Orange County SC returned from their cross-country trip to Hartford with 1 point, leaving them with just 3 points in 4 matches. That’s not quite the start the team (and most of the fans) were hoping for when the season kicked off a little under a month ago. Anyway, in honor of OC’s trip to Hartford, the “Insurance Capital of the World”, here are their player rankings. (Community ratings are in parentheses)
5 STARS: Mayhem (ALLSTATE)
Mayhem will probably never be the first character people think of when it comes to insurance commercials, but he is without a doubt the best. His descriptions of the possible mayhem that could happen to pretty much anyone in the commercials is pretty spot on and hilarious.
No Orange County SC player was as good as Mayhem.
4 Stars: Cavemen (Geico)
You have to go back a decade to a time when most people still watched commercials to remember the Geico Cavemen commercials. Not only did they give people a break from the annoying Gecko mascot, but they were actually pretty funny. The characters were so popular that a short lived TV series, Cavemen, was created. Unfortunately, the Cavemen were not as funny outside of their Geico commercials, and the series was canceled after 13 episodes.
Milan Iloski (4)
Iloski is looking more and more like the 2022 version of himself as the season progresses. His free kick from just outside of the box was a beauty, and was rewarded with a goal of the week nomination.
Cody Cropper (3.3)
Had a pretty solid game that would have resulted in a clean sheet (and 3 points) for OC if not for a breakdown on the backpost by either Ryan Doghman or Ashish Chatta.
Kevin Partida (3.2)
Partida was the best midfield player for OC. He quietly lead the team in tackles won and interceptions. All-in-all a solid performance.
3 Stars: Jake from State Farm (State Farm)
Jake is a character that pretty much everyone has heard of, but probably won’t remember much other than his name. It’s a catchy character that needed help from some famous NBA stars to create watchable commercials.
Bryce Jamison (3.3)
In a recurring theme, the announcers seemed to be in love with Jamison’s athleticism and skill. Unfortunately, Bryce played pretty average in Hartford.
Alex Villanueva (3.2)
He wasn’t able to get a foot in the way of the cross that lead to the equalizing goal. Other than that, had a pretty average game.
Ryan Doghman (3)
Struggled a little in his first start in the back line for Orange County. Was one of the players that didn’t mark Elvis Amoh on the equalizing goal. Picked up a late yellow card.
Markus Nakkim (3)
Had a solid match. Was waiting on the sidelines while Hartford equalized after taking a shot directly to the face.
Andrew Fox (3)
Had an opportunity to get Orange County a second goal off a set piece, but couldn’t head the ball on target. He is a defender, so we won’t go too hard on him.
Ashish Chatta (3)
He was the other player that forgot to mark Amoh on the equalizing goal. How the halftime whistle didn’t blow before that goal is the big question, but players have to play until the whistle blows.
Daniel Pedersen (3)
This was not his best performance playing for Orange County, but it wasn’t bad. Overall, a pretty average match. OC needs more out of their captain if they hope to earn their first league win against El Paso.
Seth Casiple (2.8)
Came into the match early into the 2nd half for Bryce Jamison, and was subbed off in the 86th minute after a scary collision. Didn’t have a strong enough impact prior to the injury.
Brent Richards (2.7)
Came off the bench in the 2nd half, replacing Alex Villanueva. Statistically, nothing stood out. Same with the eye test.
Emil Nielsen (2.7)
Emil probably wasn’t expecting to come on the pitch in the 1st half (if at all), but an injury to McNulty forced him to make the early appearance. Didn’t do enough to earn a higher rating.
Marc McNulty (2.5)
McNulty struggled a little in this match. He had some opportunities, with his best being a shot straight to Hartford goalkeeper Richard Sanchez. Much more is expected from the veteran from Scotland.
Kyle Scott (2.5)
Came in late in the second half to try and give Orange County a boost in the midfield. Had a shot and a yellow card during his short time on the pitch.
2 Stars: Aflac Duck (Aflac)
This is a mascot that is so annoying, you can’t help but remember it. All commercial long, for over 20 years. Enough already.
Thomas Amang (2.2)
Thomas is still trying to figure out how he fits in Orange County’s gameplan. He showed this against Hartford with a pretty below-average performance, especially for his standards.
1 Star: Flo (Progressive)
I know some people love the Flo character (I did for the first couple of appearances), but she should have been retired a long time ago. Instead, they decided to add a just as annoying sidekick named Jamie. Their schtick became overused, and over time, has become quite annoying.
No Orange County SC player was as bad as Flo.
No Rating
Korede Osundina (2.5)
Was subbed in late in the match for the injured Seth Casiple. Didn’t play enough to earn a rating.