One thing that I love about sports are the underlying stats behind why things are the way they are. It is why I always look at overall records against teams when determining what to expect for Orange County. OCSC have faced 70 different teams in competitive play since 2011 whether that be in the league or in national tournaments. The USL for a good chunk of time did not have cross conference match ups so teams out East did not see Orange County until as recently as 2022. They now play every other team at least once but not everyone as in 2026 Orange County will not face either Brooklyn or Jacksonville.
Of those 70 league opponents with more than one all time meeting, there are only two clubs that OC have yet to defeat or be defeated by. Lexington SC is a team that in 3 different match ups OC have drawn three different times. However Lexington are only in their second season in the USL Championship. The other team in this regard is Miami FC. The first time these two teams met came back in 2022 and since then have met 3 different times as well. However when two of those ties are 0-0 scorelines this is a team that I really do not know what to expect. Orange County SC are perennial playoff contenders while Miami FC are not. So why then can Orange County never seem to beat them?
THE OPPONENT - MIAMI FC
Miami FC are quite the interesting club. This is a team who have been playing professionally since 2015 with the USL Championship being their fourth stop. 2026 is their sixth season but the consistent playoff success has eluded them. They do have a pair of appearances back in 2021 and 2022 but those did not go very far. But Miami FC might be a force to be aware of as they are one of the clubs who have made it clear their intentions of being placed into the division 1 USL league when it happens. Until then however they are playing in a stadium named after a pop star.
Miami FC last year had another lackluster campaign that saw them finish 11th in the East. So they did the expected and somewhat overhauled their roster. That does unfortunately mean that their leading goalscorer departed. But the acquisitions are who have stolen the show with the likes of Eloy Room and Jurgen Locadia. Keen-eyed readers will know those names because of the elephant in the room; they are both on World Cup international duty.
Looking at recent results there are a couple of interesting things that stick out. Against some good teams like Louisville and Oakland they have gotten positive results. But there is a reason Miami sit 8th in the East and the consistency is not there quite yet. Orange County should look to get back to back wins.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Every team needs USL stalwarts and Miami may have the biggest of them all in Rodrigo Da Costa. The Brazilian midfielder has 213 appearances in the USL and made a name for himself with FC Tulsa which happened before stops at Memphis 901 FC and North Carolina FC. Da Costa in 2026 is a player not expected to play a full 90 minutes but still has 10 league appearances thus far. The offensive stats are not amazing however he is on the cusp of 60 goals in all USL competitions for his career. This is somewhat of a reunion for Da Costa in South Florida as it was with a lower level side that he got his professional start. This is a player that had double digit scoring campaigns just 3 years ago so he is still a threat.
On the orange side of things, we know that Chris Hegardt is in the running for the Golden Playmaker award in the USL. It is a very competitive list with at one point having as much as a 9 way tie for first place. However there is another OC midfielder who with an assist on Saturday could also work their way up the ladder. Stephen Kelly got his first assist of the season in Las Vegas but his offensive presence is real as he has scored two goals in the league in 13 appearances. That is another important trait of Kelly, his fitness is very good. Through 14 league games for Orange County, Stephen Kelly has featured in all but one. It was Stephen Kelly who came over last year midway through the season but with Saturday being his 34th appearance with OCSC that now makes the Black & Orange the club where he has made his second most appearances. This is a midfielder with European experience and has already beaten his marks from last season in goals. With no red cards either in 2026, Kelly is looking to be a very important cog in the midfield.
PREDICTED STARTING XI
Midweek games after weekend games do not give much time for turnaround. Doubling the pressure is the fact this is a cross-country journey too so I would not be surprised if Orange County plays a defensive first half. There are a handful of OCSC players with injury concerns and that group grew a bit with Grayson Doody having to be subbed off in the first half on Saturday. We know about Doghman, Partida, War temporarily and Bunbury who is lost for the year. So again we are looking at a next man up mentality.
Couple of changes from Las Vegas being Espy in for Brewitt and Nico Benalcazar slotting in at left back for Doghman. Nicola Ciotta could also get the start at right back making for a very young backline in front of Rando. With Ciotta dropping one that leaves spaces for Jamir Johnson in the right winger position. There should be no reason to mess with Bazini and MacKinnon up top after they both scored.
THE MATCH UP
Once again this is an Eastern Conference opponent to which Orange County rarely matches up against but perhaps it is a perfect match for Orange County because in the 3 previous matchups they have all ended in draws. This was a matchup that neither team scored in until after 180 minutes of play. However what is always the case it seems is that Orange County are always the ones with a bit more to play for. This will remain the same with OC sitting first in the West but Miami will be motivated as they are only 8th in the East right above the playoff line. This will be another test for Orange County to see just how legit they are.
WHAT TO KNOW
Game - @ Miami FC (USL Championship)
When - June 24th, 4:00 PM PST
Where - Pitbull Stadium (Miami, FL)
OCSC Form - WDLWL
MIA Form - DLWLL
All-Time Series - 0-3-0 (3 Games)
TV - ESPN+