FIRST HALF:
Danny Stone stuck with the same lineup against another California rival, Monterey Bay FC.
As the match kicked off, neither team was able to find an early breakthrough to take control of the match. Much of this was due to Monterey Bay crowding the center of the pitch and preventing OCSC from passing out. One of the biggest strengths of the last two matches was Orange County's ability to spread the opposition by relying on Kyle Scott and Chris Hegardt to switch the field of play, but the opponents clearly came into the match with a game plan to shut down both key players.
Although it was an even match up, the boys in orange did control most of the possession in the first half and created the first chance on goal. Hegardt won the ball at the half-line and pushed through two players to free up a path for Ryan Doghman on the left side. Doghman received the pass and took a shot, looking to beat the keeper on the near post, but it was blocked and cleared away.
Monterey replied in kind, offering an opportunity of their own only a minute later. A great through ball led to a dangerous cross into Anton Sojberg, who was waiting in the box. He took a shot that had Colin Shutler beat, but Tom Brewitt blocked it. The attack still wasn't over, though, as Xavi Gnaulati followed through the rebound with a strike that Shutler was able to push over the crossbar to keep things level.
The opponents continued to apply the pressure on Orange County’s defense for the next ten minutes, but they were able to repel each wave of attack.
In the 33rd minute, OC nearly created a magic moment after Doghman drew a foul outside the box. Hegardt delivered, and Roberto Molina took a strike right in the center of the six, but goalkeeper Nico Campuzano made himself wide and made a brilliant save to prevent the home side from finding an advantage in the first half.
SECOND HALF:
Despite having better chances, Monterey Bay applied most of the pressure in the first half, and they continued to push against Orange County's defense after the break.
After about 15 minutes of consistent attacking, Orange County SC was caught off guard during a counter. Monterey won the ball near their box and immediately pushed forward, getting the ball to Sojberg, who spotted Ilijah Paul completely open on the left side. He switched it to Paul, who was easily able to flick a shot past Shutler to open the scoreline 0-1 for the visitors.
In Irvine, when it rains, it pours.
Four minutes after the opening goal, Monterey got the ball back in OCSC’s box. The defense failed to clear effectively, and Doghman made a crucial error in trying to clear again. The Dane jumped and led with his foot, but he missed the ball and instead kicked Adrian Rebollar in the face, resulting in an immediate red card.
The County Boys couldn't recover after going down a man. There were a few solid runs from Benjamin Barjolo and Kyle Scott, but the lack of numbers left them surrounded by blue shirts, and they were quickly shut down before anything of substance could be created.
The opponents doubled their lead in the 74th minute when Miles Lyons made a through ball pass to Paul, who was once again left wide open at the top of the box. He slotted the shot in the back of the net on the near post to make it 2-0.
The only bright moment for the boys in orange came in the 81st minute off a corner kick. The initial set piece got cleared away, but Scott ran up and shot a volley from 35 yards out. The attempt was on target and forced Campuzano to make a diving save.
Paul continued to beat the OC defense as the match reached the 90 minute mark. After receiving a long pass down the line, he got past the back line and had acres of space to run into. His team was there for support, and he passed it toward the center, where Luke Ivanovic casually buried the ball in the back of the net for Monterey’s third goal of the evening.
In added time, Lyam Mackinnon came on to make his debut with Orange County SC, but it was far too late for him to have any effect on the match. The final whistle was blown, and OCSC suffered their first loss of the season, 3-0.
OVERVIEW:
When analyzing the first half, there was a real hope that Orange County SC would be able to find victory in an evenly fought battle between the two California clubs. They held most of the possession and had the best chances on goal, but after coming back from break, Monterey Bay FC took complete control of the match.
The unfortunate red card was the nail in the coffin for the County Boys. After going down a man, they were helpless to break through Monterey's midfield to gain any ground for an equalizer.
As disappointing as the loss is, it happened early enough in the season that Danny Stone and the squad have time to learn from the significant defensive issues and recklessness in the final third to turn things around before they get worse.
They will have plenty of time in training to address these issues, as Orange County SC has a week off and will come back on April 5th for an away match against the Las Vegas Lights.