Ryan Doghman
FIRST HALF:
This week, the bench was a little thinner as both Tom Brewitt and Kevin Partida were out due to injuries they picked up last week. Ashton Miles and Pedro Guimaraes made the starting lineup in their place.
FC Tulsa took control of the match right away, keeping most of the possession in Orange County's half. They got the first shot on target in the third minute after Eliot Goldthorp received the ball at the top of the box, cut toward the middle, and sent a rocket toward the left corner. Colin Shutler made a fantastic save as he dove to the ground and sent the attempt out for a corner.
Guimaraes was booked after a late tackle and high boot in the seventh minute, giving Tulsa a dangerous free kick opportunity outside the box on the left side. Once again, Goldthorp sent a great shot on target, but Shutler was up to the task a second time and punched it over the bar for another huge save.
It took around 10 minutes for the County Boys to get warmed up, but once they did, the battle between the two sides seemed very even, with Orange County looking a bit stronger in their passing awareness. Ousmane Sylla and Chris Hegardt linked up in the center to create a solid chance on goal, with Hegardt getting a shot off that forced a save. Unfortunately, as things started to look up for OCSC, the game completely changed in the 20th minute.
Shutler attempted a pass through the center to Stephen Kelly. Yet, it lacked sufficient power, and Kelly was beaten to the ball, resulting in a potential scoring opportunity at the top of the box for Tulsa. Kelly still went for the ball but clipped Kalil ElMedkhar and was given a harsh straight red card. Forcing Orange County to play a man down.
Four minutes later, Goldthorp crossed in a perfect delivery to a completely unmarked ElMedkhar, who headed in the opening goal.
Despite going a man down and conceding a goal, the boys in orange did not give up on this match. Throughout the remainder of the half, they pushed hard for the equalizer but were unable to find it before the whistle blew, ending the first half at 1-0 FC Tulsa.
SECOND HALF:
As a precaution due to an early booking, Danny Stone decided to make a substitution during the break, bringing on Nicola Ciotta for Guimaraes.
Playing with only 10 men didn't stop Orange County SC from going toe-to-toe with FC Tulsa in the second half. Largely thanks to Hegardt, Sylla, and Nico Benalcazar, the County Boys were able to maintain most of the possession with some excellent build-up play. Yet even with control, they were unable to find that finishing touch early in the half.
Mouhamadou War came on in the 60th minute to replace Bryce Jamison.
War nearly created a moment that would give Orange County hope to find some success in this match. He received the ball on the left side and sent a cross to Sylla. He made a quick pass to Ryan Doghman in the center with the keeper thoroughly beaten, but there were too many Tulsa defenders in the way for a shot.
The best chance of the night was in the 80th minute when Hegardt sent a perfect cross into the box. Vuk Latinovich beat the defender and had an ideal opportunity, but his timing was slightly off, and the connected header went over the bar and out of play.
There were celebrations just a minute later after Cheick Koné came on. The offense made a quick turnover in the final third and immediately pressed into the box. Hegardt dribbled through and took a shot, which was deflected off Koné and went into the net to equalize. However, Koné was ruled offside and the goal was disallowed.
Orange County SC fought till the very end but were unable to find a goal, ending the match 1-0 FC Tulsa and the first loss for OCSC in five games.
OVERVIEW:
Although this three-match road stretch ended with a disappointing result, Orange County SC should come back home with their heads held high based on the performance they had on the pitch. Facing off against the number one team in the West, the County Boys not only challenged the conference leaders, but did so while playing the majority of the match a man down.
Ousmane Sylla and Chris Hegardt continue to shine in the midfield, offering the best attacking sequences of the evening while the OCSC defense held firm throughout most of the match. One questionable call and defensive blunder in the first half is the only element that kept the boys in orange from walking away with a positive result this week.
Thankfully, next week they will be back at home at Championship Soccer Stadium to face off against Birmingham Legion FC, where 3 points will be crucial in getting Orange County SC back in the top four race as the season enters its final stretch. Support the County Boys this Saturday, August 30th, at 7:00 PM PST at The Champ.
Don’t miss the first and only show dedicated to Orange County SC LIVE Tuesday nights at 8pm Pacific on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, or later in the week on Spotify or your podcast platform of choice.