Failure to Score Does Not Doom 10-Man Orange County
After a disappointing 2024 season, the Orange County SC II team opened up their academy season in the Southwest Division of the USL Academy League Tuesday night at Championship Soccer Stadium. The Southwest Division only features teams in Southern California and four of the six residing in Orange County proper. Orange County began their campaign against AMSG FC of Westminster, California at home.
Starting 11 for OCSC 2, USL Academy League
This is an academy team that is only two years removed from a USL Academy League Finals appearance in 2023. In 2024, the results were not as consistent as 2023 but Orange County SC has been a respectable side for the majority of its time in the Academy League dating back to the first season in 2021. The Academy season runs from late May until early October with Orange County SC II typically playing in short spurts. This season is none the different from previous years and AMSG were the first opponents, an opponent that gave OC some trouble last year.
FIRST HALF
The OC II team is again under the leadership of former OCSC player Didier Crettenand. He fielded a starting lineup that did feature a handful of first team players including the likes of Barjolo, War, Miles and Kadono in net. The 4-3-3 formation was very possession heavy with long stretches of time seeing the OC backline hold the ball and Kadono in particular showing a lot of poise with the ball at his feet.
Both teams high pressed one another and it was the Orange County high press that generated the first offensive chance of the game. Midfielder Michael Zill was able to generate a takeaway and the ball landed at the feet of Mohamadou War who forced the AMSG keeper to make a diving save to his right at the far post in the 12’ minute of play.
Other than this there were not many more opportunities in the first half for either side. Tetsuya Kadono was called into action in the 23’ minute where he made his first save of the game, a direct shot where he controlled the rebound well.
While the second half will have many more opportunities for both clubs, the first half can be described as very systematic. Both midfields looked to gain the upper hand with possession and in the end they would go into halftime scoreless.
SECOND HALF
The second half would see Orange County start to push the envelope a bit. This would be apparent as Benjamin Barjolo would make his first impact on the night with a dribble down the left hand side that split two defenders. He was able to find War but his shot would go wide. For the next 30 minutes, Orange County would continue to sustain pressure on the AMSG backline.
Pedro Guimaraes would put a shot on target from outside the box in the 74’ minute that the AMSG keeper left a nasty rebound from but he did well to recover. This would not be the first rebound given up.
Just as it seemed that Orange County had begun to control the game, AMSG began pushing back. They had begun a series of counter-attacks and forced the OC backline to be true. Then in the 84’ minute, the ball fell to an AMSG forward just outside the 18 as he was chopped down by a substitute OC center back right in front of the ref. He would be immediately sent off and OCSC II were reduced to 10 men with about 8 minutes remaining in the game.
One important note about AMSG is the fact that they did not force Kadono to make any tough saves in the second half. There were a couple of opportunities where the ball was put into the box but each and every time the OC backline and keeper were up to the task.
Playing down a man and coming off a 2024 season that saw a number of late game collapses one would not fault OCSC II for staying back and playing for the draw. However OCSC II did not do this and continued to push the tempo. In almost all of the added time, it was AMSG up a man that was looking to play for a draw. This nearly cost them too when in the 3’ minute of second half stoppage time, the AMSG keeper left a terrible rebound in front of the 6 from an outside shot but Mohamadou War would fail to convert in a chance that he would greatly like to have back.
This would be the last offensive chance of the night for either team and the 2025 season would begin with a 0-0 draw.
OVERVIEW
It was a scrappy and gritty 0-0 draw but that will be acceptable. For being down a man at the end of the game, AMSG were only held to one shot on goal and the possession heavy OCSC II did do its job on defense. Unfortunately they were unable to score just one goal but the chances and skill were present.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the night is the play of right back Nicola Ciotta. The OCSC II right back had a nearly perfect night and locked down the right side of the defensive line in the first half and then switched over to left back for the second half. Ciotta would see one caution in the 81’ minute but there were not many mistakes made. A good appearance to build from.
The next time OC II plays will be June 3 and they will be going down to Carlsbad to take on City SC. It will be the first away game of the season and one of only two matches taking place outside of Orange County in all of 2025.