Ben Norris made his first professional start and rewarded fans and his teammates with a strong performance. Photo courtesy of Orange County SC
Orange County SC had a tough schedule this week, facing two top teams in the Western Conference. On Wednesday, the matchup was against New Mexico United FC, and unfortunately, they fell to a 2-0 defeat and looked like they were in their typical 2024 poor form. However, the County Boys would have another chance on Saturday, against Memphis 901 FC, to make a statement that this team can bounce back in a huge way.
FIRST HALF
With the large number of injuries that still afflict OCSC, many fans have been hoping to see some of the younger players get a chance to make the starting 11 and add some much-needed fire to the recently disheartened squad. This last Saturday, Interim Head Coach Paul Hardyman answered that call by starting Ben Norris in midfield.
Ryan Doghman also returned to the starting lineup and massively boosted the left side both defensively and offensively.
Memphis 901 has been on a tear right now, especially offensively. Their tactic of playing high up the pitch and constantly bombarding their opponents has contributed a big part. But Hardyman and the team studied that well and planned for it perfectly.
In the fifth minute, Kyle Scott won the ball at the half-line and immediately sent a pass over the heads of a high-pressing Memphis defense. Bryce Jamison used his incredible speed to get to the ball, settle it under pressure and sent his shot into the far bottom corner to give his team an early 1-0 lead.
Doghman also showed just how crucial he is to the squad early on. In their opponents' final third, the best move was getting the ball to him on the left side to open up an opportunity to send in crosses of a quality that OC severely missed in his absence.
Ryan Flood had a couple of great looks as he was given more room to play offensively in this match, taking two shots that looked dangerous. In the first 10 minutes of the match, Orange County SC was in complete control and firing on all cylinders.
Memphis gifted OCSC a second goal when Lucas Turci brought down Jamison in the box. From the ensuing penalty, Ethan Zubak stepped up and buried the ball into the left corner of the net to make it 2-0.
Credit must be given to Orange County's backline in this match. They stopped Memphis from taking shots throughout the first 30 minutes. Jordan Chavez and Ashton Miles were fantastic in clearing away any chance of the ball reaching Colin Shutler.
With a substantial lead, the boys in Orange and Black were getting a little too comfortable and absorbing a lot of pressure from Memphis in the last 10 minutes of the half. The best opportunity for the opposition came from a corner kick sent to the far post. Carson Vom Steeg connected the header, which looked to be going top bins, but Shutler made a brilliant save and punched it away.
Orange County got a corner kick a few minutes later. Memphis tried to clear it away, but Owen Lambe recovered the ball at the top of the box. He took a touch with his chest and then shot the ball right into the far corner of the net, with Tyler Deric on his heels. Lambe put the nail in the coffin with his goal, giving OCSC a 3-0 lead in the first half.
SECOND HALF
With a commanding lead in the second half, Orange County SC was still going strong in its attempts to get a fourth goal. The initial ten minutes were offensive back-and-forth, as both teams had a couple of chances to push into the final third. But neither side could find a finishing touch to challenge the goalkeepers.
Cameron Dunbar and Ryan Ayoub were Hardyman's first subs, replacing Doghman and Norris, who both had fantastic performances. The choice of subs underlined that OCSC really wanted to keep the offensive pressure on their opponents.
Substitutions continued; Christian Sorto came on the pitch only a few minutes later to replace Zubak. With such a significant lead, it's only wise to lean on the bench to give the starting players some rest.
After a missed chance on a corner kick from Orange County, Memphis 901 countered strongly. Intercepting the ball from Scott, they took it into the box, and a pass to Marlon Santos in the center saw him one-on-one with Shutler. The keeper did fantastic work coming off his line and closing the angle for the shot, forcing Santos to send it out wide.
However, Memphis took advantage of the momentum that play gave them and took control of the match and possession, pushing into the box a handful of times to pressure Orange County's defense.
In the 79th minute, the game got scrappy between the two sides on Memphis' half of the field. Eventually, the ball got to Scott, who found Sorto on the right side with tons of space. He pushed the ball away from the defender to his left foot and shot toward the far post, burying the ball in the net to cement Orange County's victory with a four-goal lead.
We think Christian Sorto may have enjoyed that one. His goal, Orange County’s fourth of the night, was his first for OCSC. Photo courtesy of Orange County SC
Just before the final whistle, Memphis got one back with a beautiful through ball from the half-line into the box. Shutler came off his line to try and stop the attempt, but he was beaten, and Dylan Borczak easily guided the ball into an empty net, ending the match at 4-1 Orange County SC.
OVERVIEW
The scoreline says it all: Orange County SC had Memphis 901 FC's number all night and put in one of their best performances of the season. Four goals from four different goal scorers prove that when this squad gains confidence in the finish, they can beat anyone.
It was a complete team performance, with the youngsters shining exceptionally bright. Bryce Jamison was phenomenal for the entire 90 minutes, and the starting debut from Ben Norris was a sight to behold. His work rate, in particular, was immense. These young players put everything they had into every play, pushing the rest of the squad to do everything they could to match their energy.
Kyle Scott was excellent as always, slotting in two assists in the match and being a crucial playmaker in the midfield.
The confidence from this victory can propel the County Boys into a win on the road as they face Eastern Conference juggernaut Tampa Bay Rowdies on Saturday July 13th at 4:30 PM PST.
(editor: Have some time to give us your thoughts on player performance on Saturday? Head over to this form and let us know- we’ll have an article later in the week.)