Another California Derby, Another Pivotal Game
If there were ever a must-win game that did not result in elimination, this would be the game.
This game has the dubious honor of not just being a much needed win for playoff positioning but OC, in simple terms, needs to win a game. This season has had the highest of highs and lowest of lows all before a playoff game has even started. What a coincidence it is then that the game in question can propel Orange County SC back into the playoffs after a one-year hiatus. Last week OC were able to tough out a point in the desert with a 1-1 effort against Phoenix Rising FC. That matchup actually gave Phoenix a postseason spot but not OC even though they are even on points.
There are only three games remaining in the 2023 regular season and they will all take place in the Golden State. Orange County officially sit 5th in the Western Conference but are even on points with 4th-place Phoenix with 48 and two points behind 3rd-place San Diego. The top four teams in each conference will play the first round of playoffs at home. OC are hungry for a win but the team they are facing might be a bit more desperate.
THE OPPONENT - OAKLAND ROOTS SC
The Roots of Oakland are in a bit of a free-fall. That is putting it lightly. The month of September has not been kind to them as they have not won a match since August 23 in New Mexico. Since then they have done this: loss, loss, loss, loss, draw, draw. Included in that string of losses includes losses to Las Vegas and Tulsa. This has put Oakland just a single point above the playoff line. Like Orange County, Oakland do have a game in hand on the rest of the competition with that game being played in a midweek matchup.
Oakland are about league average when it comes to both goals scored and goals let in. They have been on a steady decline as the season has gone on. The season may very much boil down to how these last 3 games go for an Oakland side that is only one point above Monterey Bay for the 8th seed. After the midweek match with OC, the Roots will go down to San Diego on Saturday then in the final match of the season will host El Paso. This means that all 3 of Oakland’s remaining matchups will be against playoff bound teams above them in the standings.
If Oakland were to qualify this year, that would be the third consecutive season in what is their third season in the USL Championship. It should be noted that Oakland have grabbed the last available playoff spot for the last two seasons and if the season were to end today then they would do it for a third consecutive time.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Paul Blanchette is the number one choice in net for Oakland. The bay area native is in his third year with the bay area club and is the league leader in saves with 104 registered. Likewise he has also held opposing teams off the scoresheet 9 times. On the opposite side of the field is Johnny Rodriguez, the team leader in goals who has netted 12 himself. This puts him tied for 10th in the league. Rodriguez has scored in three of Oakland’s six previous games. This has really been the breakout year for Rodriguez who before this year had only scored 6 goals in the past 2 years.
On the orange side of things it will be the outside backs that are both young and have been very impressive in their first years with the club. Of course we are talking about Ryan Doghman and Owen Lambe. In what has probably been the most consistent group of the year with its rotations, the backline has been a lock under Karlsen for a while now. With 3 of the 4 being new acquisitions, it still has so much more potential. Doghman to this point has played in all but 5 games, has assisted on two goals from defense, and has only accumulated 4 cautions against. The 26-year old Norwegian has perhaps solidified the left wing spot for years to come. Likewise his counterpart Owen Lambe has quietly been just as good on his side. While only appearing in 22 games this year across all competitions, Lambe has made up for it by also scoring twice this year, assisting on another, and doing it with only two cautions.
THE MATCHUP
Since winning the first five competitive matchups, Orange County has failed to take 3 points from Oakland in what has been almost 2 years since the last win. This has been a OC-heavy matchup yet it is the Roots who were able to throttle OC in the first matchup this season with a 3-0 shellacking. That was only the second game of the Morten Karlsen age in what has been a pretty good one at that. Likewise Orange County has done everything to clinch a playoff spot except the actual clinch. Orange County can clinch with just a draw at home.
WHAT TO KNOW
Game - vs Oakland Roots SC (USL Championship)
When - October 4, 7:00 PM PST
Where - Championship Soccer Stadium (Irvine, CA)
OCSC Form - DLLDW
OAK Form - DDLLL
All-Time Matchup - 5-2-1
TV - ESPN+, Bally Sports SoCal