On a typically cool spring evening, Orange County kicked off in front of their loyal fans — and their loyal pets — en route to a 2-0 victory over San Antonio and a leap back to the top of the table.
FIRST HALF
The visitors had the first chance of the night, as former Orange County defender Alex Crognale connected with a corner, but Alex Rando had an assured pair of hands to gather the effort.
OC built patiently, looking to get the ball wide before moving it up the pitch. The plan worked well, as Nico Benalcazar, filling in at left back, sprung forward. He was stopped, but Lyam MacKinnon gathered the second ball and rifled OC’s first attempt on goal: an effort from 20 yards, but right at San Antonio’s Joseph Batrouni.
A few moments later, OC played down the right through Marcelo Palomino. The winger crossed early to an open MacKinnon, who took an excellent first touch with his left foot, set up on his right, and sent a daisy cutter past Batrouni and into the back of the net.
Up a goal after 11 minutes, Orange County forced the visitors to play catch up for the first time all season. As they attempted to play out from the back, Orange County was content and comfortable pressing high up the pitch, tempting San Antonio to try and bypass the midfield. But OC did well to quash any forward momentum, winning tackles and second balls.
Kevin Partida narrowly missed doubling the lead on 18 minutes. Stephen Kelly followed, firing just wide of the post quickly after a SAFC turnover.
Much of San Antonio’s attacking play was broken up by fouls, both from Orange County aggressively pressing as well as offensive fouls as the visitors neared the final third.
Crognale earned the first booking, his fourth of the year, after tripping Chris Hegardt just outside of the San Antonio box. While Orange County could not convert from the ensuing set piece, it typified the issues that SAFC was having defensively.
Around the half hour mark, San Antonio had a pair of chances, but Orange County did well to force efforts from some distance. Rando was there to see a shot from Dmitriy Erofeev wide before comfortably and safely gathering an optimistic shot from Mikey Maldonaldo moments later.
After withstanding the first real tests from the visitors, Orange County again strode forward. Under no pressure, Hegardt drifted inwards, unchallenged, and fired goalwards. While Batrouni parried the initial shot, he did so only to the feet of Yaniv Bazini, who doubled the lead with his first goal for the club.
In what was an unsurprisingly physical match, both teams were left frustrated with non-calls before the half. First, San Antonio was aggrieved when Cristian Parano looked to be tripped up for a possible penalty. Moments later, Akeem Jeffries caught Hegardt’s left calf with his studs in the follow-through of a reaching slide tackle.
All’s well that ends well, however, and OC carried their 2-0 lead into the break.
second half
Bazini nearly bagged a brace to open the second half, but he was flagged offside. The forward’s initial run was nearly perfect, but Kelly couldn’t quite release the ball in time.
Ward again caught Hegardt with his studs, this time earning a yellow for his effort.
Perhaps a rough example, but San Antonio came out determined to trouble Orange County in the second half. Santiago Patiño dragged his effort just wide of the post from distance after an easy giveaway from OC. Not long after Curt Calov also tried his luck, though it remained off target. Conceding two chances in such quick succession, it highlighted the SAFC’s determination to get back into the match, and OC seemed surprised initially.
But the hole in the San Antonio midfield persisted, and OC remained content to defend deep, inviting their opponents further forward and springing forward on the break when possible.
After a brief stoppage at the hour mark due to a back injury to Patiño, OC nearly extended their lead through a combination of Mou War and MacKinnon. The winger-turned-fullback did exceptionally well to separate from his marker before standing a cross to the back post. MacKinnon headed goalwards, but Batrouni met his effort at the backpost and did well to hold the ball.
EJ Johnson, a second-half substitude for the visitors, nearly scored from what was described as “a half-hearted attack,” but the forward couldn’t put any power on his header, and Rando comfortably gathered the ball. Patiño nearly scored from a similar attack just moments later, but the forward shot wide of the far post from close distance. Rando was truly tested in the 72nd minute. Directly from a corner, Mitch Taintor headed down from close range, but Rando got down and parried the ball away before is was hacked clear.
Bazini then looked clear to notch his brace, but when clear on goal, he chose to square it to Ethan Zubak, who was tightly marked, and the chance resulted in nothing.
In the final 15 minutes, the match devolved into a series of fouls and bookings for both teams. Neither side truly threatened, especially after Orange County shifted into a back three.
OVERVIEW
Orange County finally figured out how to score more than once, and it made all the difference. The breathing room afforded by the second goal calmed what was, at times, a nervy second half. Still, some decisions in the final third could be improved upon, notably Bazini’s choice to square the ball to Zubak.
Regardless, Orange County played well, from Alex Rando earning a clean sheet to Bazini finding the net at the other end and the continued return to fitness for Sylla and Doody. It’s early doors, but OC are moving in the right direction.