Previous Two USL Champions Meet In Final Home Game for OC
The September slide has come to an end as the Orange & Black open the month of October with a convincing 3-1 win. The win did a lot for OC in the grand scheme of things as it leapfrogged the club into a tie for third in the West as well as leaving Orange County with their own destiny to clinch a postseason game at home.
After last week, each team in the USL Championship have completed 32 matches meaning each club will only have this weekend and the next to go up or down. Likewise only two remaining playoff spots remain in both the Eastern and Western Conference and only three teams in the entire USL Championship are mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.
There really is a lot that is still to be determined this season with not only OC but also their opponents as well. The last significant race for OC is that of a home playoff matchup and standing in the way of them is a formidable opponent in San Antonio FC; another team with plenty to play for.
THE OPPONENT - SAN ANTONIO FC
Here is the thing about SAFC: They have just a singular win to their credit in the past eight games. For a team that has remained in the top 2 of the West for a majority of the season they cannot seem to pull away from the rest of the pack. Likewise this could very well come back to bite them as the non-wins in their games are against very likely first round opponents. These include draws to teams like Oakland, Colorado Springs, and Rio Grande Valley. They even needed a goal in the fifth minute of second half stoppage time just to draw with Oakland. They do have one win in recent memory.
In one of the few quirks with the schedule, Orange County and San Antonio will play for a second time in a span of three weeks. The last time these two teams played San Antonio gave OC a humbling 0-4 loss in a match that OC had no business competing in. It was the second time this season OC lost a match by four goals in a match that saw San Antonio score three goals in a span of 11 minutes in the second half. With the closeness of the home and away legs, the last San Antonio pregame report is pretty much unchanged.
San Antonio do have something to play for and that is to be Western Conference regular season champions. They are currently three points behind Sacramento for the number one seed in the West. While Sacramento travels to a hungry RGV side for their matchup, San Antonio must earn three points in a hungry Orange County if they want the 1-seed.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Since this is virtually the exact same club that OC faced two weeks before, the player to keep an eye out for is again Tani Oluwaseyi. Oluwaseyi has scored in consecutive games to bring his total on the season to 16 goals. Sixteen goals puts him in third for the title but just two back of scoring the most in the Western Conference. Likewise Oluwaseyi will not be around much longer for them since he is on loan.
On the orange side of things, Brian Iloski seems to have a knack for only scoring world-class goals. He may only have two on the year yet both could very well be considered to be the best goals of the year. Iloski does a lot of the facilitation for Orange County and that is represented with his three assists for the year along with 28 total chances created for those around him.
THE MATCHUP
Whoever wins this match will move ahead of the other in the all-time matchup. Before Saturday, these two teams had compiled a perfect 4-4-4 record against the other. That does include the September 23 game in Texas that San Antonio won 4-0. This is likewise the final home game of the 2023 regular season and could very well be the final time that we see a number of players at Championship Soccer Stadium. Nonetheless it is still an important game with plenty to play for on both sides. The last time Orange County beat San Antonio in a regular season matchup was 2018 in a 3-0 win that saw Thomas Enevoldsen, Mats Bjurman, and Michael Seaton all get on the scoresheet with Luis Lopez getting the clean sheet.
Also the chance to clinch a home playoff game is available. The game that OC fans should also keep their eyes on is that of Phoenix against New Mexico as both scenarios require a Phoenix loss. If Orange County bests San Antonio then they would also need Phoenix to either draw or lose. A draw on Saturday for OC would also require a Phoenix loss along with a Colorado Springs loss to Las Vegas.
WHAT TO KNOW
Game - vs San Antonio FC (USL Championship)
When - October 7, 7:00 PM PST
Where - Championship Soccer Stadium (Irvine, CA)
OCSC Form - WDLLD
SAN Form - DWDDL
All-Time Matchup - 4-4-4
TV - ESPN+, Bally Sports SoCal