Last week, Orange County SC avoided losing five straight games with an offensive outburst that saw goals scored by two forwards and an midfielder.
It was exactly what they needed: a very deserved win in a game in which OC was very much the better side.
Even with Orange County’s terrible month of May, they are still in a pretty good position in the West. They are currently fourth in the Western Conference and are doing so with games in hand on half of the conference. Now Orange County can even better that already good position with a positive result against that of Phoenix Rising FC.
THE OPPONENT - PHOENIX RISING FC
After nine seasons, one rebrand, and a third appearance in the USL Championship Final, Phoenix Rising FC won their first USL title. It was quite a remarkable run it was too, as they became the first side ever to win 4 straight road games en route to a title. This includes knocking out Orange County SC in the Western Conference semifinals.
However as Orange County SC fans can attest to, it is quite a challenge to keep together a championship winning team. After OC won their title in 2021, they saw the departure of Kevin Alston, Ronaldo Damus, Thomas Ennevoldsen and Eric Calvillo, in addition to a few others.
For the reigning champs, major pieces Carlos Harvey, Manuel Arteaga and Danny Trejo all left. Oh, and head coach Juan Guerra also left to take an assistant coaching job at Houston Dynamo.
Thus Phoenix had to make a number of different moves to compete in 2024. The first, and biggest decision was promoting former assistant Danny Stone as new head coach.
It hasn’t been a smooth start, but Phoenix is not doing poorly. One can say that the departures have left an impact, and after 13 games they have a record of 4-5-4. They have a perfect goal differential of 0 and have really yet to make a statement game. In their last match, they played to a 0-0 draw in Las Vegas.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
A championship winning player that is still with Phoenix, it is goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo. On his second consecutive loan from Atlético Lanús, Ríos Novo has appeared in 12 of 13 games for Phoenix and has racked up three clean sheets. The 22-year-old has also become a fixture in the Argentinian national team system.
Kyle Scott celebrates after scoring his first goal (in 52 appearances) for Orange County against Detroit City. Photo courtesy of Orange County SC.
On the orange side of things, Kyle Scott is the one to watch for OC. Last weekend, he dominated the midfield, but he also scored his first goal for the club. Having already tallied nine appearances for Orange County this season, he is an ever-present member of the midfield and will be key for OC to keep possession.
THE MATCH UP
Orange County has faced Phoenix more times (32) than any other current club in the USL. It is a heated rivalry that has seen playoff match ups, players switch sides, championships and two fanbases pitted against one another. Last year, Phoenix was able to get the better of OC as they defeated Orange County in Irvine to move onto the USL Championship Final.
WHAT TO KNOW
Game - @ Phoenix Rising FC (USL Championship)
When - June 8, 8:00 PM PST
Where - Phoenix Rising Stadium (Phoenix, AZ)
OCSC Form - WLLLL
PHX Form - DLLWD
All-Time Matchup - 9-14-9
TV - CBS Sports Golazo