Death. Taxes. Pittsburgh not being able to beat Orange County SC.
It was finally a day for Orange County fans to celebrate for more than just the results. For the first time since August 1st, Orange County not only won their first game but also registered their first clean sheet. The defensive minded team returned to the pitch in the club debut of Dekal Keinan as interim head coach. It took all 90 minutes of play before OC were able to break the deadlock but in what was perhaps the most important victory of the season, the mood around the club has definitely improved. The win alone bumped OC back into 5th in the West and only 4 points off of second place.
However in all fairness, OC definitely looked like a better team thanks in part to a lot of players returning to the pitch from injury. Is it somewhat convenient that this happened in the first match post Danny Stone or just a funny coincidence? I do not care, I just want the team to win. But what I know for certain is that there were plenty of positive takeaways from this game and the new coach bump in form has been true in years past. It also could not have come any sooner as with only four games remaining in the regular season, we have seen them go on crazier runs in the postseason.
FIRST HALF
Perhaps the biggest storyline of the game going into it besides the new coach was Ryan Doghman breaking Brian Iloski’s record for appearances with the club at 113. This should have been the big day for him but rising from the ashes was midfielder Kevin Partida who would return to the field and tie Brian Iloski for second most club appearances in OCSC history. It was only Partida’s 9th appearance in 2026 and first since April 18th but man oh man did he help out tremendously on Saturday. In fact the lineup saw a lot of welcome faces. Mouhamadou War would also return to the starting XI at right wing which is what he was brought in originally. Grayson Doody has quietly found his way back to the bench. The club was still without the likes of Nico Benalcazar and Garrison Tubbs but this was definitely a step in the right direction.
Surrounding our returners was the usual lot with the backline consisting of Doghman, Espy, Brewitt and Lindsey who were tasked with helping Alex Rando. The midfielder saw the biggest changes with Marcelo Palomino and Kevin Partida both getting starts alongside Hegardt and Sylla. The forwards would consist of Lyam MacKinnon and Mo War with online sources calling it a 4-4-2. I am not entirely sure they were in a 4-4-2 the entire time but I have been wrong before.
I mentioned this in the pregame report but historically Orange County SC havePittsburgh’s number even dating back to the LA Blues days. Since 2011 the Riverhounds have only defeated the LA Blues/OC Blues FC/Orange County SC once. So already the odds were in favor for Orange County but this was still the reigning USL champions that are having a good season that OC went out and defeated 1-0. Definitely an impressive win for the Oranges.
But I will be the first to admit that OC were not dominating this game by any means. They definitely were competitive and it was enough to earn the victory but there is still room to improve for Keinan’s group. Perhaps what was the most pleasing thing to see was that OC was able to generate chances at about the same rate that Pittsburgh was able to. The first half definitely saw Alex Rando still need to make a handful of good saves but OC looked dangerous on set pieces and did force Pittsburgh keeper Campuzano to make some saves. The midfield definitely helped in this regard by maintaining possession and not forcing the forwards to drop back. Overall a breath of fresh air was felt and the half would end 0-0.
SECOND HALF
The second half would not be the most eventful half I have witnessed in the USL. In fact if you were to watch the highlights for this match you will see the half start, Rando smother a ball, and substitutions being made. The subs for OC would become another topic this game but in a good way for once. Stephen Kelly would come in after the break to relieve Kevin Partida who had a nice return, all things considered, and then Yaniv Bazini would come in after the hour mark to replace Mo War. The fact that Bazini has been on the bench the last couple of games is something I did not expect to see considering he has been OC’s best scorer this season. But a boring game is something that OC desperately needed after the horrors of Kentucky they experienced last week. This game really did have the makings of being a 0-0 draw which OC would have been content with but Yaniv Bazini is the best offseason acquisition and he again showed why.
Coming from really nothing, Jaylin Lindsey would play a free kick up the pitch to Bazini in the 90th minute. There is a miscommunication between the Pittsburgh centerback and keeper with Campuzano coming out to retrieve it with the defender weakly heading the ball right to Bazini. It would be Bazini with a volleyed effort that would dip up and over the keeper and fall right to the far post to perhaps save Orange County’s season. A most humorous goal to witness but one that lifted a lot of weight off the shoulders. Orange County SC would only need to hold out for two minutes of added time and would come away with a 1-0 victory. It felt like springtime all over again.
OVERVIEW
It does not take much for me to find the qualities of some players even if I have been critical of them in the past. I am very happy to admit that Tyson Espy and Marcelo Palomino were very important in the win for OC. Espy is still a very young defender who while going through some growing pains has shown that he has an offensive touch in him. This is a centerback who has scored a very important goal against Colorado Springs and has had his fair share of chances when he is on the pitch. He only had one mistake at the back but ultimately Rando would bail him out in the first half. Marcelo Palomino will admit he has not been the most explosive offseason acquisition but this is veteran and he played like one on Saturday night. Him and Partida did very well balancing the pitch and keeping possession of the ball for OC; even Stephen Kelley did his job when he was called upon. Alex Rando needed a shutout and he earned it on Saturday making big saves in both halves but ultimately not needing to be called upon too much. Jaylin Lindsey has looked to be a successful mid-season acquisition at right back as well. This team can only get better when Benalcazar and Tubbs return and they certainly have chances to win their remaining games. Next week they have a very manageable game against Monterey Bay at home but if this team is going to show that they have turned a page then a win is almost expected.
