In the age of Morten Karlsen, Orange County have been a very consistent side. Since his appointment midway through last season, Orange County SC — in all competitions — have 20 wins, 6 draws and 10 losses.
Very good numbers if you do not take into consideration that four of those 10 losses have just come in the last five games.
This however is not the first time that Karlsen’s Orange County have had a truly rough spell of games. Last year, between September 9th and 30th, went on a four game winless stretch that saw them only score once while conceding six. Keep in mind that this was all with as close a starting lineup as it gets.
But after that winless stretch, OC would rebound winning three straight to close the season. And Saturday’s match serves as a pretty good opportunity to start a new winning streak.
THE OPPONENT - LOUDOUN UNITED FC
No this is not a typo. Orange County again will face Loudoun United and again they will do it in Southern California. Loudoun was able to get the better of OC in their Open Cup match two weeks ago, but fell to Los Angeles FC in the Round of 16. As it stands, Loudoun finds themselves 8th in the Eastern Conference on 11 points. Last time out in the league, Loudoun thrashed Monterey Bay 3-0 for their biggest win of the year.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
It has been very much a group effort for Loudoun when it comes to scoring goals this season. The team leader in goals is Zach Ryan, with three. But Abdellatif Aboukoura, Kalil ElMedkhar and Wesley Leggett have scored two apiece to bolster the team’s numbers. Legget in particular was a thorn in the side of Orange County during their Open Cup match, as he scored both of Loudoun’s goals.
Ashish Chattha, center, has made 10 appearances thus far, notching two assists from his new role as a left-back. His versatility, and dedication to the new role, could be the kind of example OC needs to get back into form. Photo courtesy of Orange County SC.
For the orange and black: the Swiss Army knife, University of California- Irvine alumnus and midfielder-turned-defender Ashish Chattha. Chattha has been featured in a number of different positions in his two years, but this year, he has been mostly used as a stop-gap left-back due to injuries to Ryan Doghman and Charlie Asensio. He has made 10 league appearances in 2024, tallying two assists. He is still looking for his first goal for Orange County, but his ability to adapt to a new position reflects the quality that earned him two All-Big West First Team nominations in college.
THE MATCH UP
Even though Loudoun were able to knock out OC in the Cup, Orange County is a perfect 2-0-0 against Loudoun in league play. Both those wins came by a 3-1 scoreline. Orange County needs to make it a third successive league win against Loudoun if they are to stay towards the top of the Western Conference table. A dominant win would be welcome news as well, as OC scored just 12 goals on the year — the third-lowest total in the West.
Anything but a victory on Saturday would equal the longest winless streak for OC under Morten Karlsen. But in a more uplifting stat, Orange County will be going for their 50th all-time regular season win at Championship Soccer Stadium.
WHAT TO KNOW
Game - vs Loudoun United FC (USL Championship)
When - May 25, 7:00 PM PST
Where - Championship Soccer Stadium (Irvine, CA)
OCSC Form - LLLWL
LOUD Form - LWLLW
All-Time Matchup - 2-0-1
TV - Bally Sports SoCal, ESPN+