Of Oranges and Bluegrass
Orange County SC knows better than anyone just how important every game from this point on is. Even the lone cross conference game is just another chance to earn points. There is not much more I can say that has not been said in previous articles regarding OC and what they need to do to win. Orange County still controls their own destiny to a postseason berth which does have a possibility of a home playoff game. This has actually been something that has eluded OCSC with the last home playoff game coming in 2023.
Unfortunately OC still has a lot to prove to the world about how successful they can be. It seemed as if they had remedied the mistakes of blowout games past but were kicked down by Las Vegas last Saturday via a 0-2 scoreline. It was another poor offensive performance with the Oranges only registering a whopping 3 shots on target. We can go on and on about how everyone at the club is not happy with the results and what not but the fact of the matter is OC are seriously on the verge of not qualifying for the postseason for only the third time since 2018; and there is not a global pandemic or championship hangover to blame this time.
It is going to be a one game at a time crawl to the finish with Lexington being the next opportunity for OC to either show some grit or prove why some things need to change. But Lexington is an interesting opponent and one that is perhaps the most difficult to get a proper gauge on. They are also a team who are right in the middle of it with the rest of the Western Conference that are fighting for their playoff lives.
THE OPPONENT - LEXINGTON SC
Lexington SC who are in their fourth year as a franchise, second in the USL Championship have been a very consistently inconsistent side. With three complete seasons under their belt they have also finished 9th in the conference all three times. Just as fate would have it they are currently 8th in the conference before their game on Saturday. This is a team that has never had a winning season yet were able to be “promoted” up to the Championship division by buying it. But their women's side are solid title contenders so they are doing some things right. There is perhaps not a more perfect representation of a mid table USL team than a team who have 10 wins to their name but also 10 losses. To really hammer it home this is a team that OC have played on 3 previous occasions and each and every game ended as a draw.
This season was poised to be a massive one for Lexington who very much overhauled their roster with proven USL talent. The talent has been there for Lexington and has done their job but it has not been enough and Lexington are really fighting for their season to continue. Defeating teams like Oakland, Phoenix and Las Vegas convincingly are good signs but Lexington also lost to Jacksonville of all teams so they have a dud of a game in them as well. With other expansion news on the horizon, Lexington could find themselves in the Eastern Conference sooner rather than later where I personally think they belong and have to deal with tougher teams.
Unfortunately for Orange County, Lexington do have a legitimate home field advantage with the green horsies boasting a 7-1-4 record this season at Lexington SC Stadium. They are 8th in the West but only two points behind OC who themselves are in a four-way tie for 4th place. A strong offensive team with an okay defense has been a winnable opponent for Orange County this season and this would be the perfect time for OC to get that first win over Lexington.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Lexington made headlines this offseason with the USL Championship super team they signed. Offensive threats like Phillip Goodrum, Marcus Epps and Aaron Malloy have been the offense and then some for Lexington. In fact Phillip Goodrum notched a hat trick in their 4-1 win over Oakland last week. But there is a midfielder who has been a great facilitator of play for them in Blaine Ferri. The former Tulsa and North Texas SC player was a mid-season addition for Lexington last season who has since become their assists leader in 2026 with 7 assists to his credit along with 3 goals of his own as well. Phillip Goodrum should have given some of his earnings to Ferri, he was on the end of two assists in his hat trick. Teams can have multiple goal scorers but often times they need someone to be able to get the ball to them and Ferri fits that bill well. At only 25 years of age too he was definitely a good pickup for them.
On the orange side of things, Sydney Wathuta is the latest loan in to Orange County who was brought in for one job. The 6 '3 forward is an imposing threat to defenders and has come to OC on loan from Colorado Rapids for likely the remainder of the season and hopefully the postseason as well. If you would have told me that the Rapids would loan out a young offensive threat to a USL Championship team I would have broken out my Bryce Jamison kit but alas that reunion will have to keep waiting. Wathuta is a very interesting one though. A former teammate of Bazini back at the University of Vermont, Wathuta has been consistently churning out both goals and assists. He got his first appearance and start last week and while not generating much did serve as another threat in the box which OC can never have enough of.
PREDICTED STARTING XI
Here is to hoping that the injury to Nico Benalcazar is not the knockout punch for OC in what has become a season marred by injuries to a lot of players who are either fighting for a roster spot or fighting to get recognized. While he is definitely not the most offensive minded midfielder, his absence did force Kelly and Sylla to have to play further back to cover the space and this did not allow them to get forward much with the ball and do their job. So if you do not have Nico on top of really not having Partida for the entire year then you do not have many options at defensive mid.
Alex Rando is on pace to start every game in goal this season which I am not sure was the last time that happened. With the reinforcements brought in and not including any possible injury returns then we could see a lineup very similar to what we saw in the Oakland game. So Tyson Espy here is another chance to shine. The two biggest omissions might be Wathuta and Lindsey but I fully expect both of them to find the pitch eventually. Whether Lindsey goes on in the defense or midfield we have to see and Wathuta could also be slotted in as a midfielder as well. I can tell the defense and goalkeeping to do better but there is no one else so OC will either sink or swim with them. The midfield will have to really put in a full shift on Saturday as well.
THE MATCHUP
After OC finally defeated Miami FC 4-2 earlier this season, Lexington SC remained one of the few teams that OC have yet to beat or be beaten by. Each of the 3 previous matchups have ended as draws with OC no doubt being the luckier of the two. Mouhamadou War saved OC a point with his last minute equalizer in 2025 before Bryce Jamison’s shot/cross would embarrass the Lexington keeper in the return leg.
It must be said time and time again that OC are genuinely not guaranteed anything at this moment in the season. This is a six game winless run which is the longest of the season and one that has seen OC drop 6 spots down the table. Orange County have scored 34 times, conceded 34 times and have 9 wins to go with their 9 draws. This should be a good test for OC to see how they can play when everyone has counted them out.
WHAT TO KNOW
Game - @ Lexington SC (USL Championship)
When - September 19th, 4:00 PM PST
Where - Lexington SC Stadium (Lexington, KY)
OCSC Form - LDDLL
LSC Form - WLLLW
All-Time Series - 0-3-0 (3 Games)
TV - ESPN+