After suffering a loss last week, Orange County SC went on the road again for a battle against Loudon United FC to earn three points and return to the playoff race.

FIRST HALF

Loudoun United welcomed Orange County to their home field with some quick and robust pressure immediately after the first whistle blew. In only the 2nd minute of the match, a fantastic pass right into the middle of the box to Jackson Hopkins led to the first shot on goal for the game. He sent it to the bottom left post, but Colin Shutler made a diving save to keep the home team from an early lead.

The boys in orange and black also had a lot of aggressive energy on the pitch, but overcommitting on their tackles and a few poor passes allowed Loudon to completely dominate an attacking possession for the first fifteen minutes of the match. Dillon Powers may have saved the whole pace of the game early with a crucial tackle in the box after Jake Morris set himself up for a dangerous opportunity.

Thankfully that was all the time it took for the tides to change, and in the fifteenth minute, OCSC made their first critical attack. During a vital counterplay, Ryan Doghman sent a long ball over the heads of the Loudon back line right to the feet of Marc "Sparky" McNulty. Sparky controlled the ball, made a genius touch to get around the keeper, and scored with his shot into an open net giving Orange County SC an important lead.

Only a few minutes later, Sparky had a close chance for a brace as Brian Iloski found a breakaway on the right side to open a path up in the center. The pass to Sparky in the middle of the box was pristine, and his shot looked dangerous but got deflected by the Loudon defense.

The home team did not seem discouraged by OCSC's opening goal; they responded well and kept the intense pressure on the County's final third of the pitch. What saved Orange County from crumbling against the constant offensive force was their ability to hold their formation of a 4-1-4-1 and rely on the extra defensive help by Kevin Partida, who filled in wonderfully at the number 6 position with astute spatial awareness to assist wherever needed in clearing the ball away from their box.

After another counterattack moment, catching Loudon off guard, Milan Iloski sent a low pass up the field to Sparky, where it looked like he might repeat his first goal setup. He was alone against the keeper, but Dane Jacomen wouldn't allow it again. He came out of his box and stopped Sparky with a risky sliding tackle.

Orange County could be more confident in controlling the match's pace with the lead. They didn't necessarily gain more possession, but they were more threatening with the ball. The perfect example came in the 36th minute when the midfield organized themselves with some intelligent passing between Partida and Ashish Chattha, waiting for a mistake from their opponents. They found it with a run up the line by B. Iloski, who sent it in towards his brother in the middle. Milan looked beaten by the defense, but he kept the intensity, charged toward the ball, and drew a penalty. He converted the PK with a masterclass shot and gave Orange County a 2-0 lead in the first half.

However, the two-goal safety net did not stay throughout the half, as Loudon came back with a vengeance. OC hardly touched the ball after their second goal, which allowed the home team to take back control. Hopkins took a left-foot shot at the top of the box that just got beyond Shutler into the corner of the net—giving Loudon a lot of hope as the first half came to a close with the scoreline at 2-1 OCSC.

SECOND HALF

Energy and aggression would be the keywords used to describe the first half, while the second half was all about patience. Orange County SC came back on the pitch intending to slow down the pace of play and hold onto their lead. They relied on the back line to keep a pressuring Loudon at bay.

Brian Iloski shined bright before coming off the field; he seemed everywhere and created more than a few of OC’s chances on offense.

Throughout the last 45 minutes, coach Morton Karlson made some key subs by bringing on Alex Villanueva, Thomas Amang, Bryce Jamison, and Korede Osundina. Unfortunately, soon after coming on, Villanueva committed a foul in a frightening spot a few yards outside the box, earning a yellow card. Cole Turner made an attempt on goal off the free kick aimed at the low far post, but Shutler saved the day again with a brilliant save.

Shutler wasn’t done impressing everyone, though, as just a few minutes later, in the 75th minute, when Hopkins found an open lane in the box, ultimately beating Owen Lambe and Markus Nakkim. Shutler was faster, though, and he came off his line to stop Hopkins from getting a shot off.

The best goal of the evening came in the 84th minute to cement Orange County's victory. After just coming on as a sub, Osundina was hungry for a goal. He immediately affected offense; coming in from the outside, he made a crucial cut into the box and took a shot that went too high. But only 4 minutes later, Osundina got the ball at the top of the box and sent a rocket of a shot into the back of the net, earning his team the clear three points.

OVERVIEW

This wasn’t the prettiest of performances from the boys in orange and black, but they could find enough moments of beauty to earn the win away this week. Loudon United FC may have looked like the more dominant team throughout, but this match was a case study of how the key to winning a game is not only having most of the possession but what a team does with their possession.

The strategy from Orange County on Saturday seemed reminiscent of the 2021 season, where the defense created a strong enough foundation to allow for more critical counterattack moments like sending the ball long to catch the opposition backline off guard. It isn't a strategy this roster should rely on for every match, but seeing they have it in their arsenal when needed is fantastic.

A huge highlight this week was seeing the chemistry between Milan and McNulty becoming extremely prominent, with multiple passing setups that should have resulted in braces for both strikers. Although not every plan worked out this week, seeing their connection getting stronger gives hope for an improved offense for the rest of this season. All while Shutler and the back line.

Orange County SC has one more away game this month, next Saturday against Memphis 901 FC. With a three-way tie in the Western Conference for 8th place, another win on the road would be monumental for the tight playoff race as the second half of the 2023 season rages on.