Orange County SC’s bad luck on the road continued this weekend after losing to Phoenix Rising FC 3-1. Concerns for the 2025 season continue to rise as the squad struggles to find results away from home.
FIRST HALF:
Injury woes continue as Tristan Trager was out once again this week. However, Danny Stone rewarded Mouhamadou War with a start after his fantastic goal a couple of weeks ago.
In the first twenty minutes of the match, neither side was able to create any dangerous attempts on goal. However, Phoenix Rising maintained the most control over the pace of play. The Orange County defense was able to keep their opponents at bay for a while, but their luck would not last forever.
Dariusz Formella broke the deadlock with the first shot on target after the County Boys were unable to clear the ball away from their goal. Phoenix was able to pass the ball around with little opposition, and eventually, Noble Okello made a pass to the center of the box, where Formella was left entirely open and shot into the far corner, giving Phoenix a 1-0 lead.
Orange County's only chance offensively came off a throw-in by Nico Benalcazar just a couple of minutes later. He threw it into the box toward War, who passed it to Lyam MacKinnon in the center. MacKinnon tried to shoot for a goal immediately, but the attempt went wide.
Colin Shutler had to make a couple of diving saves to prevent things from getting out of control, as Phoenix dominated the midfield and the game. One of which was a fantastic shot from Mohamed Traore, who dribbled through the center and rifled a low shot from 25 yards out, forcing Shutler to make a big save.
Unfortunately, things got worse for the boys in Orange when War got injured. Ousmane Sylla came on to replace him. He almost made an immediate impact by dribbling past the Phoenix defense in added time, but he fell in the box and, rather than earning a penalty, was given a yellow card for simulation.
Almost every stat was in favor of the opposition in the first half as Phoenix Rising controlled 67% of the ball and made around 150 more passes than Orange County, proving that OCSC was lucky to escape the half only one goal down.
SECOND HALF:
After a poor performance in the first half, Coach Stone decided to make a change at halftime by bringing on Ethan Zubak for MacKinnon on offense.
Chris Hegardt had Orange County’s first shot on target early in the second half. Receiving a rebound from a header, he aimed for the near post, but Patrick Rakovsky was able to deflect the ball away from danger.
Still, The County Boys looked to have a lot more hunger after the break and were able to find their way into the opponent’s half with purpose. Their aggressiveness paid off in the 58th minute when Kyle Scott crossed the ball into the box. Rakovsky was able to punch the initial cross away, but it was quickly picked up by Hegardt, who sent a pass toward the far post. Vuk Latinovich made a run in and connected a header on target across the goal. A Phoenix defender tried to clear the attempt off the line, but the ball bounced into the roof of the net for the equalizer.
In the 67th minute, Phoenix earned a corner kick. They sent the ball in, and it was initially cleared away, but not for long. The ball eventually found the feet of Ascel Essengue in the center of the box. He made a quick turn and took a shot with his right foot. The shot went straight at Shutler, but there was enough power on it that despite Shutler getting a hand to it, it rolled into the goal, making it a 2-1 to the hosts.
The County Boys tried to respond immediately as Scott was able to switch the field wonderfully to Ryan Doghman on the right side. He crossed it to the center for Hegardt, who took a shot, but Rakovsky was up to the task and made the save.
Cameron Dunbar tried to dribble his way into the box past three opponents. However, he was shut down, and Phoenix was able to make a quick counter. A through ball was sent forward, creating a three-on-one battle. Charlie Dennis received the pass and had all the time in the world to set up his shot. He took it with his left and sent it past Shutler, giving Phoenix a 3-1 lead in the 72nd minute.
With a shallow bench, Coach Stone had only young players to bring on, including Nicola Ciotta, Benjamin Barjolo, and Cheick Kone, who was making his professional debut. Kone almost had a golden opportunity to score off a header, but the attempt went just wide. Orange County was unable to find any other opportunities and suffered another loss on the road.
OVERVIEW:
Orange County SC continues to showcase inconsistency this season after losing once again on the road. After their defeat last week in the Jägermeister Cup, they have now tied the club record of 15 consecutive losses on the road in all competitions.
There was nothing to be excited about in this match, as the County Boys were dominated entirely all over the pitch. However, the real question for the season must be placed on the OCSC defense, who have yet to earn a clean sheet.
Unfortunately, genuine concerns are now rising about this team’s chances of having a successful season. They are out of the US Open Cup, mathematically eliminated from advancing in the Jägermeister Cup, and are find themselves in a deep hole in the regular season with terrible performances on the road. As a fan, it’s hard to see how Danny Stone will be able to turn things around to secure a playoff spot and try to win the league this year.
The only saving grace is that it's still early in the season, and although hope is dwindling, it's not too late for Orange County SC to find their stride and go on a winning streak. Yet, that streak must begin on the road, as the next three league matches will be away from home. The County Boys will need to secure a victory, or two, to have any hope of rising up the table.
Next week, Orange County SC will travel to West Texas to face El Paso Locomotive FC on Saturday, June 14th, at 6:00 PM PST.