Both Teams Looking to Make Statement Wins
The best thing to do with games that do not go your way is to put them in the back of the head and move on to the next. A short memory is important and OC will have to have one after their last game. While Sacramento looked like a team from another planet, Orange County saw their unbeaten streak end at six games.
They do not have any time to worry about it either as their next game is against a team that is off to a very good start themselves. The biggest concern for the Orange & Black is the amount of shots being taken. Currently the team leader for shots is Cameron Dunbar who has 10 thus far, the only forward on the club to reach double digits.. The 10 shots for Dunbar puts him tied for 30th in the league. Yet with this they have been able to mostly score goals. Yet they have been held at bay for the last two games.
The opponent this Saturday is Monterey Bay FC who currently find themselves 2nd in the West. They are tied for the best offense in the West yet will have to defend as well when they come to Orange County.
THE OPPONENT - MONTEREY BAY FC
This is only the third year of existence for MBFC and to this point they are still looking for their first experience with success. The first two seasons have gone just as expected for a new club with both years missing the postseason. This is the third year at the helm for Frank Yallop who enters 2024 with a heavily bolstered lineup that features a number of veteran talent. In the early makings of 2024 it is looking like Monterey Bay has finally found some consistency. The Western Conference to this point has looked to be the weaker of the two however that does not make the conference anywhere near predictable. Monterey Bay have looked pretty good to start the year and currently find themselves 2nd on 14 points. It has been against a pretty unremarkable schedule with their one loss coming at the hands of San Antonio. However they are winning the winnable games and not leaving points on the field like years past.
The veteran acquisitions that were mentioned briefly before have made their impact. Rafael Baca has already notched one goal from the midfield, Carlos Guzman has scored once with two assists from the LB position, while Luther Archimede will look to open his scoring account.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
There was one more acquisition for Monterey Bay to mention and it has been a big one for them. Tristan Trager is in his first year for Monterey Bay after coming over from Charleston and he has been on fire to start the year. In seven league games Trager has already notched four goals. The 24-year-old is already with his third USL team but has been the best player for Monterey and a big part to the start of their season. He is also from San Clemente.
On the orange side of things we are looking at a player who is tied with Ashton Miles for the most minutes played and in my opinion one of the most underrated players of the team. Owen Lambe at the right back position has quietly gotten the third most clearances on the team (23), third most interceptions (5), and tied for third most tackles with 11. He does also have one assist to his credit in what is his second year with Orange County SC. He was a big part of the success last year and this year will look to repeat it.
THE MATCHUP
The third year of this matchup has the chance to be the first in which a team does not take all six points. In 2022 Monterey Bay were able to do the double and OC returned the favor in 2023. With dueling doubles this means that both teams have been able to knock off the other while being the visitors. Orange County currently see themselves fifth in the West at 12 points while Monterey Bay sit second while on 15 points. The top of the West is a bit crowded and Orange County has a good opportunity to knock down a direct competitor.
WHAT TO KNOW
Game - vs Monterey Bay FC (USL Championship)
When - April 27, 7:00 PM PST
Where - Championship Soccer Stadium (Irvine, CA)
OCSC Form - LDWWD
MBFC Form - WWWWL
All-Time Matchup - 2-2-0
TV - Bally Sports SoCal, ESPN+