On another trip to the east coast, Orange County SC faced off against Miami FC for the second time in club history. The battle ended in a draw, but the growth in strategy and return of players from OCSC leaves fans with hope that the tides may turn on this season’s bad luck.

FIRST HALF

The match kicked off with some inspiring player returns for Orange County SC, who has struggled with injuries all season. Korede Osundina, Andrew Fox, Thomas Amang, and Morten Bjorshol were finally back in the gameday lineup.

After a few games as head coach, Morten Karlsen's style of play began to show. The back four defenders were given a lot of trust early on with a shift in the midfield strategy. As a result, there was a lot more aggression seen with high pressing against Miami, an incredibly refreshing evolution to the style of play seen from Orange County in a long time, and it allowed for more counterattack opportunities created on their opponents' final third. Milan Iloski even put some heated pressure on Miami goalkeeper Adrian Zendejas. The press turned into an understandable foul, but seeing that kind of attack is one of many significant changes in how Karlsen wants the boys in orange and black to perform.

There was also a significant improvement in the crosses produced by OCSC, the first chance on goal of the evening came in the 22nd minute when Osundina connected with a beautiful corner kick, but his header narrowly went wide. Minutes later, Ryan Doghman sent a calculated cross to the middle of the box, where Milan’s header went high. Even though they couldn’t find the net, moments like those showed crucial growth with the team.

The defense luckily did not suffer in turn because of the clear focus on updating offensive strategies with counters and crosses. On the contrary, Orange County's backline was a solid wall that prevented Miami FC from having any threatening attacks. A perfect example came in the 34th minute of the match; Curtis Thorn sent a powerful low cross into the box that got past the center backs. However, Owen Lambe was there for support and cleared the danger away, ending the half at 0-0.

SECOND HALF

After the break, it was evident that OCSC looked to continue relying on the back line to hold their positions while the midfield and offense put intense pressure forward. In the 55th minute, Osundina took a quick run after a long pass from Kyle Scott that almost caught Zendejas off guard at the top of his box. However, Osundina couldn’t get his hips around the ball in time to make a powerful enough shot to get past the Miami goalkeeper.

Orange County had a handful of almost magical attacking moments with better chemistry and communication in their attacking setups. But, unfortunately, they continued to need more luck in their finishing touches on goal.

The night's best yet most heartbreaking opportunity came 15 minutes before the final whistle when a collection of brilliant passes between Scott, Bryce Jamison, and Brent Richards around the box gave Milan a gift of free space to shoot on goal. Sadly, the pass to Milan took an unsuspected bounce, and his attempt to shoot off the first touch sent the ball skyrocketing.

The defense continued to be the MVP of this match and thankfully saw the return of center-back Andrew Fox in the 81st minute. It was a shame that the game ended without a goal from Orange County, but seeing their defensive line earn a clean sheet as well, and away from home, is incredibly promising.

LOOKING AHEAD

Orange County SC only netted one goal in the last three matches of May and allowed only one in return. There is clearly still work that needs to be done in training to find a rhythm to their finishing chances, but the growth shown in just a few games shouldn’t go unnoticed. If they can produce a few wins in June, there may be a reason to hope that a playoff run is possible for this 2023 squad.  

The needed win streak could begin next Saturday, June 3rd, at Championship Stadium in Irvine as OCSC welcomes Rio Grande Valley FC for their Pride Celebration night.