Orange County SC finished their stint of three away games this week by facing off against Memphis 901 FC. It was a wild ride of a match with too many twists and turns, but the boys attacked strongly and earned all three points.

FIRST HALF

After twenty minutes of play, Orange County's chances for a victory on the road seemed highly bleak. It is challenging for any team to come back after getting scored on first, but Memphis 901 were committed to destroying their opponent's hope as soon as possible. In the 6th minute, Memphis got a corner, and the cross found Emerson Hyndman on the far corner of the box; he took a shot, and after a tricky bounce on the turf, the ball went right over Colin Shutler to give them the lead. 

Memphis continued their constant pressure and overwhelmed OC’s defense on the final third of the pitch. Not long after their first, the scoreboard opened up again for the home team. Defender Rece Buckmaster captured a cross to the opposite side of the box and rocketed a volley into the top of the net to widen their lead to 2-0.

It’s easy for a team to lose all the fire in their step when going down by two so early in the match, but Memphis’ second goal only fueled the desire for a comeback. Moments later, Milan Iloski bolted down the field to catch a pass from his brother, Brian Iloski, and despite goalkeeper Drew Romig coming far off his line to meet Milan, a cheeky chip over his body landed right in the back of the net to provide the boys in orange the boost they needed to continue the fight.

Marc "Sparky" McNulty had a beautiful opportunity on an open net earlier in the match. A pass in by Ryan Doghman ultimately beat Romig, who went to the ground, and all Sparky needed to do was tap it in, but unfortunately, the chance bounced off the post and away. He was not about to give up on earning his second goal of the season, and in the 32nd minute, he proved precisely why he is a part of the starting XI. Kyle Scott received the ball behind the midfield line and immediately pushed for the counterattack. He sent a brilliant long pass up the center where Sparky was making his run. It was not easy, though, as the defense surrounded him on both sides. In a masterclass performance, Sparky used his body to block out both defenders, pushed through a foul against him, and took a shot that went around the keeper and tied the game up in a flash.

However, the action in the first half was far from over. The Memphis offense refused to let up and took advantage of Orange County's sloppy defensive performance as a scrap between a few players in front of the net. Multiple players fell to the ground in the scramble, but Rodrigo da Costa won the battle by sinking a goal in the net for Memphis' third goal.

Seven minutes of added time were given due to some issues with the turf earlier in the match, but Orange County only needed five to make things even again. Doghman won the ball at the half line and pushed forward towards the box; there wasn't a precise pass to make, so he decided to take the shot himself from twenty yards out. It was a solid long shot toward goal that, unfortunately for Memphis, deflected off defender Graham Smith and went right into the net. With a lot of help from Doghman, an own goal tied things up again right before the halftime whistle blew.

SECOND HALF

The offensive pressure from Orange County’s attackers and midfield kept them even in the match to this point, but Morten Karlsen had a clear focus on what needed to change in the second half to pull ahead. A sloppy defense in crucial moments cost them three goals, so the theme moving forward would have to be about slowing the game's pace down and stopping the strong Memphis attack from gaining any more traction.

However, some early substitutions from OCSC proved they were not satisfied with a tie. Karlsen boosted the offensive energy by bringing on Thomas Amang, Alex Villanueva, Ashish Chattha, and Korede Osundina early in the half.  

Memphis wasn’t about to give up, though, and in the 50th minute, tried to take back the lead with a frightening attempt on goal. A solid back-and-forth pass at the top of the box between Laurent Kissiedou and Da Costa opened a vital opportunity for Kissiedou to take a shot. He blasted it toward goal, but it slammed into the crossbar, and OCSC escaped danger.

Orange County SC's best showcase throughout this match was their ability to capitalize on the counterattack opportunities. It didn’t always result in a goal, but the speed of their attacking pressure after winning the ball was absolutely brilliant. The additions of Amang and Osundina in the second half only increased those moments of near glory.

In the 74th minute, the game completely changed as Memphis midfielder Jeremy Kelly earned a second yellow card resulting in his departure from the competition, providing Orange County with a one man advantage for the rest of the match. With the red card against Memphis and a late substitution bringing on Bryce Jamison, the whole dynamic of the game was shifted.

As the final whistle drew nearer, Amang took control of the ball at midfield and sent an awe-inspiring Rabona pass up the field to a completely open Jamison on the left side. He took the time to assess his next move and let his terrific speed push him up the field and past Memphis’ remaining defenders. It looked as if he put everything into his shot, falling to the ground as he sent it soaring past Romig for the night's winning goal.

OVERVIEW

With five wins in their last six matches, Morten Karlsen has proved he firmly understands this squad. With Sparky and Milan able to overload any defense that meets them in the first half and players like Amang, Osundina, and Jamison available to come into the second half with fresh legs has been critical in a few of the most recent wins.

Our midfield has been the real unsung heroes of this complete change in performance from Orange County SC; Kyle Scott, Ashish Chattha, Seth Casiple, Brian Iloski, and Kevin Partida have all played their parts marvelously in creating the chances for all the dangerous counterattacks turning into goals. Not only have they been influential in the attack, but the midfield strength of this team has controlled the pace of matches and even assisted the backline in tremendous ways.

The defensive side of OC's performance did leave a bit to be desired this week. However, after the first half and some words from their gaffer, they pulled things together to keep Memphis from getting too many chances on the attack.

Next week, the boys in orange and black return home to Irvine in the hope of continuing this winning streak as they face off against New Mexico United on July 29th at Championship Stadium.