As far as Orange County is concerned: this is almost as another bye week. There is just the decision of who can rest for another week or who can get a rebound game to get back to form. They will not return to regular season play until next week when they face off against New Mexico. There is one more USL Cup group stage game after Saturday night as well.
When OC and AV Alta face off again it will only be the second time ever and the first time since they met in the US Open Cup in 2025. As the only two USL fully professional teams in Southern California for the time being this matchup was surely one that was going to be circled on the calendars. However it will be a contest between two teams who have had drastically different seasons up to this point. While Orange County sit second in the Western Conference and are riding some momentum, AV Alta got off to a brutal start but have somewhat righted the ship as they sit 8th in League One. AV Alta in the league are on a five game unbeaten run but against USL Championship competition have gone winless.
THE OPPONENT - AV ALTA FC
AV Alta at the moment sit just above the playoff line and this is due to their recent improvement in form. The start of the season was good whatsoever for AV Alta with failure to win games and calls for change in various departments. But to their credit they have tightened up their defense and are riding a modest 5-game unbeaten run in League One. A separate argument can be made about the quality of those opponents and really the League One table as a whole (only four teams have more wins than non-wins in a 17-team league).
AV Alta in the USL Cup got put into the group with all USL Championship sides including 2 different league champions so they were at a disadvantage from the start. While OC saw losses to El Paso and Phoenix, AV Alta matched that with losses to New Mexico and El Paso. The only chance for either team to somehow qualify for the knockout phase is if everyone else in the entire USL loses every game because only one wild card team from 7 groups total makes it.
This is a team who are starting to find themselves and it really is better late than never. Whenever a team from a lower league has the opportunity to host a higher level team then they will likely have a bit of an extra spark.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
AV Alta on their recent good run of form can thank goalkeeper Denzil Smith for it. Smith was the hero of their 0-0 draw against Fort Wayne SC with a six save clean sheet. Smith has gotten the bulk of the starts and is the first choice keeper for Alta however he did not play in their last USL Cup match. When he has played in his 9 league appearances he has only conceded 10 goals while registering 4 clean sheets. Smith was also the keeper of record last year in the Open Cup match that went to a shootout.
On the orange side of things, Tetsuya Kadono will get another opportunity in the USL Cup to have the net all to himself. Now in his second full season with Orange County, Kadono does have a handful of impressive performances under his belt. If he does play on Saturday night it will be his 9th professional appearance, all being with Orange County. Last year in this same tournament, Kadono did register two clean sheets in his only two appearances that he made. He will likely have his work cut out for him if OC decides to play a younger lineup.
PREDICTED STARTING XI
Kadono gets the start in net as he has done in the other group stage games. I would be very surprised if we see some of the bigger names for Orange County suit up for this match. So the backline will look like Doghman, Espy, Tubbs and Doody who would be helped by getting some more game time. There is also the issue of defensive depth as well to consider. The midfield will feature Jamir Johnson and Brandon Cambridge on the flanks with Efren Solis being the young player to watch. Up top, Lyam MacKinnon got the start in the last match however do not be surprised if Apolo Marinch slots in too. Marinch did not play the last game due to a red card suspension.
THE MATCH UP
There are going to be a lot of different opinions about this matchup and how both teams treat it will also be a question. Neither team can really gain anything from the game but they can definitely lose players from it. Last year’s matchup in a different competition was very intense on and off the pitch. For Orange County this is a group stage game and we will see if those sentiments are shared. Both teams are in playoff position in their respective leagues at the moment. Orange County will continue their lengthy road trip with a very short road trip and one that is coming off a bye week. Orange County can answer a lot of questions about team mentality with a win on Saturday.
WHAT TO KNOW
Game - @ AV Alta FC (USL Prinx Tires Cup)
When - June 6th, 8:00 PM PST
Where - Lancaster Municipal Stadium (Lancaster, CA)
OCSC Form - WLDLL
ALTA Form - DLWWW
All-Time Series - 0-1-0 (1 Game)
TV - ESPN+