FIRST HALF
After a poor performance last week, Orange County SC made a couple of changes on Saturday against another California rival, Monterey Bay FC. Christian Sorto and Colin Shutler returned to the starting lineup, but no offensive changes left fans a little nervous as OC hadn’t scored in two matches.
However, those nerves were soon put to rest when Sorto started an attacking push after gaining the ball from an early Monterey Bay corner kick. He surged through the middle of the pitch, found Thomas Amang at the top of the box, who played a quick one-two, giving Sorto time to chip a pass to Ashish Chattha on the left side. Chattha crossed a perfect grounded pass to Amang in the center, who had an open net to shoot, but unfortunately, he shanked the attempt into the sky. It was a disappointing moment because of yet another missed finish, but it provided some hope that OCSC could create solid chances for the match.
Despite an early booking, Kyle Scott did well on the night. His distribution was as good as ever. Photo courtesy of Orange County SC
That hope was realized in the sixth minute, when Amang got another chance on goal. The squad used Kyle Scott as a funnel to pass through Monterey's midfield, where he eventually got the ball to Owen Lambe on the right. Lambe crossed it to the far post, where Chattha stuck out his foot to keep the ball in play. Amang quickly ran to it, swung his body around, and fired a rocket of a shot into the back of the net, giving Orange County SC an early 1-0 lead.
Although the OC attack looked stronger than ever, the defense stumbled in the first half. Unable to clear the ball out of their half, Monterey ended up in OC's box a few times in the 12th minute. They eventually sent a cross that Shutler couldn't get a hand on, leaving the ball bouncing in front of an empty net. Luckily for OC, the ball bounced off the far post and was finally cleared away.
Orange County could not find a way to stop Monterey Bay's crossing attempts, though. Multiple times in quick succession, they sent the ball into the box and won headers on goal. Three dangerous chances on target from Monterey caused Shutler to make three phenomenal saves to keep his team ahead.
Shutler would have to save the day once again in the 33rd minute after Monterey's goalkeeper sent a long pass up the field and over everyone's heads. Tristan Trager headed on to find Jesus Enriquez, who was one-on-one with Shutler. He took a shot in the box, but Shutler reacted well from point-blank range and saved comfortably.
Despite the 1-0 scoreline favoring OCSC, Monterey Bay FC was clearly in control of the match by the time the first half ended. Only due to Shutler’s brilliant saves was Orange County SC able to escape the half with their lead intact.
SECOND HALF
The County Boys scored an early goal in the first half but quickly lost control of the game afterward. Thankfully, the halftime break and a talking to from coach Morten Karlsen was exactly what they needed to find their groove again.
The offense picked up quickly, and Amang looked for a brace early into the half after Lambe crossed the ball to the center. He jumped high and connected to the ball with his head, sending a shot on target, but it went straight at goalkeeper Antony Siaha.
As OC looked to create chances from the get-go, Scott won the ball back quickly and passed it back to give his team some time to get things under control. After some team passing around the half-line, Ashton Miles collected it and made a run down the pitch, getting it to Sorto at the top of the box. He took a shot on target, but Siaha made the save again.
Although the placement of these early shots could have been better, an early barrage of attempts on target showed a vast improvement to Orange County's offensive capabilities.
Orange County’s defense was similarly improved. They adjusted wonderfully in the second half, preventing Monterey from making any critical offensive progress. The fluidity between the defense, midfield, and offense showcased a refreshing balance in the team's performance that hadn’t been seen yet this season.
In the 70th minute, Ethan Zubak came on as a sub for Amang, and Markus Nakkim made his long-awaited return from injury, replacing Sofiane Djeffal.
Zubak finally opened his scoresheet in the 82nd minute after Scott won the ball in the center and, with plenty of time and space, pushed up into the final third. Cameron Dunbar provided help to his left, which Scott found. Dunbar then sent a low cross to the far post, setting up Zubak to tap in his first goal for the club and give his team a two-goal lead.
Ethan Zubak (center) glances over towards the assistant after scoring against MBFC. It was an easy finish, but the forward still did well to stay onside and open his scoring account with OCSC. Photo courtesy of Orange County SC
OCSC continued to dominate the rest of the half with a few more chances on a goal coming from Zubak and a brilliant free kick from Nakkim. They couldn't find a third goal, but it was comfortable and still enough to earn all three points at home.
OVERVIEW
The offensive creativity from Orange County was a sight for sore eyes as they created a handful of chances throughout the match, with 15 total shots and six on target. Kyle Scott, Christian Sorto, and Sofiane Djeffal were crucial in getting the ball into their opponent's box through some prolific passing around the pitch. The strength in the squad's attacking pressure has been lacking so far in 2024, but it seemed they finally found their stride this past weekend.
The first half did get a little scary on the defensive side, with Monterey taking full advantage of Orange County's weaker left side. Colin Shutler earned the Man of The Match award with some fantastic saves to keep OCSC in the lead. Thankfully, the defense made proper adjustments at halftime and completely dominated the match. In the second half, the team looked their best as a unit all season.
Orange County SC doesn't have a match next week, instead they can focus fully on their first Open Cup match, which is on May 7th at 7:00 p.m. against Loudoun United FC at Championship Soccer Stadium.