbled around multiple defenders, and took a shot aimed at the top of the net that Diaz, once again, made an incredible save to push it out of play and keep things 1-0.
Benny Diaz was the real reason the scoreline of this match was only 1-0, as he made a handful of saves that kept his team in the competition throughout the second half. Unfortunately for him, after coming forward for a corner kick in the third minute of added time, Milan caught Diaz at the half line after the defense cleared the ball. Milan dribbled around him for a completely open net opportunity. The only move Diaz had was to tackle Milan before, and he got a red card, getting sent off.
The final whistle blew only a few minutes later, and Orange County SC took the victory at home to push them into the conference semi-finals.
PLAYOFF RUN CONTINUES
With a majority of possession, midfield dominance, and some dangerous counterattacking chances, Orange County SC looked as strong as ever in a complete team performance. As it's been said many times before in the last few months, Morten Karlsen is the coach that has turned this squad around from sitting in 11th place to now hosting the semi-final conference playoff match. The identity he has brought to the style of play and the chemistry he has nurtured between the players is the difference maker that can take this squad all the way to the championship game.
Next Saturday, October 28th, at 7:00 pm PST, Orange County SC will battle against league rival Phoenix Rising FC for a chance to play in the Western Conference Finals the following week. With both McNulty and Partida returning, this next match will be an opportunity to show their full strength as the hottest team in the league.
FOR COUNTY!!
