FIRST HALF:
After a tough road loss last week, Orange County SC returned to Championship Stadium in Irvine to face North Carolina FC for the first time in history.
The season thus far has been inconsistent. Injuries, coaching changes, and transfers have all contributed to the unsteady performance. However, the biggest letdown has been the attacking prowess, or lack thereof. Against North Carolina, which had only won a single away match all season, fans were hopeful that the offense could gain some confidence.
In the third minute, Ethan Zubak won the ball in a dangerous location outside the box. He sent a through ball into the box, where Ryan Flood made a run. However, the ball had just a little too much on it, and North Carolina's keeper, Jake McGuire, was able to scoop it up.
Unfortunately, this lack of passing chemistry hinted at how the rest of the match would play out for Orange County.
The County Boys seemed in control early into the match, able to get into the final third a handful of times. Once in the box, though, it seemed as if they lost all composure and would give the ball away to the NCFC defense with no desire to challenge the goalkeeper.
Bryce Jamison had the best opportunity of the night after Dillon Powers played him in with a long boll that met the youngster at the top of the box. With his overwhelming speed, Jamison collected the ball and had tons of space in the box to shoot, but he shot to the near post and only hit the side netting.
Unlike Orange County, North Carolina was able to capitalize on essential moments. Their first corner of the evening nearly opened the scoresheet after their offense tried to sneak in a header on the far post. And that was just a taste of what would come later in the 27th minute.
Chris Hegardt gave the ball away at the half, and Evan Conway dribbled through OC's backline before shooting. Owen Lambe deflected it out, and NCFC started to set up for another corner. This time, they took advantage of the set piece when Justin Malou jumped over the defense and headed the ball into the far corner of the net, giving North Carolina FC a 1-0 lead.
Getting scored on early took all the wind out of Orange County's sails, and NCFC took advantage. They got into OCSC’s box a couple more times before the half ended, but brilliant saves from Tomas Gomez and crucial clearances from Markus Nakkim kept the opponents from finding a second goal.
SECOND HALF:
Due to the lackluster performance, Orange County desperately needed to make changes at the break. Cameron Dunbar and Ashish Chattha came in hoping to improve the chemistry between the midfield and offense to create substantial chances in the final third.
Unfortunately, it was clear early on that the squad would suffer similar woes in the second half. Kyle Scott found space at the top of the box and sent a through ball to space that no one ran into, and then a few minutes later, Dunbar made a critical cross that never found a connection. Moments like these perfectly summed up the performance of the evening: a slew of missed opportunities and poor final touches.
Zubak got one last opportunity for OCSC in the 61st minute. Lambe sent a superb pass into the box to a completely open Zubak. He had a free header opportunity but wasted it, as he could not get the header down, and the attempt went right over the crossbar instead of into the back of the net.
Although there were some genuinely fantastic passes in the second half, the offense could not find a single shot on target. North Carolina was happy to sit back in the last 45 minutes and leave with a single-goal victory over Orange County.
OVERVIEW:
This was easily one of the most disappointing matches of the season. Orange County SC needed to come out swinging this week against a North Carolina FC team struggling on the road. Instead, the boys in orange and black could not produce any chemistry in the attack and only made five shots throughout the 90 minutes, none on target.
A few games into the second half of the season, OCSC is still technically in the playoff race, sitting in seventh place. However, if they continue in their current offensive form, the club will surely free-fall to the bottom of the table in no time.
Next week, on August 9th, the County Boys are back on the road for a Friday night matchup against Tulsa FC at 530pm PST.