OC Preparing For Final Push to End of Season
The Orange and Black went to the Rocky Mountains and came away with an important 1-0 victory last weekend. The defense remained solid and Nico Benalcazar found the all important away goal that has often eluded Orange County this season.
OC on paper are in a good spot and have really found a consistency as a club in recent memory. They sit 5th in the West but are within striking distance of 3rd after Saturday’s matchup. If Orange County were to make the postseason then it would be a club record third consecutive season which is a bit surprising considering that they are a founding member of the modern USL.
But just as Orange County is in a good position, in a way they cannot see their momentum pause. Orange County is only 7 points in front of last place Las Vegas with the West very competitive as always. This must be taken into consideration considering that Orange County are entering a very important game against the first place FC Tulsa who have really separated themselves from the rest of the West.
THE OPPONENT - FC TULSA
Not many, if any, pundits picked Tulsa to be a USL contender this season. When these two teams met at the beginning of the season it was Orange County that won the game 2-1 and really looked quite dominant in doing so. That match came all the way back on May 3 and since then a lot has happened for Tulsa. The May 3 loss was the last defeat for FC Tulsa. They have since gone 13 games unbeaten which has tied the longest stretch across all Championship teams in 2025. This includes six straight unbeaten at home. It has been a fairly young side that has had the success as well with notable veterans of years past which has been quite a welcome sight for Tulsa who are looking to snap a 3 season postseason drought.
Tulsa’s offense leads the entire Western Conference with 36 goals and that is what has won them their games the past couple of weeks. If there is one flaw in the team, the defense can give up goals here and there. Tulsa has had a tough time earning clean sheets with their last one only happening June 7 and since then have seen some high scoring games. 4-3 win over Las Vegas, 3-2 win over Monterey Bay, 5-2 win over New Mexico; they are a high powered offense that you cannot look to keep pace with to win games.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Tulsa’s lineup is quite younger than some teams and one of the better talents they employ is that of right back Owen Damm. The 22-year old right back has taken the starting spot nicely making 25 appearances and scoring 3 goals across all competitions in 2025. Owen Damm might be the one that got away from Louisville City where he had spent four seasons prior to being transferred to Tulsa.
On the orange side of things, I feel like I have to give a compliment to the head coach for Orange County SC Danny Stone. Nearly every single grievance that OC had encountered at the beginning of the season has been rectified. The defense is not good enough and is letting in too many goals? They have gotten four clean sheets in their last 7 league games. Lack of depth scoring? At least four players and one from each facet of the field have gotten multiple goals on the year. Orange County has been a team who has gotten better and better as the season goes on and 2025 is shaping up to be similar to that. Danny Stone has had to deal with a number of player departures and to this point he has had a solution to each and every problem.
DK’s starting 11 for OC at FC Tulsa
PREDICTED STARTING XI
Just the one lineup prediction this time and it comes courtesy of D.K. Jenks.
Only two changes from the lineup that took the field last weekend. Bryce Jamison will take the place of War at right winger with Bryce having more USL experience. As such Partida will get a break with Nico Benalcazar going from the backline to a defensive midfield position. As such we will see the return of Vuk Latinovich to the back four. Every other position will likely remain the same.
THE MATCHUP
Historically this has been a one sided matchup with Orange County winning 8 of a possible 14 games compared to Tulsa’s 3. But this might be the most interesting matchup with Tulsa coming into the game first in the West. In fact Tulsa has not beaten OC since 2019. But what might be the biggest story is just how dominant OC have been in these games. Orange County have defeated Tulsa by scorelines such as 5-0, 5-1 and 6-1. Counter point when Tulsa has won the game they have done so scoring at least four goals every single time. This includes the 2019 bout that saw Tulsa go to Irvine and win the game 5-3. It will be interesting to see how this matchup turns out.
WHAT TO KNOW
Game - @ FC Tulsa (USL Championship)
When - August 23, 5:30 PM PST
Where - ONEOK Field (Tulsa, OK)
OCSC Form - WDWWW
TUL Form - DWWWL
All-Time Series - 8-3-3 (14 Games)
TV - ESPN+