FIRST HALF:
Last week was tough for Orange County SC after a loss away from home, but things were looking up as it seemed the injury list was starting to dwindle. Unfortunately, this week saw even more players out when the club announced that 11 players, most notably Colin Shutler and Duran Ferree, would be unavailable in the match against San Antonio FC.
It was a busy week for the club leading up to the match. Two new additions to the squad through loans, midfielder Chris Hegardt and goalkeeper Tomas Gomez made the matchday 18, with Gomez starting between the sticks.
The County Boys started quickly and got their first look at goal within just a couple of minutes. From a free kick near the half-line, Owen Lambe sent the ball in, which was cleared initially, but Ryan Flood quickly collected and took a shot on target. It was blocked, but the ball bounced dangerously in the six yard box. However, San Antonio's defense was able to clear away the danger.
San Antonio had more possession of the ball early on, but the strength of OCSC's defense kept them in the match. This was showcased perfectly in the 18th minute when SAFC sent a long ball over the heads of the defense to Juan Agudelo. He fired a volley that would have challenged Gomez, but Jordan Chavez ran back and made a brilliant leaping deflection to stop the shot from reaching the new goalkeeper.
One of the bright spots in the first half was undoubtedly Dillon Powers, who made his first start of the season after a long injury. He slotted back into a defensive midfield role and showcased how desperately the team has been missing that sort of player who can destroy an offensive run and get the ball back up the offensive line.
Orange County's biggest strength has been their set-piece conversion. They have scored seven goals so far from set pieces, and they showed exactly why they are so dangerous in those moments in the 32nd minute. Flood sent the ball in, and Byrce Jamison flicked the ball backward with his head, forcing Kendall McIntosh to make a leaping save to keep things even.
Gomez would have his own moment to shine just a few minutes later. Jake LaCava received a fantastic through ball in the box and quickly took a shot, but Gomez was quick off his line and closed down the angle, making a big save and ending the half equal at 0-0.
Although the first half felt like a stalemate between these two sides, it was largely due to some good defensive work that preventing either side from gaining an advantage.
SECOND HALF:
Orange County's missing element in the first half was bright passing into open lanes to get inside the final third. Powers was fantastic on the defensive side of things, but the midfield service was weak. They relied more on long balls that hardly created any quality chances. Paul Hardyman made one change at the half, bringing on newcomer Chris Hegardt to replace Powers, hoping to boost their passing strength.
Hegardt showed his strengths early after receiving a through ball from Kyle Scott on the right side. He took the ball to the end line and tried to chip a cross in, but McIntosh punched it out, earning a corner. Although the play didn’t result in anything, there seemed to be an immediate chemistry between himself and Scott in the middle of the pitch.
As mentioned earlier, this squad is dangerous on set pieces and proved that again in the second half. In the 54th minute, Flood took a free kick and got the ball into the box, where Markus Nakkim jumped up for a header that barely went wide.
Eight minutes later, the captain got another chance off another free kick. Lambe sent the ball in, and Jamison flicked the ball back into the box where Nakkim was waiting. He tapped the ball in the net with his thigh to open the scoreline at 1-0 Orange County SC.
San Antonio tried to bounce back early with a few chances in the box after the OCSC goal; however, the Orange County defense prevailed, and the team was able to clear away the danger at every turn.
A fantastic sequence from SAFC almost led to the equalizer in the 77th minute. A pass into the box from the half-line got a few thoughtful touches from the San Antonio offense and left OC on the back foot. Eventually, Kevin Lambert shot toward the left corner of the net, but Gomez made a diving save to keep the lead secure.
Flood was really eager for his first goal in an orange kit. He took two shots from the left side that were nearly perfect. The first was blocked by McIntosh with a brilliant save, and the second just nearly missed the back of the net, stopped only by the post.
The match was over in the 88th minute after Scott sent in a cross that San Antonio thought they cleared away. However, Lambe ran up the center to recover it and sent a pass forward to Zubak, who quickly flicked it back into the box for Lambe to collect and shot it past the keeper to cement the team's victory at 2-0.
OVERVIEW:
The start of this match came with a lot of worry; 11 unavailable players and a weak performance in the first half left fans wondering if this would be another addition to the 2024 woes Orange County SC has faced. However, the additions of Tomas Gomez and Chris Hegardt helped propel the squad to a shutout victory over San Antonio FC.
The concerns over OCSC's offense are still front and center, but two goals by defenders and a much-needed boost to the midfield passing efforts allowed them to gain all three points for the second home victory in a row. There are only 14 matches left in the season, eight of which are at Championship Stadium, giving a hint that the victories at home are more crucial than ever if the County Boys want to earn a playoff spot and have a shot at lifting the USL Cup for the second time.
Next week, Orange County SC is back on the road, however, facing off against Birmingham Legion FC on Saturday, July 27th, at 430pm PST.