FIRST HALF
When the lineups were released an hour before kickoff, fans were filled with hope. Captain Markus Nakkim returned to the starting lineup, while Andrew Fox and Dillon Powers were fit enough for the bench.
The match against the Tampa Bay Rowdies started with some excitement for Orange County, SC, as in the first few minutes, they had some great looks on goal. Ryan Flood made a strong attempt that forced Jordan Farr to make a diving save. Soon after, Ethan Zubak tried to tap in a goal from a corner kick that also had to be saved.
However, the initial offensive pressure from the boys in orange was quickly forgotten when Tampa Bay took the wind out of OCSC's sails in the sixth minute. After switching the ball to the left side, Cal Jennings took a shot from the top of the box that went straight at Colin Shutler for what should have been a routine save, but the bouncing shot went between Shutler's legs to open the scoreline at 1-0 Tampa Bay.
Kyle Scott was pressed heavily all night, and it was instrumental in preventing Orange County from creating a path back into the match. Photo courtesy of Orange County SC
After the goal, Tampa Bay took complete control of the match, leaving Orange County struggling to create dangerous chances. The County Boys held a high defensive line to crowd the midfield and try to gain some ground, but multiple times, this backfired, and their opponents were able to send passes behind the back line and test Shutler too many times in the first half.
One of these instances nearly became a second goal when a ball was sent over Ashton Miles's head, and Manuel Arteaga was running to take possession. Shutler rushed off his line to try to clear it away before the striker could get to it, but he missed, and Arteaga had an open net. He took the shot, but sent his effort wide.
Unfortunately, the match was delayed because of weather in the 28th minute.
Although there was some hope that the delay would provide Orange County SC with a much-needed reset to their chances in the match, Tampa Bay was the squad that came back on the pitch with a hunger. Only two minutes into the restart, another long ball over the heads of OC's defense found Jennings, who was one-on-one with the Shutler and was able to take a shot into the far corner to double the hosts’ lead.
For the rest of the half, Tampa Bay kept the offensive pressure on, and the boys in orange and black could only barely hang on. In the 37th minute, Jennings took the ball down the left side and took a shot that was only kept out by Owen Lambe, who cleared it off the line.
Ben Norris got his second professional start after a fantastic performance last week. His energy and passion are evident in every minute of the matches he plays, yet sometimes that eagerness can get the better of him, and he earned a yellow card before the first half ended.
SECOND HALF
Coming back from the break, Paul Hardyman made two changes to the lineup: Andrew Fox and Jordan Chavez replaced Nakkim and Miles as center backs.
Orange County's midfield still struggled to create chances, as Kyle Scott, the usual bright spot in OC's possession, was shut down by their opponents at every turn.
Norris's aggression was thoroughly punished in the 52nd minute. A tackle with his studs up resulted in a second yellow card, reducing the squad to ten men for the remainder of the match.
In the 72nd minute, Jordan Doherty collected the ball ten yards outside the box, took a low shot with a slight deflection, and challenged Shutler. He was able to make a diving save, though, to keep the opposition from gaining even more ground.
Christian Sorto, Cameron Dunbar, and Dillon Powers were all subbed in later in the match to boost their team and give Powers, who has been absent due to injury for most of the season, some minutes.
Only a minute after taking the field, Sorto and Dunbar produced the best chance of the night for the boys in orange and black. Fox intercepted the ball near the half line and passed it to Sorto, who quickly got it to Dunbar on the left side. Dunbar carried into the box and shot low, but his effort bounced off of the far post and was cleared away.
Fresh legs definitely gave Orange County SC a boost in the final stretch of the match, but they still couldn't find a finish, and the match ended with a disappointing 2-0 loss.
OVERVIEW
Fans' hope at the beginning of the match was quickly stripped away by an early goal from the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Orange County SC only had two shots on target, and both happened within the first five minutes of the match. They never again found the right chances to change the pace of the match.
After such a fantastic victory over Memphis last week, fans are understandably frustrated at this squad's lack of consistency. Yet, so much of that comes from the constant changes to the lineup throughout the season due to injuries.
Despite the bitter defeat, there is a silver lining: OCSC's injury woes could be nearing an end with the return of a few key players this week. It will take some time for those players to adjust to regular minutes, but this could be the perfect time for the County Boys to turn things around in the second half of the 2024 season.
They will have another chance for three points at home this Saturday, July 20th, at 7:00 PM PST against San Antonio FC.